Owen Sound Council has voted to say no to hosting a Poutine Feast tour this summer.
In a close vote, councillors voted 4-4 on a staff recommendation to approve what would have been a free event this July.
Councillors in favor of the motion said the festival would have attracted thousands to the city's downtown, while those opposed had concerns regarding the event's impact on permanent restaurants in Owen Sound and the surrounding area.
Last year, organizers of Poutine Feast approached the city to see if it would be interested in serving as a host city for its travelling food festival, where almost 50 varieties of poutine would have been available.
A staff report said hosting the event would have injected almost half-a-million dollars ($395,000-$545,000) into the local economy.
Mayor Ian Boddy voted no to hosting, saying he didn't think the event taking place downtown due to the pandemic was a good idea.
