THUNDER BAY – During Monday’s city council meeting, city manager John Collin said there will be free parking beginning Dec. 16 for the holidays.
Dougall Media confirmed with the city that the “free holiday parking ends on Jan 1, 2025.”
Executive Director of the Waterfront District Business Improvement Area Kara Pratt said, “we love the holiday parking. It makes a big difference for the businesses down here. It allows people to come in and just stop and shop and support restaurants.”
Pratt noted that holiday parking was included in the city’s updated parking bylaw back in April.
She said the BIA felt heard by the city when they wrote holiday parking into the bylaw.
Collin’s remark comes during the discussion of McKellar Ward coun. Brian Hamilton's motion to lower metered parking by two hours in the morning and three hours in the evening.
Starting immediately, metered parking will only be enforced Monday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and outside those hours the public will not be ticketed despite the signage stating parking is from 7 a.m. to 9p.m.
City administration said new signage will be implemented sometime in the new year.
Pratt said that the Waterfront BIA is “glad” Hamilton brought the parking motion forward.
When asked what sort of impact the BIA are expecting to see as the new parking changes come into effect, Pratt said, “I think we'll actually see a lot more people out walking in the morning and I think we'll see people coming to our restaurants in the evenings and any retailers that have later shopping hours. We're gonna see more of that.”
