Kenora city council has approved free metered parking for the Harbourtown Centre through all of December in a unanimous decision at a November 16 Council meeting.
The plan was recommended at a November 9 Committee of the Whole meeting to give back to the community after the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Adam Smith, Municipal Director of Development Services, said the free metered parking will be in conjunction with the buy local campaigns running in December.
“To which is also a result of our COVID Economic Recovery Plan, recognizing the current pandemic is still impacting local businesses, and we would like to try local activity in our downtown during the holiday season,” said Smith.
Councilor Chris Van Welleghem said at the same Committee of the Whole meeting he likes the idea of the free parking to help out the downtown businesses.
"I think if we can help the local businesses out here this one time with a bad year and a half they had. I would like to see the free parking to just show that the city cares and help them out," said Van Welleghem.
In years past to prevent the abuse of free parking, the city has reached out to Harbourtown Biz to get the message out to businesses.
“Enforcement of people who take advantage of it, which is basically parking there for the day. Those are challenges that we face every time,” said Heather Pihulak, Director of Corporate Services.
“It’s intended for shoppers, and it’s intended for businesses to thrive to encourage people to come to the downtown. It’s not intended for the business, the workers, employees, or the owners to have free parking for the day,” added Pihulak.
The total foregone revenue for the free parking in December is $15,000. Metered parking revenue earned in December 2019 was $16,160.56. The City says any lost revenue for December 2021 could potentially be covered by the COVID-19 funding that the City has received.
The City provided free parking to the Harbourtown Centre in July as part of the Glad You Are Here Campaign after the Manitoba/Ontario border opening, allowing residents to enter into northwestern Ontario for non-essential travel.