Have you noticed that a lot of parking meters in Yellowknife seem to have a distinct lean to them? I am sure some people will blame climate change and melting permafrost for this because people blame everything on something, and climate change is all the rage.
Personally, I suspect it is more likely due to erratic drivers who often miss the curb or drive into them trying to get in and out of parking spots, particularly in winter, if the snow fell deep, wet, and slippery. Whatever the cause, there are a lot of meters, signs and posts that need straightening scattered around town.
Parking in Yellowknife has been one of those issues that just seems to get worse: more difficult to find and more expensive, particularly if you get the occasional parking ticket. I used to get the occasional ticket because I would go downtown, plug the meter and then get stuck in some meeting or government office because things were moving rather slowly. In true bureaucratic fashion, if you read the city’s parking meter rules and fees, it is a might complicated what with nine-, two- and one-hour parking meters and whether you are paying by the minute or the hour.
Now, did you know that a visitor to our fair city can go to city hall and get a free three-day parking pass? Well, you can but it is not all that well-known or advertised. Maybe there should be a big sign just out of town for tourists that says ‘Welcome to Yellowknife. Stop by city hall and get your free three-day parking pass.’ I have no idea of how many of these passes they give out in a year. It is a nice thing to do for visitors or tourists, though.
I think the city should consider a rule that says if you are here as a fire or flood evacuee, you can get a pass that will cover you until you return home. Yes, it might cost the city a bit of revenue, but it would be a nice friendly and Northern thing to do.
Yellowknife does have a shortage of parking spaces downtown because past councils just didn’t factor in all the buildings being built without providing adequate parking. In fact, they let some buildings and businesses pay a little money so they didn’t have to put in the required number of parking spots.
Years ago by chance, I ended up sitting through a committee meeting where a developer was asking for a reduction in parking spaces because their building was close to downtown, and the tenants could walk. They could but they still had vehicles they had to park somewhere. Also, no provision was put in for the campers, boats, motors, snowmobiles and trailers that some people had.
Also, a lot of parking lots are designed for down south where most people drive cars and not for the north where a lot of people have pick-up trucks. Big pick-up trucks. Monster size pick-ups with big off-road tires, winches, and lights.
The parking lots designed for down south just don’t work well for the North and for some reason they are designed for summer conditions and not for the winters we get. If they were, some would provide the option for a plug in. This would be a Northern thing but if you get stuck in the hospital at -40 C for a few hours, you must worry about whether your vehicle will start. Especially in the tiny emergency parking lot.
If they do put up a big sign outside of town welcoming people and offering a free three-day pass, I think they should add the warning ‘Please keep your vehicle locked at all times and check daily for vandalism.’ They should also put up some signs at a few parking spots ‘Above you, ravens roost. If you park here, be prepared for you vehicle to get pooped on.’