Temporary parking lots close in Orillia upsetting downtown business owners
Temporary parking lots close in Orillia upsetting downtown business owners
The closure of two temporary parking lots Tuesday in Orillia has frustrated some residents and business owners.
"After two years of the pandemic, we're still trying to regenerate what we've lost in those two years, and now losing two parking spots it's going to affect the whole downtown," said Studabakers Beachside general manager Jenn Harvey.
In 2018, Orillia Council approved creating Municipal Parking Lot 8, located on Mississaga Street East, and Municipal Parking Lot 12, on Centennial Drive, as temporary pay-and-display public parking.
The property was later sold to FRAM Building Group as part of the Waterfront Redevelopment Project.
"While the parking lots were always intended to be temporary until such a time that development occurred on the property, we understand residents and businesses will have grown accustomed to having them available," said Mayor Steve Clarke.
Harvey said she's now concerned for her staff, who will be forced to walk farther to get to the restaurant.
"We'll try to eliminate staff parking in the back to leave it open for our customers, but at this time, I don't feel like it's the safest for employees to be walking downtown at 12 or 1 a.m., but we will adjust to what we have to do."
The City encourages residents to use the alternative parking lots in the downtown core or waterfront lots when visiting businesses within the development area.
In a release, the City noted it was also investigating other parking options.
ROAD REROUTING
Adding to the confusion, several key downtown bus routes have been rerouted on Friday and Saturday for the Mariposa Folk Festival.
Mississaga Street East will be closed from Peter Street to the west side of Municipal Lot 5.
To mitigate these road closures, a transit detour and changes to the routes will be implemented.
Additionally, the Laclie route will be adjusted due to the Peter Street closure.
All transit changes can be found on the Orillia Transit website.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Sask. RCMP issue Amber Alert for 7-year-old girl and 8-year-old boy
An Amber Alert was issued Monday evening by Shaunavon RCMP in Saskatchewan for seven-year-old Luna Potts and eight-year-old Hunter Potts.

Anne Heche remains in critical condition as police continue to investigate her car crash
Anne Heche has remained in critical condition since crashing her vehicle into a Los Angeles residence on Friday, according to a new representative for the actress.
Russian disinformation spreading in new ways despite bans, report says
After Russia invaded Ukraine last February, the European Union moved to block RT and Sputnik, two of the Kremlin's top channels for spreading propaganda and misinformation about the war. Nearly six months later, the number of sites pushing that same content has exploded, according to a report by NewsGuard.
Actor, singer Olivia Newton-John dies at age 73
Singer and actor Olivia Newton-John, who was best known for playing Sandy in the film 'Grease,' has died at the age of 73, according to her husband.
Trump says FBI conducted search at his Mar-a-Lago estate
The FBI searched Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate as part of an investigation into whether he took classified records from the White House to his Florida residence, people familiar with the matter said Monday, a move that represents a dramatic and unprecedented escalation of law enforcement scrutiny of the U.S. former president.
RCMP has been using spyware tools for years and in more cases than previously reported, MPs told
Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino and senior RCMP officers are defending the national police force's years-long and previously undisclosed use of spyware—capable of remotely accessing cell phone and computer microphones, cameras and other data—as part of dozens of major investigations.
4 Muslim men were killed in Albuquerque. Here's what we know about them
After ambush-style shootings of three Muslim men and the recent killing of a fourth in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the Muslim community in the city is on edge and fearful.
Nagasaki marks atomic bombing anniversary amid fresh nuclear war fears
Nagasaki paid tribute to the victims of the U.S. atomic bombing 77 years ago on Aug. 9, with the mayor saying Russia's war on Ukraine showed the world that another nuclear attack is not just a worry but 'a tangible and present crisis.'
Saskatoon woman who had been reported missing faces charges in U.S., Canada
Federal prosecutors in the United States have accused a Saskatoon woman of faking her own death and that of her son in what they describe as an elaborate scheme to illegally enter the country.