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
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.