By John Francis,
Bruce Peninsula Press
Paid parking in Lion’s Head — new for 2021 — is generating quite a bit of opposition on social media and elsewhere.
Some South Bruce Peninsula residents have received $60 tickets for parking in front of downtown businesses. It never occurred to them to pay for parking; many of them have been shopping in Lion’s Head for decades and know the village well. They didn’t notice the new signs about paid parking.
A few have resolved never to return.
Many people feel that the new system is having a negative effect on the downtown businesses although the businesses themselves have remained silent on the issue.
Opponents of paid parking claim that the restrictions serve no purpose except to make money at the expense of the business community.
Proponents of the scheme have a very different perspective. They say that last year, much of the downtown parking was taken up all day by beachgoers and Bruce Trail walkers and was unavailable to the would-be customers of those downtown businesses. They note that the 3-hour time limit means that residents and cottagers can now find a place to park when they go downtown. They also point out that parking is free for residents and cottagers.
Some MNBP cottagers are confused by the new regulations; rumours are circulating that they only qualify for free parking if they live here year round. This is not true. All cottage owners qualify for parking permits. (See instructions in MNBP ad on page 25.)
Non-resident passes are $100 per season per vehicle. Commenters on Facebook have suggested that the Municipalities of Northern and South Bruce Peninsula should offer free parking passes to each other’s residents. (It should be noted that NOBODY gets free parking at Sauble Beach; residents pay just the same as visitors.)
MNBP intends to reevaluate the Lion’s Head paid parking system in the fall and possibly tweak it for 2022.
Tobermory has had paid parking for several years but new parking restrictions were introduced for 2021.
Visitor parking is no longer allowed on Grant Watson Drive (access to Mermaids Cove). A few spaces at the end of the road are posted “3 HOUR MAXIMUM — RESIDENT PARKING ONLY”. They are rarely full and are mostly occupied by visitors who decide to take a chance on getting a ticket. The fine is $100. Mermaids Cove is much less crowded this year; many Tobermory residents are finding it a pleasant place to visit again.
Visitor parking is reduced on Dunks Bay Road and paid parking is in place. A few parking spaces along the edge of Dunks Bay Cemetery are reserved for locals with permits. Visitors who park in those spaces, or who park in NO PARKING zones, get $100 tickets. Crowding at Dunks Bay Beach is not as bad this year as in recent summers.
Visitor parking has also been reduced at Big Tub Lighthouse. This has reduced —but definitely not eliminated — crowding and traffic flow problems there. Local residents have suggested tweaks which would improve safety and access.
