TOFINO — New paid parking rules and signs in Tofino are leaving those living in coastal and remote Nuu-chah-nulth reserves with limited spots during the peak tourist season, a resident says.
“The parking issue in Tofino is so bad,” said Curt McLeod, an Ahousaht resident. “Especially during tourist season.”
Seasonal paid parking came into effect in Tofino’s downtown on July 17 and will be in place until the end of October.
Since it came into effect, McLeod has seen more people parking in the spaces allocated for offshore residents of Hesquiaht, Tla-o-qui-aht and Ahousaht to leave their vehicles while they travel by boat or seaplane home. He believes new parking signs could be to blame.
McLeod said the old signs clearly indicated what areas were for offshore parking, while the new signs have caused confusion for both locals and tourists.
“Tourists are just rolling up seeing those parking signs and just parking there,” he said, adding that he’s seen vehicles with Washington state and Alberta licence plates in the offshore spots.
“They’re not paid parking, so a lot of people are going into them.”
Before paid parking came into effect, “we could just pull over and park almost anywhere if [offshore parking spots] were taken or full,” McLeod said. “Now those other parking spots are all paid parking, so we’ll get ticketed or towed away.”
In an email to Ha-Shilth-Sa, the District of Tofino said that it is “aware that parking is limited in the downtown core and cannot meet the demands of everyone.”
“The district will work with offshore communities on a long-term solution to address the offshore resident parking needs,” reads the email. “All drivers must comply with the posted time restrictions.”
According to the district’s website, though bylaw officers “make every attempt to maintain permit parking spaces for vehicles with valid permits only,” offshore parking spaces are available on a “first come, first served basis.”
If no offshore parking is available, permit holders may park in unrestricted parking areas, time-limited parking spots for the specified time, and in the paid parking zone with the applicable fee, reads the website.
Offshore permits are free and valid for one year from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, reads the website. They must be hung on the rearview mirror of the vehicle and are not transferable. Offshore residents can obtain permits at the Tofino municipal office, or by registering online at tofino.robbinsparking.com.
“If there weren’t offshore areas … we wouldn’t be able to park in Tofino,” McLeod said. “That’s really our parking lot down there.”
— With a file from the Times Colonist
Alexandra Mehl is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter with Ha-Shilth-Sa. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
