City of Kamloops considering free weekend parking for Christmas shoppers

KAMLOOPS – There could be an early Christmas gift for downtown shoppers this holiday season, but it comes with a cost for city hall.

A request has come for free street parking in downtown Kamloops on weekends in December before Christmas, which would mean fees waived on Dec. 3, Dec. 10, Dec. 17 and Dec. 24. According to Kamloops administration, the city would be forgoing an estimated $10,000.

City council will consider the request from the Kamloops Central Business Improvement Association at the Nov. 22 council meeting.

In a letter to council the Business Association’s general manager, Gay Pooler, is asking the parking fees to be waived in order to help advertise the downtown commercial area as a place for Christmas shopping. She writes other cities use similar incentives to draw shoppers into commercial areas.

The city’s administration agrees with Pooler and supports the initiative. In a report attached to the letter, corporate services director David Duckworth notes free parking increases shopping at downtown businesses.

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