Anyone who lives in or visits Vancouver knows that parking, especially in the touristy summer months, is not cheap. The city has approved a new plan to relieve that financial burden — so long as you belong to one of the three First Nations whose ancestral territory falls within city limits.On October 20, as part of its Parking Strategy, the Vancouver Park Board green-lit exemptions for members of the Musqueam Indian Band, Squamish Nation, and Tsleil-Waututh Nation, meaning they will not have to pay for parking.As of now, it only applies to Stanley Park, but in a statement to the Western Standard, the board explained that the program "could consider expanding to other parks and sites, through continued implementation of the Parking Strategy and consideration of parking within the UNDRIP Action Plan."According to the Parking Strategy, the goal of the program is to "reduce barriers to the Nations in accessing their own lands, build better relationships, and promote connection between cultures."."The City’s UNDRIP Strategy identifies parking fees and time limits as a barrier to access for cultural sites, and the Parking Strategy contemplates free parking for local First Nation members," the board said. "Work on these areas will continue as staff work through the UNDRIP Action Plan."When asked how the system would be implemented, the board told the Western Standard that members of the aforementioned First Nations can obtain the exemptions by registering their vehicles in a licence plate database. Chiefs already receive decals for free on-street parking. "Considering the proportion of Nations' members to the overall visitors to Park Board paid parking lots," the Parking Strategy stated, "impacts on revenue would be low while providing high value both to the Nations and for the Park Board’s delivery of public good by promoting connection across cultures and to place."There are over 50 parking lots within Stanley Park, with rates that vary by location and season. According to parking operator EasyPark, the average price is $4.16 per hour between October 1 and March 31, and $4.68 per hour between April 1 and September 30 with a maximum daily rate of $15.60 and $17.43, respectively.
