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nonresident parking ban at de la salle — Visitors turned away by park staff at De La Salle

Day-trippers mostly a no-show during long weekend

May 24, 2021

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Resident-only parking largely empty on Monday afternoon

By: Mike Anderson

For the second year running, visitors stayed away from Georgina’s beaches during the Victoria Day long weekend.

The combination of less than ideal weather, substantially higher “no parking” and “no stopping” fines, as well as resident-only parking at three major waterfront parks — De La Salle, Willow Beach and Holmes Point — kept most day-trippers at home.

Mayor Margaret Quirk’s stern warning, broadcast on CP24 before the long weekend, also helped dissuade anyone from out-of-town who was thinking about a day at the beach.

“Normally, we would be welcoming people for the May 24 long weekend, but this year is not a normal year, and we’re asking people to respect the stay-at-home order and to stay in their local communities and enjoy the outdoor amenities that are there,” said Mayor Quirk in an interview with CP24 reporter Steve Ryan.

“Now, it’s not the time to come up and visit us. You will be turned away. And we will be enforcing the no parking and the no stopping.”

While most waterfront areas were relatively free of illegally parked cars, those who attempted to park on side streets or unload near the beach were met with stiff fines — “no parking,” up from $30 to $100, and “no stopping,” up from $50 to $150.

In some cases, visitors complained that bylaw officers were not issuing warnings before ticketing.

“They should issue us a verbal warning before issuing a ticket. We are all humans, and we make mistakes,” said Ron, whose friend was fined $150 for “no stopping.”

“They should also provide at least a few spots for visitors so that people can stop for at least 30 minutes.”

With beach parking unavailable to non-residents, some visitors parked in store lots, like Lakeview Grocery at Willow Wharf, where the owner was forced to shoo them away.

Mona, 27, arrived with her mother and sister from Bradford to find that they couldn’t park at De La Salle. So they parked down the street where there was 2-hour parking, a 15-minute walk away.

“It’s ridiculous because we’ve been coming here for years. And I know Richmond Hill and Newmarket are allowing non-residents there. This is the only little town that’s not allowing that to happen,” she said.

“As long as everybody is following the rules, it should be fine. And that includes the residents.”

“We’re bringing business at the end of the day. The gas stations, ice cream shops, and Tim Hortons here need our business.”

The parking restrictions will remain in effect for the provincial stay-at-home order; however, the town has hinted it could extend them.

“We’re moving at this time during the stay-at-home order to a residents-only parking to control capacity at our waterfront parking lots,” said Ron Jenkins, Georgina’s Director of Fire and Emergency Services, during his update to Council on May 19.

“This will be monitored and reassessed by onsite staff and the EOC as we move forward into the summer, and further directions are issued from the province in regards to reopening measures.”

This was not welcome news to some visitors who ignored the “unwelcome mat” and spent time on Georgina’s beaches over the long weekend.

“It’s not fair to the rest of the people because the lake doesn’t belong just to the residents of Georgina,” said Anton, who was visiting from East Gwillimbury with his wife and two young children. “The private beaches belong to them, but not the public beaches.

However, several residents expressed support for the non-resident parking ban.

“I love it. I think there should always be at least one beach in Georgina that is residents only,” said Niki from Keswick, who was sitting on the beach at De La Salle with her friend Dan.

“I actually never used this beach because it’s always so crowded and messy and garbage everywhere. And I just find that people don’t respect it if they don’t live here.”

Dan agreed.

“The taxes in our area are astronomical, and I feel we should have access to the amenities that we pay for,” he said.

“I’ve lived here my whole life, and this has honestly been the beach that I’ve driven past all the time because it’s just not worth it to try and find a parking spot. It’s just too much of a hassle.”