EDITORIAL: Parkade a luxury item

Is the city cutting corners to push an event centre ahead at all costs?

We say no.

Yes, city officials confirmed last week they were considering eliminating a 200-space parking structure attached to the proposed 5,700-seat facility.

In order to qualify for Building Canada money from the federal government, the city has to get the project under the $100-million mark.

Otherwise it has to go through the P3 funding process, a much more difficult task for a project of this sort.

The parking structure, while convenient, isn’t necessary, and at more than $6 million, could be axed.

What the city should instead do is create a surface lot in that space capable of handling about a third of that number of vehicles and designate it accessible-only.

There’s plenty of parking for able-bodied people in the downtown area, either on street or in any number of lots, including the Heart of the Harbour parkade a few blocks away.

The city could also provide a park-and-ride system, with bus trans­portation from the Community Auditorium, Confed-eration College or Lakehead University included in event centre ticket prices.

As it stands, many people walk several blocks in the Thunder Bay winter to watch Thundewolves hockey at Fort William Gardens. It won’t be any different on the north side of town.