Lorne Gunter: Councillor's push for street parking permit punishes residents

Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Breadcrumb Trail Links HomeNewsLocal NewsOpinionColumnists Lorne Gunter: Councillor's push for street parking permit punishes residents Tens of thousands of Edmontonians now live in neighbourhoods which, by the city’s own design, have no driveways or alleys. Parking on the street is their only option Author of the article: By Lorne Gunter Published Sep 18, 2026 Last updated 16 hours ago 3 minute read Join the conversation A City of Edmonton parking regulation sign is seen in the Belgravia neighbourhood of Edmonton, on Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2022. PHOTO BY FILE PHOTO /Postmedia Article content There’s a hilarious episode of the 1980s British sitcom “Yes Minister,” in which Jim Hacker, the minister in the title, sets off to give a hospital an award for being the most efficient hospital in Britain. On the way to the ceremony, Hacker learns the facility is running at 100 per cent efficiency because, while it employs 500 administrators, it has no patients. Article content Article content When he quizzes his staff on why no one is being treated there, he is told: “Having patients around would be no help at all.” Article content Article content Headline News Get the latest headlines, breaking news and columns. Sign Up By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Article content Do you ever get the feeling that is how city council and the administration view residents? Without us in the way, it would be so much easier for them to create their ideal, efficient city. Article content Take Ward papastew Coun. Michael Janz’s recent assertion that you have no right to expect to park in front of your own home. As a result, you should be made to pay for the privilege. Article content He suggests a fee of $2.50 an hour during daytime hours, or $25 a day. Article content Fear not, though, council’s most radically leftist member wants administration to give half the money collected back to the residents on each street. Janz figures $25 a day times 20 properties per street would raise $182,500 a year. That’s $9,125 per home. Article content Divide that by two — half to the city and half to residents — and it would mean homeowners would be eligible for rebates of more than $4,500. Pretty generous, huh? Article content Until you figure that the people receiving the year-end cheques could…