Hefty new fines approved for illegal parking near Spencer Gorge, Webster Falls

Hamilton City Council has voted to declare Greensville as a “special enforcement area” in 2019.

The declaration means $250 fines for those who park illegally in the community while visiting Spencer Gorge and Webster Falls this year.

That’s a steep increase from the usual $24 expired metre fine, or $75 for stopping in a no-parking zone.

Ward 13 Coun. Arlene Vanderbeek says the measure is needed since people are still picnicking on lawns and parking in private driveways, despite the Hamilton Conservation Authority’s introduction of a weekend shuttle bus in 2017.

That service, which shuttles visitors from Christie Lake Conservation Area, begins its third season on Good Friday.

Gord Costie, director of conservation areas services for the Hamilton Conservation Authority, told CHML’s Scott Thompson that he’s happy to see the city taking the issue seriously.

“The city means business — when it says ‘no parking’, it’s ‘no parking’,” said Costie. “This Spencer Gorge area, it’s going to be treated now as a high-use tourist area, and that’s what the community has asked us for.”

LISTEN: Hamilton Conservation Authority Director Gord Costie talks to Global News about illegal parking near waterfalls in Spencer Gorge

The HCA, along with the city, have been trying for the past few years to get a handle on the growing number of visitors to Hamilton waterfalls.

Vanderbeek says the shuttle service, which was used by about 45,000 people last year, has made an “immeasurable difference”, but she adds that Greensville continues to be “a community under seige.”

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