The District of Squamish is planning paid parking at Darrell Bay, a pilot program until the end of 2026. The plan will be discussed at a Committe of the Whole meeting tomorrow; no date for implementation has been announced and no decision has been made by council yet.
In January this year, the council directed staff to work on a pilot project for paid parking at tourist locations. Beyond Darrell Bay, the district also plans to implement paid parking at several other locations in town.
District staff will review the pilot project in early 2027 to see if it should be extended, expanded, or modified. According to a staff report that the council will discuss at a Committee of the Whole meeting tomorrow, the Darrell Bay site became the most feasible location due to its use as overflow parking for Shannon Falls and the Sea to Sky Gondola. “The Darrell Bay location would enable the pilot project to focus on a location frequently used by tourists in the summer months for overflow parking associated with Shannon Falls and the Sea to Sky Gondola,” notes the staff report.
The site also accommodates workers commuting via ferry to the Woodfibre LNG (WLNG) project. The spaces WLNG workers use are under a license agreement between the company and the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MoTT).
The district’s plan would establish year-round paid parking at Darrell Bay, with seasonal rates aligned with peak tourist demand. The proposed fee structure includes a peak season rate of $3 per hour, up to a maximum of $10 per day, and a low season rate of $1 per hour, up to a maximum of $5 per day. Payment would be available through card-only kiosks or a mobile app. There won’t be a cash option. The district plans to hire a third-party contractor rather than relying on municipal bylaw officers for regulation.
While Darrell Bay is not a primary parking location for residents, the district is considering implementing a resident pass system to exempt Squamish locals from the fees. The system would serve as a trial run, and staff would gather data to provide insights for a broader program in the future.
Darrell Bay was chosen as the pilot site due to its mix of tourism and commuter traffic and its potential for controlled implementation. The parking area closest to the water is primarily used by WLNG employees who take the ferry to the construction site, while the spaces closer to the highway serve tourists.
The district has been discussing with MoTT on how its paid parking plan will work with the existing MoTT/WLNG agreement, which was recently extended until May 1, 2025, to allow for ferry terminal repairs. Further extensions are expected as the construction phase at Woodfibre continues through 2027. Under the district’s proposal, any WLNG workers who park outside their designated area must pay for additional spaces.
If approved, the pilot program will run for two years, allowing the district to gather data over two peak tourism seasons. Staff will assess the system’s effectiveness, monitor potential parking spillover effects, and decide whether the program should be expanded to other locations.
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