Parking rates have doubled at Sauble Beach.
The new rates went into effect on June 1st and they call for all day parking fees of $30.
Last year it was $15.
The hourly rate jumps to $7 from last year’s $3 an hour.
South Bruce Peninsula Mayor Janice Jackson who defends the hike, says the fees are not expensive, when compared to other beaches in Ontario.
She says the beach at Lion’s Head charges $30 a day for parking.
Jackson says they need the cash to make up for 75 lost parking spot revenue, north of the Crowd Inn and to maintain the beach.
She says it costs around $350,000 a year to keep the beach in shape and they’re treating it as a user-pay recreational facility,
Jackson says the maintenance should not be on the backs of taxpayers who do not use the beach.
She says simply they were underpriced when it came to parking.
Where taxpayers can get a deal is buying a season pass for 50-bucks.
Seasonal passes for non-residents is $200.
Passes can be purchased at the town hall.
