Virginia Park residents concerned about parking chaos during upcoming events
CBC
Residents who live in the neighbourhood of Virginia Park have plenty of experience having to compete for parking during major events and summer festivals.
The neighbourhood has seen numerous events happen within walking distance, including KDays, Edmonton Heritage Festival and last weekend's Rockin' Thunder concerts.
But this weekend the neighbourhood will face a double whammy: The Weeknd performs a concert Saturday at Commonwealth Stadium while KDays is happening at nearby Edmonton Expo Centre and Exhibition Grounds.
Debbie Boccabella has lived in the Virginia Park neighbourhood for 24 years and says how much of a nightmare parking is depends on the event and whether residential parking rules are in effect.
"The parking for KDays, people come and go. It's residential parking for the football games, which that doesn't make much sense to me, why they can park for the exhibition, but not for the football games," Boccabella told CBC on Wednesday.
"We do have a problem during Heritage Days, because a third of Edmonton comes here, and they park everywhere. [The city] put up some signs when you enter the neighbourhood about residential parking. But people ignore them. They park on the sides of the streets."
CBC spoke to multiple residents who say they are concerned about blind spots in neighbourhood and safety concerns that become exacerbated during events when people are on the hunt for a parking spot.
"KDays and other controlled events where the festival goers are allowed to park without the normal restrictions, it's quite chaotic," said resident Howard Gibb.
"I have concerns, as we all do, about just the congestion and chaos and possible chances of accidents," said Gibb pointing to the intersection of 79th Street and 112th S Avenue.
"That corner over there behind us, there is signage saying not to park there, and that's for a good reason."
Jenny Albers, acting director of traffic operations with the City of Edmonton, told CBC the city is excited about the number of events happening in the coming weeks.
For The Weeknd concert this Saturday there is no parking at Commonwealth Stadium and parking restrictions in neighbourhoods around the stadium will be in effect from 3 p.m. to midnight on Saturday.
The city said this is standard practice for parking around Commonwealth Stadium during major events.
When restrictions are in place, only residents with valid parking permits can park on streets in those areas and the permits must be displayed during the parking restriction hours. Vehicles parked without valid permits may be fined $100 and towed.
Like a crown on the hill, Pincher Creek’s Lebel Mansion brings a sense of history and warmth to the skyline above downtown.
The United States' capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, along with his wife, is an event worth celebrating for one Venezuelan refugee living in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Interveners in Halifax Water’s rate case are telling the regulatory board that the utility’s new proposal, which would cut its initial request by nearly half, is still inordinately high.
From the wintry symbol of a red northern cardinal to the rare New Brunswick sighting of a painted bunting, birds were the top subjects of this week's Your Lens submissions.
Fields of wheat are a staple in the landscape of Manitoba’s prairies, but this year many farmers plan to grow alternative crops.
Abel Charles throws on a pair of headphones and pulls his radio studio microphone closer to his face.
A new study by biologists at the University of Victoria has revealed why the simple back-and-forth motion of drift logs on B.C. beaches has destroyed critical ecosystems that keep the ocean healthy.
According to Niagara native, Lindsay Davies, the complaint that Ontario is a boring province when it comes to outdoor adventures is just plain wrong.
As of Jan. 1, most job postings in Ontario need to include salary figures, carbon monoxide alarms need to be on every level of a home and municipalities are now out of the recycling business.
Hundreds of medical school graduates, donning their hard-earned white coats, start their residencies every summer, during which they take on at least a few more years of training in a specialized field, like surgery or pediatrics, before they're licensed to practise.
Unreserved spoke to many acclaimed Indigenous authors in 2025. Each shared a few lessons that help them navigate life’s challenges and joys.
If you thought December seemed colder and snowier than usual, you're right.
Theodore has once again claimed the top spot as the most popular baby name on Prince Edward Island in 2025.