YELLOWKNIFE - A group of seniors were shocked earlier this month to find parking tickets on their vehicles even though they have city senior passes affixed to their windshields.

Barb Bromley shows her senior's parking pass, which she thought was valid along Veteran's Memorial Drive until she got a ticket March 14. Parking rules were changed along the route after bylaw officers noticed a large number of vehicles parking there all day with the yellow passes on the windshield. - Mike W. Bryant/NNSL photo

Barb Bromley and Jan Stirling were coming back from attending Lenten Lunch at the Anglican Church on 52 Street, March 14, when they discovered $40 parking tickets placed on their vehicles parked in front of City Hall on Veteran's Memorial Drive (or 49th Ave. as it used to be called).

The Wednesday all-denominational lunches have been held at the church for years to celebrate Lent - the 40 days leading up to Easter.

The two seniors say they've been parking on Veteran's Memorial Drive for a number of years without getting a ticket - until now.

"It was just a bit of shock to us," said Bromley.

"I guess I should've parked in the City Hall parking lot."

Both women are no ordinary Yellowknifers. Bromley is an Order of Canada recipient. Stirling, or "Grandma Jan" as many in the city affectionately call her, was given a Caregiver's Award by former Governor-General Adrienne Clarkson for her 26 years of service as a public health nurse. The building housing the city's public health authority is named after her.

Also ticketed that day was a Baptist minister with a senior pass, the two women say.

With parking tickets in hand, the three parties ventured to City Hall's municipal enforcement division where they were told that parking rules along Veteran's Memorial Drive were recently changed because too many senior's pass holders were taking advantage of the free parking when coming to work.

"I guess they're trying to discourage people that have passes and are still working and staying there all day - that's what he told us," said Stirling.

The yellow senior's parking passes are valid at one and two-hour parking meters but not at the nine-hour meters on Veteran's Memorial Drive.

"None of us knew they had that new thing that all those meters are nine hours," said Stirling.

"We all park there, have been for years."

Bylaw officers tore up their tickets but not without a warning to not park there again unless they are willing to put money into the meter.

Bromley said it's a shame because the two-hour meters stalls along 52 Street are usually full and those on 51 Street are a little too far away from the church.

Doug Gillard, manager of municipal enforcement, confirmed that parking meters rules for seniors were changed about a year ago.

First, City Hall reduced the age minimum for seniors to 60 from 65.

Seniors were allowed to park on Veteran's Memorial Drive, which has the only nine-hour meters in the city, but as Stirling and Bromley were told, that changed after bylaw officers began noticing an alarming number of senior pass holders parking there for the day to go to work. Few people parked there before.

"The intent of the senior's pass wasn't to provide free parking to go to work," said Gillard.

Senior's passes there were subsequently banned. The passes are now valid for the one and two-hour meters only.

Neither woman said they were upset with municipal enforcement, but they say the city should warn other seniors about the parking meter change lest more make the same mistake.

Another Lenten Lunch is taking place next Wednesday.

"We three know not to park there, but I don't know about others," said Stirling.

Gillard said the rules for senior's passes are explained when they are issued, which is once a year.

"Anytime we issue a senior's pass now to somebody we flip the pass over (to the posted rules on the back) and explain the rules to them," said Gillard.

"Especially the new one, which is good for only one and two-hour meters."