The president of the local legion Don Asher, came before council Monday to ask the city to request help securing subsidized parking for veterans.
"We need some help for the military, we would like to have, not exactly free but assisted parking for members,SA国际影视传媒� Asher said.
Asher has come up with a specific list of criteria for who they think should be eligible for the permits.
SA国际影视传媒淭he military permits will only be for veterans living in Yellowknife,SA国际影视传媒� Asher said.
SA国际影视传媒淚t has to be for people who serve in the line of fire. I say I qualify because I've had three wives and I definitely have been in the line of fire, so they added another line that they must have fought on foreign ground.SA国际影视传媒�
Finally Asher said they must also be members for the legion.
With this criteria Asher estimates there is approximately 15 to 25 veterans in Yellowknife who would get the passes.
Asher is extremely passionate about the legion, having had various members of his family serve, in addition to himself.
SA国际影视传媒淲e must remember why people are fighting for us and why we have everything today, I want to be there to make sure that we have this done and done properly.SA国际影视传媒�
Navy Cmdr. John Dobbin, chief of staff at Joint Task Force North (JTFN) and legion member, helped Asher in the presentation with research on how other municipalities handle veterans parking.
SA国际影视传媒淭he program is a little different in each municipalities,SA国际影视传媒� Dobbin said. He went on to explain how each municipality has a varying rules and methods of assisting veterans, some providing full free parking, others providing parking on special occasions.
SA国际影视传媒淭he spirit of the pass is to be occasional, not for someone to monopolize parking downtown for work or outside of their home,SA国际影视传媒� Dobbin said.
SA国际影视传媒淲hen a pass is used we provide the guidelines and believe it can be self governed.SA国际影视传媒�
Concluding the presentation, Asher invited those in attendance to support the legion, which he said raised $140,000 in donations to the city last year.
SA国际影视传媒淲e'd like to invite everyone to come to new legion, it's a nice new clean building below Coyotes restaurant,SA国际影视传媒� Asher said.
SA国际影视传媒淚t's a nice and clean place. It's not like some other bars in town where you go and sit down and someone comes around 'buy me a beer, give me a cigarette or would you like to come home with me and get lucky?' We don't have that.SA国际影视传媒�
Coun. Robin Williams asked how difficult it would be for administration to undertake this task and city administrator Sheila Bassi-Kellett said challenges may lie in the screening process and work between the city and the legion would be required.
SA国际影视传媒淚 really appreciate the acknowledgement that this could take some time to do well.SA国际影视传媒�
Bassi-Kellett stated that the GNWT is allowing the city to have a more robust role with parking, parking enforcement and parking court and this means they will be coming out with a parking by law where veterans parking could be included.
SA国际影视传媒淎t this point in time it is only open to people over 60 years of age and visitors,SA国际影视传媒� Bassi-Kellet said.
SA国际影视传媒淪o when Mr. Asher raises this we appreciate that as we look at the by law we will be doing some work to look at and bring forward proposals for who can access parking.SA国际影视传媒�
As it stands now veterans are able to park in the downtown JTFN parking lot. The request by Asher is for metred parking in the city.
