An expansion is planned for the French school in La Broquerie and municipal council has granted a request for fewer parking spaces.

DFSM (Division scolaire franco-manitobaine) applied for a variation to decrease the number of parking spaces required for the expansion of École Saint-Joachim in the village of La Broquerie.

Approval was granted after intense discussion surrounding the parking issues on Normandeau bay.

Some of the council members live on the street in question and were vocal in letting the DFSM representative, Rene Lambert, know about the numerous vehicles parked on the street while the school parking lot is seldom used.

Upon some questioning, Lambert confirmed that staff members are required to pay if they want to use the school parking lot.

“Because they’re charging for parking, students, possibly teachers, and employees of the school are not parking on the parking lot that the school currently has,” says Reeve Lewis Weiss after the meeting. “So they don’t have to pay for the parking, they’re parked on the street, and it’s double parked on both sides which causes a problem for traffic, identifying ‘are there children running out?’”

At the hearing, Lambert stated that was the first time he heard of any problems regarding parked vehicles on the street.

In the resolution to approve the variance request, it was identified that DSFM is encouraged to utilize all onsite parking for staff.

“We suggested, maybe to make it a policy that they have to use the school’s parking,” says Weiss. “If that doesn’t work, then we’ll put signs up and have one hour parking during 8am to 5pm.”

Council granted the variance request that the minimum parking spaces requirement be reduced from 154 parking spaces to 86 parking spaces.