After more than 18 months, Georgian Bay General Hospital resumes paid parking today.
Complimentary parking was originally made available in April 2020 to alleviate parking expenses for patients and visitors during the particularly difficult times of the pandemic. During this time, the hospital has also updated its parking system to be more reliable and user-friendly.
“Paid parking is an important source of revenue for hospitals as it enables us to replace aging equipment for patient care,” said GBGH CFO Matthew Lawson.
Lawson, who is also executive vice president of corporate services, said that while GBGH has some of the lowest parking rates in central Ontario, paid parking still contributes significantly to its annual budget.
“Hospital equipment is not funded by the government so we must find other sources of income - such as fundraising and parking – to replace much-needed equipment,” Lawson added.
To regulate entry and exit to the parking lot from either the highway 93 or Penetanguishene Road entrances, parking gates have been re-installed.
Patients and visitors will take a ticket upon entry (credit cards can also be used upon entry) and pay at a payment station prior to returning to their vehicle. Payment stations are located inside the main and emergency department entrances of the hospital.
GBGH staff and credentialed staff also pay a monthly rate for parking.
