HERE: Where Can Hamber Students Park Their Cars?
Photo Credit: Olivia Gowans Hoar
Due to increasing traffic around Eric Hamber, a statement was posted on the website on Nov. 12, outlining that the school parking lot is exclusively reserved for staff and teachers, with parents and students not allowed to drive into the parking lot for drop-off and pick-up. This rule is meant to ensure that staff can enter the parking lot quickly without congestion caused by student or parent vehicles. However, this rule has caused some confusion among senior students with an N license.
According to an interview with a school administrator, the staff parking lot is not open to students and parents due to safety concerns. The school wants students and parents to stay off the parking lot boundary, mostly to prevent the possibility of an accident. Only parents and staff from Hamber’s rooftop childcare facility are permitted to enter the lot for pick up and drop off of their babies and toddlers.
Rather, senior students with their N license have other options for student parking.
Kendra On (12) drives to school two times a week and parks at the student parking lot near the field. However, she says that the lot is inconvenient because “there aren’t that many spots and it’s a little bit of a walk [from] the field.”
She says that the staff parking lot is usually mostly full, but there are always some spots left, although she never parks there. While On understands why students are not allowed to use the staff parking lot, she thinks the school should consider creating a better area for student drivers in the future.
Additionally, On says that the parking situation currently works decently because not many Grade 12s have their license yet. However, “as the year goes on and more people get their Ns,” it will be a lot busier and harder to find a spot to park, she says. While On believes the current rules “make sense,” she still thinks that it will be helpful if the school looked for solutions that support safety and student convenience.