Photo: Nicholas Johansen

Parking restrictions on Bernard Avenue in downtown Kelowna Saturday morning.

Another downtown Kelowna business is expressing concerns about the parking restrictions put in place for Saturday night's Parade with a Purpose.

Robyn Sigurdson, chef and manager of Sunny's Modern Diner, arrived at work early Saturday morning to find all of Bernard Avenue's street parking closed off in preparation for the parade, which doesn't kick off until 6 p.m.

“I think the Parade with a Purpose is amazing and bringing the whole community to downtown Kelowna in the evenings is great, but they had parking blocked off from 6 a.m. on, the entire strip of Bernard,” Sigurdson said.

“With the second-last Saturday before Christmas, for all of the independent businesses on Bernard, it will affect every single one of them.”

She's heard the frustrations from her customers all morning, who've been unable to park outside the restaurant.

“It's so incredible that the city offers two-hour free parking on Saturdays [in December], but to then take that away the second-last Saturday before Christmas, it affects small independent businesses,” Sigurdson said.

“I think there should have been more mindful thought as to how this would affect small independents.”

Last week, the owner of Mamma Rosa Restaurant on Lawrence Avenue expressed similar concerns about the parking restrictions and street closures, although parking will only be restricted on Lawrence from 4 to 9 p.m.

“This decision by the city is their effort to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all visitors to downtown and Parade with a Purpose goers,” the Downtown Kelowna Association said in a press release to local businesses last week.

“We understand this is not an ideal time to limit parking downtown, especially two weeks before Christmas. However, we encourage you to share alternative parking options with your customers.”

Sigurdson says while she understands there would be challenges with restricting on-street parking later in the day, the 6 a.m. closure feels “unnecessary.”

“To drive downtown and realize you have to walk the two blocks to get to where you're going, or [customers] just don't want to walk that far so they just go somewhere else,” she said.

“To limit that parking and traffic is going to have a detrimental effect on businesses.”

Sigurdson is still encouraging people to make the trek downtown Saturday, and wants people to know there is still free parking in the parkades.

“You're supporting local community businesses and that's what it should be about this holiday season,” she said.