05/16/2026
Turning Parking Pressure Into Community Funding on Salt Spring Island
As Salt Spring Island heads into the busy summer season, parking in and around Ganges becomes increasingly challenging — particularly on Saturday Market days, when roadsides and nearby neighbourhoods often fill with parked vehicles.
Now, a creative new community partnership is transforming that challenge into an opportunity.
Ganges Village Marketplace (“GVM”) — home to Country Grocer and other local businesses — has partnered with the Salt Spring Chamber of Commerce to introduce a new designated paid parking area on Fulford-Ganges Road, across from Drake Road, at the former construction staging site.
The initiative will help provide much-needed additional parking for busy Saturday Market days, helping reduce roadside and illegal parking while improving safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers alike. The project is an important step toward easing long-standing traffic pressures during the height of the summer season.
But beyond solving a practical community issue, the project is also creating a new revenue stream for Salt Spring charities and non-profit organizations in partnership with Country Grocer’s long-running “Save a Tape” program.
Each Saturday throughout the market season, local charities and non-profits will have the opportunity to help host the parking operation, with participating organizations receiving half of the net parking proceeds to support their work in the community. Participating groups will also be provided with tents and chairs for comfort, as well as space to share information about the work their organization does and connect with the community.
“This is exactly the kind of creative, community-minded solution we love to see on Salt Spring,” said Jennifer Lannan Emekoba, President of the Salt Spring Chamber of Commerce. “It’s a true win-win scenario — creating more parking capacity during our busiest Saturdays while also helping raise funds for the many non-profits and charities doing incredible work across our island.”
“We are pleased to support our community by helping alleviate parking congestion while also supporting local businesses and community organizations,” said Robert Steinbach, Community Relations Manager for GVM. “As an added convenience, we will also be operating our electric shuttle between the new parking area, the Saturday Market, and the GVM plaza.”
Including a ride down the hill to the Market and GVM businesses — Country Grocer, Voyage Liquor Merchants, Harvest Moon Cannabis, Country Grocer Pharmacy, and Salty Paws Pet Shop — as well as a ride back to the parking lot afterwards, makes a $10 parking spot a great deal for visitors and locals alike.
The parking lot opens this Saturday, May 16th, at 8:30 a.m.
Charities and non-profits interested in hosting parking on an upcoming summer Saturday can sign up through https://www.saltspringchamber.com/
