Changes being made at Sault Area hospital
Sault Area Hospital will be making some major upgrades to its parking system.
Starting on June 21, the system will be overhauled to allow visitors to pay their parking fee with credit or debit cards as well as provide additional parking pass options.
Devon Clark, the hospital’s director of facilities, said the new parking system will mirror those seen in major airports.
"It will be a ticket-based system where they will drive up, press a button, and get a ticket," Clark said. "They bring that into the hospital where they can pay at any of the major entrances."
The exit fee of $6.00 will remain unchanged for the time being. Visitors will also have the option to purchase a 24-hour pass for $10.00, which will allow unlimited exits within that timeframe.
Clark said the upgrades have been a long time coming.
"People were very frustrated with the token-based or cash-based system," Clark said. "It was installed when the hospital was new. We’ve been in the hospital now, even though we still call it the new hospital, for over 10 years now, and it was time to replace that system."
In addition to the parking upgrades, Sault Area Hospital is stepping up enforcement of smoking bylaws. This week, security staff received the authority to issue tickets of up $250 to anyone found smoking on hospital property.
"Being on 50 acres and being so set back from public areas, we’ve really struggled with trying to control the smoking issue that we had," Clark said and points out that there are no designated smoking areas on hospital property in accordance with provincial smoking laws.
He said that smokers must move to a public space to smoke and that smoking is not permitted on the section of the Hub Trail that runs behind the hospital.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.