By a 7-2 vote - Deputy Mayor Sandra Cooper and Councillor Tim McNabb were the naysayers - council approved free parking on the street and in the municipal lots until August.

During this time, the parking advisory committee, the municipality and the BIA will work on a plan for parking in the downtown.

The cost is expected to be about $120,000 and will be transferred from the parking reserves.

McNabb said he is in favour of free two-hour parking on the street, but not on the municipal lots. McNabb said it doesn't encourage people to walk downtown or take public transit.

"It only (encourages) people to drive downtown," he said.

Councillor Ian Chadwick said this is one way to help get people downtown.

"A lot of the merchants are hurting," he said. "Anything to encourage them to go downtown."

Councillor Norman Sandberg said typically he is not in favour of "free parking," but in this case he is.

"There is no such thing as free parking," he said.

Councillor Mike Edwards said he is in favour of the plan, but said before the municipality makes changes to the parking plan, it must be promoted.

"The time that we're in now, we need to support the main street," he said. "Once we agree on what our parking strategy is going to be, we need to publicize it."