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Local French school‘s yard is getting a makeover/Page 10 Starting over ity _ council _ has approved a â€" new uptown parking strateâ€" gy that could see the quantiâ€" ty of parking in the city‘s core double. The report, which was presented to council on Monday, calls for up to five new parking garages to conâ€" solidate parking and help fuel development in the heart of Waterloo. And while the report has a potential price tag of more than $40 million â€" it‘s just a starting point, said Coun. lan McLean. "This is a very extensive report and certainly doesn‘t answer all the questions," he said. "If anything, it asks all the right ones. "Rome wasn‘t built in a day and neither will it take us a day to transition from the current parking system to a new (model)." The recommendations associated with the strategy are nonâ€"binding and there will be subsequent reports before any new measures are Council approves . controversial new parking strategy By GrEc MacDonaip 1375 Weber Street (A Block From Oharcoal Steak House) 519â€"748â€"4554 Chronicle Staff 450 Erb Street (Beechwood Plaza) 519â€"725â€"7007 Glenridge Plaza @ > Honbhab Magcc.o W > 0. tm . _ WEIGHT LOSS & NUTRITION CENTRES our First put in place. One particularly urgent issue is the lack of accessible parking in the uptown, said Coun. Karen Scian. "I would love to see the city move as proactively as possible to provide more accessible parking," she said. _ The report recommended increasing the amount to two per cent of the total supâ€" ply. _ â€" l The strategy is not withâ€" out its controversy as part of the plan calls for a transition to paid parking. Free onâ€" street parking has traditionâ€" ally been a pillar of the uptown and removing it could fatally wound busiâ€" nesses in the core, said Coun. Diane Freeman. "Fundamentally, I don‘t think I can come around to having payâ€"andâ€"display parking for onâ€"street parkâ€" ing," she said. Any city that has impleâ€" mented a payâ€"andâ€"display system has seen storefronts along the street "raped and pillaged," she added. _ For more on the controâ€" versy see page 3 or visit www waterloochronicle.ca. 700 Strasburg Rd. (At Bloddine Road) Polish a Glow Facial Treatment Only $50 in May Pampering & Results 519.578.2828 Victoria at Westmount Canada‘s Weight Loss Program of Choice ... : 4 KEY REASONS WHY * Results * Price + Convenience * Reputation Arts centre celebrates 15th anniversary with a _ Ten of the area‘s best athletes have been new name and website/Page 21 nominated for annual award/Page 25 Button Factory ore than 100 evacâ€" Muees from a floodâ€" threatened commuâ€" nity in Northern Ontario arrived in Waterloo on Monâ€" day. Residents of Attawapiskat Alan Shivas of Waterloo collects compost at the Waterloo landfill on Etb Street West on Saturday during the Region of Waterloo‘s spring compost giveaway. He plans to use the compost on his lawn and in flower containers. By Grec MacDonau Chronicle Staff James Bay evacuees make emergency detour to Waterloo were evacuated after ice jams in the Attawapiskat River threatened to destroy their homes. The first batch of evacâ€" uees arrived at Waterloo International Airport just after 2 p.m. About 44 people were aboard that flight, with more Getting dirty WATERLOG PUSUC LUBRARY Athlete of the Year being flown in on Tuesday. Mayor Brenda Halloran said that the evacuees looked tired and frazzled. They were then bused to University of Waterloo residences where they will live until the river is safe again, which could be up to a week. The Attawapiskat comâ€" Continued on page 7 munity is made up of 1,900 citizens. Between 600 and 700 will be evacuated to communities around the province. _ About £50 evacuees in total will come to Waterloo as the ice jams clog the river. JENNIPER ORMSTON PHOTO