Kitsilano family searches for bus parking after spate of parking tickets

How do you work on mechanical projects in a city with no space? That’s the question a Kitsilano family is wrestling with.

Alix Mains and her husband are searching Kitsilano for a parking spot for their bus, named Theo, as they renovate it to prepare for life on the road. They initially had it parked on the street, but after receiving two parking tickets it’s clear that Theo needs to move.

“We have a short driveway, in our back alley, but nowhere to store the bus where we can work on it and where it can be off the street,” she told Daily Hive Urbanized.

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The family currently lives in a townhouse near Broadway and Vine along with their two kids. They bought the ex-airport shuttle bus in preparation for a planned van-life trip in 2025.

Alix Mains/Submitted

“I know the bylaws in Vancouver are a little iffy when it comes to parking large vehicles, RVs and stuff, and we had found a great spot that wasn’t right in front of somebody’s house and on a wider portion of the street, so it wasn’t blocking anything,” Mains said.

The bus was “happily” parked there for a couple of months in between driveway work sessions, but last week it was ticketed twice in the span of a few days.

“We figure whoever called us in was probably tired of seeing the bus there and maybe felt threatened in some way,” Mains said. “That wasn’t our intention, we don’t want to be a burden to our neighbours.”

Mains has looked at long-term RV lots but they’re mostly in the suburbs, and the couple doesn’t want to drive to Richmond or Surrey every time they want to work on the van — since they often work in short bursts whenever their childcare schedule allows.

Theo is about 25 feet long, and the family is asking neighbours who may have a driveway or parking spot they’re willing to rent out to get in touch.

Alix Mains/Submitted

They’ve moved it to a different spot temporarily, but are looking for a more reliable home for the bus — especially since battery and engine troubles mean it doesn’t always move easily.

Mains and her husband have done van-life trips before, but this time with kids in tow they’re trying to outfit Theo with a toilet, hot water, and separate bunks for the children.

“We’re very familiar with the kind of road trip lifestyle and it definitely suits us and our family. So we’re excited to live that a bit more long term.”

Anyone willing to rent out a parking spot to the family is asked to get in touch at
[email protected].