Car share co-op coming to Yellowknife

For some people in the North without access to a vehicle, grabbing groceries or hitting the hardware store can mean relying on taxis, public transit or rides from friends and family butin Yellowknife there may be another option soon.

CloudWorks, a real estate investment company, currently owns two cars adorned with Yellowknife Car Share Co-op decals.

Rob Warburton, co-founder of CloudWorks, says they decided to start a car sharing service after the city amended its bylaws in 2014, allowingfor car shares.

"We were very intrigued," he said."We felt that it was a really interesting idea and didn't want someone to do it very poorly and so lose that great benefit for the community."

The northern version operates very differently than most other car shares.- Rob Warburton, CloudWorks

Car shares are a type of car rental service designed for short trips. Theydiffer from traditional car rental services as vehicles are often parked throughout a city. In many cases, people pay for a membership and then can book and activate the rental of a nearby vehicle through an app on their phone or computer.

According to Warburton, the average car is driven only five per cent of its lifespan. And owning a car can cost around $6,000 per year.

Along with savings costs, he said car sharing services can also help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide parking offsets for developers.

The city's bylaw allows for one car share parking stall per eight residential units downtown, and per six units elsewhere in the city.

Uniquely northern

Car sharing services have been increasing in popularity in cities across Canada. CloudWorks has been working on their model over the past several years along with help from Ecology North and car shares in B.C.

"The northern version operates very differently than most other car shares," Warburton said.

Many car shares in the South rely on memberships,but with a population around 20,000, Yellowknife is too small to generate enough profits to make that work, he said.

Warburton said their community-based model relies on a corporate partnership with an entitylike the municipal or territorial government that could benefit by replacing its fleet of vehicles.

The Yellowknife Car Share Co-op registered as a co-operative association in the fall of 2018.

Once the co-op is officially launched, members will also be able to buy shares andbook cars by the hour. Non-members will also eventually be able to book a car on their phone or computer.

Mayor Rebecca Alty said the city is currently in talks with the co-op, but it's unclear when they could come to an agreement.

"I think it's a great resource or service here in Yellowknife," she said, adding that it could help reduce parking, which takes up a big chunk of downtown space.

As the car share is designed for hourly bookings, Warburton said it won't be competing with taxi or car rental services. He noted it will be more expensive than taking a taxi, but more convenient.

"It's kind of its own unique market, which is designed for very short on-demand booking."

The co-op also aims to one day have a fleet of entirely electric cars, which Warburton said is environmentally friendly as well as cheaper and easier to operate.