Hundreds of parking tickets remain unpaid following 'Freedom Convoy' protest in Ottawa
Hundreds of parking tickets issued in the so-called 'Red Zone' during the "Freedom Convoy" occupation in downtown Ottawa remain unpaid, 16 weeks after police moved in to end the protest.
Ottawa Bylaw and Regulatory Services issued 3,812 parking tickets and 318 Provincial Offence Notices during the three and a half week protest in downtown Ottawa.
The parking tickets issued included violations for parking in no-stopping and no-parking areas, parking in special event areas and parking on private property, while the Provincial Offence Notices were issued for a range of violations including using a sound reproduction device, operating an unlicensed mobile refreshment vehicle and failing to comply with COVID-19 public health orders.
As of Monday, 90 Provincial Offence Notices and 1,600 parking tickets had been paid, according to a report for the Community and Protective Services Committee.
Staff say 15 Provincial Offence Notices and 300 parking tickets are going to trial, while 250 parking tickets have been withdrawn or voided.
"There are a little over 150 Provincial Offence Notices and over 1,200 parking tickets that remain outstanding," the report says.
Staff say the value of the 3,812 parking tickets was $320,000.
A total of 110 vehicles were towed during the protest, with towing costs estimated at $389,500. Staff say the majority of the vehicles were picked up from the tow yards, and $79,600 of the costs recovered.
The price tag for the police and city response to the occupation is now estimated at $37 million. Staff are warning the protest could end up costing the city $10 million, accounting for transit revenue impacts, direct costs to support the occupation and economic recovery benefits offered by the city.
Both the Ottawa Police Service and the City of Ottawa are expected to outline final costs associated with the protest when financial status reports are released this summer.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
India's foreign minister reacts to murder charges, claims Canada welcomes criminals
India's Foreign Affairs Minister accused Canada of welcoming criminals from his country in response to the RCMP's recent arrests in a homicide that has roiled tensions between the two countries.
15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
'A tiny city:' Pro-Palestinian campus protesters organize for another week
Pro-Palestinian activists have set up tents at universities in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and Montreal, following a wave of similar protests at campuses in the United States linked to the Israel-Hamas war.
Lawsuit against Meta asks if Facebook users have right to control their feeds using external tools
Do social media users have the right to control what they see — or don't see — on their feeds?
A Holocaust survivor will mark that history differently after the horrors of Oct. 7
This year's Holocaust Remembrance Day, which begins on Sunday evening in Israel, carries a heavier weight than usual for many Jews around the world.
Princess Anne lays wreath at Battle of Atlantic ceremony; honours late Queen
Princess Anne saluted Canadian veterans and current forces members and honoured her late mother during separate ceremonies Sunday in Victoria as she wrapped up a three-day British Columbia West Coast royal visit.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.