Veterans in Montreal were issued parking tickets despite a free parking exemption introduced for Remembrance Day, with city councillor and military reservist Sterling Downey among those affected. The city’s parking authority has acknowledged the mistake and announced that it will contact the relevant municipal officials to seek cancellation of the fines.
According to Canadian media reports, vehicles displaying special commemorative veteran licence plates were eligible for free street-meter parking in Montreal from November 3 to November 11. However, several veterans still found parking tickets attached to their vehicles despite qualifying for the exemption.
City Councillor Also Receives Parking Ticket
Sterling Downey, a city councillor with Projet Montréal and a member of the Canadian military reserve, said he returned to his vehicle on Monday evening to discover a parking ticket on its windshield.
His vehicle was displaying a special commemorative licence plate for veterans, which should have qualified him for free parking.
Downey was among those who helped introduce the free parking initiative for veterans in 2022. He said receiving a ticket despite having helped establish the policy highlights communication problems between the departments responsible for implementing and enforcing parking regulations.
Veteran With More Than 30 Years of Military Service Fined $100
Another veteran, Major Benoît Lévesque, also received a $100 parking ticket on the same day. He has served for more than 30 years with the Régiment de Maisonneuve.
Lévesque explained that he initially paid approximately $8 for parking but later discovered that vehicles displaying commemorative veteran licence plates were entitled to free parking from November 3 to November 11.
After learning about the exemption, he did not renew his parking payment.
However, when he returned to his vehicle at around 8:30 or 9 p.m., he found a $100 ticket attached to it.
Lévesque had also attended the military ceremony where the mayor of Montreal was being honoured.
Parking Authority Acknowledges the Mistake
Montreal’s Agence de mobilité durable, the city’s sustainable mobility agency, has acknowledged that the ticket issued to Sterling Downey was a mistake.
The agency said it would contact the relevant municipal authorities to request that the ticket be cancelled.
However, it clarified that only a court has the legal authority to cancel a parking fine, meaning the agency cannot directly withdraw the ticket itself.
The agency also confirmed that free parking for eligible veterans remains in effect under Montreal’s 2026 tariff bylaw.
According to the agency, parking enforcement officers had been informed about the exemption and the conditions attached to it.
The authority has also promised to take steps to prevent similar incidents in the future. However, it has not yet confirmed whether the $100 ticket issued to Major Benoît Lévesque was also the result of an error.
Questions Raised Over Awareness of Free Parking Rules
The incident has raised concerns about whether information regarding the veterans’ parking exemption was properly communicated to both enforcement officers and the public.
According to the report, a resident who contacted the agency earlier this month was told by email that the authority had not received formal confirmation of the arrangements for the current year.
The resident was advised to follow the parking restriction signs displayed on the street and pay parking fees wherever required.
Downey said clear communication of municipal parking policies is essential to ensure that veterans do not face unnecessary difficulties when using benefits officially provided to them.
Veterans Encouraged to Challenge Parking Tickets
Downey has urged all veterans whose vehicles displayed commemorative military licence plates and who received parking tickets between November 3 and November 11 to challenge the fines.
He said affected individuals should dispute their tickets, even if the matter dates back to 2022, when the free parking initiative was introduced.
He has also offered to provide supporting documentation to veterans who need assistance challenging their fines.
The city councillor has proposed extending the free parking arrangement throughout the year rather than limiting it to Remembrance Week.
Free Parking Seen as More Than Just a Financial Benefit
Major Benoît Lévesque, who also serves as secretary and treasurer of the Régiment de Maisonneuve Veterans Association, said parking accessibility for veterans is about more than saving money.
He explained that easier parking allows former service members to reconnect with one another and attend events organized at their former military barracks.
Many veterans travel from outside Montreal to participate in gatherings and activities at their former regimental facilities. However, parking difficulties can discourage them from attending.
According to Lévesque, free or reduced-cost parking would make it easier for veterans to maintain social connections and participate in community events.
How Veterans Can Obtain Commemorative Licence Plates
According to Quebec’s automobile insurance authority, the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ), eligible veterans can apply for special commemorative licence plates through the Royal Canadian Legion.
The Legion is responsible for determining eligibility for these plates.
However, the vehicle’s annual registration fee remains payable under the regular requirements.
The Montreal parking controversy has renewed calls for better coordination between municipal departments and clearer communication of veterans’ benefits, ensuring that those who served their country are not unfairly penalized while accessing officially approved exemptions.
