Residents of a home in Calgary’s southeast neighbourhood of Ogden are collectively facing a hefty bill after getting five separate parking tickets.
Four family members and one visiting friend told Global News they weren’t aware Calgary’s recent snow route parking ban until it was too late. Chantelle MacAllister said they found out about it each driver parked on the street outside got ticketed.
“Turned on the news found out there was a ban,” MacAllister said. “My girlfriend was leaving and she came back in the house and said, ‘Guess what? We all have tickets.'”
About five hours into the parking ban, which went into effect on Monday, Feb. 18 at noon, they were ticketed for leaving their vehicles in the snow route.
They said they were frustrated, moved their vehicles and resigned themselves to having to pay the fine until they say they realized the snow plows never showed up on their street, even after the parking ban was lifted.
“They never even came! It’s a mess and they still expect us to pay?”
“There are five tickets in our household alone adding up to over $400,” McAllister said. “I’m furious. This is unacceptable. We moved and they didn’t do their part of the deal so why should we have to pay for them to do nothing.”
McAllister said she complained to 311 but was told it’s up to the snow plow operator’s discretion on whether snow removal is necessary. She also said she was told that regardless if snow is plowed or not, she’s on the hook for the tickets for disobeying the ban.
McAllister said she intends to appeal all of the tickets.
Calgary Parking Authority’s enforcement coordinator, Ben Pisch, told Global News in an emailed statement that when a snow route parking ban is in effect, citizens must remove their vehicles from affected roads.