'Didn't receive any notifications': Edmonton drivers frustrated after receiving parking ban tickets

Several Edmonton drivers say they weren’t notified of snow clearing in their area before their vehicles were ticketed.

The city declared a phase 2 residential parking ban beginning Jan. 24.

The ban is expected to last up to four weeks until all residential streets are cleared, but the city says the ban only lasts 24 to 72 hours per neighbourhood while snow clearing is taking place.

Steve Chatelain says his vehicle was ticketed on Saturday night.

As of Monday morning, his street in the northeast neighbourhood of Kirkness still hadn’t been cleared.

“Get a $250 parking ticket for snow removal…and 36 hours later…and it’s still not done,” Chatelain told CTV News Edmonton.

“I would have no objection to paying it if it was being done and my truck was in the way, but 36 hours later, not being done, I think that’s ridiculous.”

In the north central Lauderdale neighbourhood, the streets were plowed on Monday, but residents say they didn’t get any notice before tickets were handed out.

“I work from home and I heard some grading, and I was like ‘Nice, my street’s getting plowed, I’ll move my car,’” Matt Ormandy said.

When he went outside, he found a $250 ticket on his vehicle.

“I signed up for email notifications a few weeks ago, and I’ve never received one, so that’s particularly why I’m frustrated.”

That is a sentiment shared by his neighbour Jacob Holloway, who also got a ticket.

“I’m pissed, because I’ve lived here for four winters, and not once have they plowed this street. I signed up for notifications, didn’t receive any notifications that plowing was happening today, never received anything in the mail.”

“Now I have a $250 bill on top of being a student, living off student loans.”

At least one city councillor says it’s time the city got tough on drivers.

“I’m empathetic that there should be more warning,” Coun. Tim Cartmell said. “The other side of that is, the city has been saying for days that a ban is in effect.”

“The city took a much sterner approach to ticketing and towing this year because frankly, there was not a lot of uptake when warnings were offered in past years.”

Mayor Amarjeet Sohi says he will ask city administration to look into some of the complaints.

“We try to notify as effectively as possible, the signage before the graders go in, and people can also sign up to get notifications for their specific neighbourhood when the graders will be in,” he told reporters on Monday.

“We don’t want people to get tickets. We want people to comply. The more people that can comply, the easier it is for graders to do the work faster, which is what Edmontonians want too.”

Chatelain, Ormandy and Holloway all say they plan to fight their tickets.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s David Ewasuk.