City issued up to 100 fines a day for illegal parking in Centrepointe lots near Algonquin College
The City of Ottawa was issuing dozens of parking fines every day at the Mary Pitt Centre and Ben Franklin Place starting Feb. 2, responding to what officials described as a significant rise in unauthorized parking by Algonquin College students.
City staff said signage reserving the lots for employees and visitors has been in place for several years, but since the September 2025 unauthorized parking by students has increased. The city contacted nearby institutions, including Algonquin College, on Nov. 27 and again on Jan. 27, asking them to warn people about enforcement and to remind them the lots are not intended for campus overflow.
The city provided the Algonquin Times with the ticket statistics, which showed there were about 50 to 100 fines per day as the college warned people about parking at the city-owned lots. One vehicle had been towed for blocking an exit lane, the city said.
The crackdown came as many students were already struggling with the costs of parking on campus.
Algonquin’s annual permits can run at hundreds of dollars, and daily rates add up quickly for those coming and going several times a week.
Monthly parking permits range from $132 to $187, while annual passes can cost anywhere from $801 to over $1,100, depending on the lot.
For some, that price gap is enough to push them off campus into surrounding neighbourhoods.
“Ottawa is expensive, and I can’t afford to spend money all the time,” said Abbey Treanor, a finishing interior design student who parked off-campus to avoid fees.
Fourth-level business-accounting student Matthew Baskett said parking fees are a regular pressure on his budget.
“Parking costs way more than it should. I’m already budgeting carefully as a student, so having to drop that much money just to park my car just feels unreasonable,” said Baskett.
Others have tried to avoid paying altogether, but parking enforcement made them reconsider.
“I usually try to save money by parking on nearby streets instead of paying for a spot on campus, but on a really busy morning I couldn’t find anything and ended up having to pay anyway,” said Chen Shen, a second‑semester practical nursing student.
The issue isn’t confined to Centrepointe lots.
College Square, the large plaza adjacent to campus, has repeatedly warned students not to leave their cars there unless they are actively shopping. Enforcement at the plaza has been a recurring problem for more than a decade, with students regularly getting parking tickets and their cars towed.
The city says the parking at Mary Pitt Centre and Ben Franklin Place is limited and must remain available only for staff and visitors.
While long‑term solutions are being considered, city officials say enforcement will continue.
