‘I cannot afford this,’ Howard Park residents urge City of Toronto to address snowstorm parking rules as residents face fines

Howard Park Avenue residents say being designated a snow route leaves them with no legal place to park during snowstorms, forcing them to risk fines or park far from home.

“If we park on our street, it’s a $100 ticket, and if you park nearby, we also get a ticket, like $45,” Silva said to Now Toronto. “No matter where we park, we get a ticket.”

In recent weeks, Toronto has been hit by two snowstorms. Sunday’s storm brought a historic 60 centimetres of snow to the region in one day. Silva says residents have already received parking tickets as a result of these events.

As a result, Silva says he now parks his car at a friend’s home downtown and then takes an Uber or the TTC back to his home.

“See how much time I’m wasting in the day? And how much extra money I’m [spending], I cannot afford this anymore,” he said.

Silva, who already received a ticket in February of last year, says the situation has taken a toll on him.

“I cannot concentrate on my work anymore, because when I leave my work, I have to think, ‘Oh, where am I gonna leave my car?,’” he said.