N.S. health minister admits ‘growing pains’ with new free-parking policy at hospitals

HALIFAX — Nova Scotia has become the latest province to discover that offering free parking at hospitals can become a hot-button issue.

At the big hospitals in Halifax, tensions are growing as unauthorized motorists are routinely taking up too many spots, leaving health-care staff scrambling as they show up for work.

Provincial Health Minister Michelle Thompson has acknowledged hospitals in Atlantic Canada’s largest city are going through “growing pains” as they adjust to the two-week-old policy.

“Parking is certainly at a premium in the city,” she said. “What we need to do is strike a balance between an allocation for patients and an allocation for staff and make sure that we have the right mix.”

In Ontario, the opposition NDP is pressing Premier Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservative government to make hospital parking free of charge, saying patients deserve a financial break.

But it’s worth noting that British Columbia rejected the idea in 2022 after a two-year run. As is now the case in Nova Scotia, things went awry when motorists started parking at B.C. hospitals for reasons unrelated to health care.

Meanwhile, Quebec has taken a more moderate approach by offering free parking for two hours and reduced rates at hospitals and clinics since 2020.

In Nova Scotia, Premier Tim Houston’s Tory government promised free hospital parking during last fall’s election campaign. The government estimated the move would cost $19 million annually when it tabled its spring budget.

On Friday, the provincial health authority sent a memo to staff saying it wants to start handing $500 tickets to those caught abusing the privilege.

Meanwhile, the authority will start by issuing warnings. And it is offering 175 additional free on-site parking spaces to staff at the Halifax Infirmary and Victoria General Hospital, which are part of the city’s sprawling QEII Health Sciences Centre.

“There are 2,300 total parking spots for staff, physicians, patients and visitors at the QEII sites and demand can range between more than 4,000 to almost 6,000 users per day,” the memo states.

Unions at both hospitals and the IWK Health Centre have criticized the lack of free spots for staff.

Sandra Mullen, president of the Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union, said in an interview Friday that while the concept of free parking is welcomed, the government’s move wasn’t thought through.

“It was like opening the door a little too soon,” said Mullen. “There were far too few spaces for anyone at these hospitals.”

She said some nurses and support staff were paying as much as $72 a day when they were forced to park in spots reserved for patients. Other staff members had to look elsewhere in the rapidly growing city, where parking is hard to find at the best of times.

Meanwhile, the health authority said Friday that it would also reduce the flat rate for workers parking outside of designated staff areas to $14.50 a day.

“I’m still concerned that there aren’t enough spaces being reserved for staff,” said Mullen. “So (parking) remains super challenging and will continue to be a bit of a concern for our members.”

Last week, Ontario NDP member Jeff Burch tabled a private members bill that calls for free hospital parking.

“We’re talking about a tax on sick people,” he told a news conference. “Right now, people are spending hundreds of dollars, even thousands, just to access care.”

Burch then cited Nova Scotia’s free parking policy. “This is a common sense proposal,” he said.

The bill, which is unlikely to pass, has won support from the Canadian Cancer Society, which says cancer patients face an unfair burden when receiving treatments that require frequent hospital visits.

Still, Ford’s recently re-elected government has said the money raised from parking fees is needed to support day-to-day hospital operations.

Despite the obvious advantages for patients, free parking became such a problem at British Columbia hospitals and health-care facilities that it was ended in March 2022 after a two-year term.

In Quebec, the provincial government dramatically reduced hospital parking rates in June 2020. Parking remains free for the first two hours. After that, the cost varies by region. At the Montreal General Hospital, for example, the next two to three hours costs $6.75, and the rate for those parking between four and 24 hours is $11.25.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 16, 2025.

Keith Doucette and Michael MacDonald, The Canadian Press