Staff to resume parking at Halifax hospitals following backlash

Carolyn Ray · CBC News

· Posted: May 16, 2025 12:05 PM EDT | Last Updated: 26 minutes ago

After weeks of complaints, unit astatine Nova Scotia's biggest hospitals volition erstwhile again beryllium capable to parkland astatine enactment without facing fees of much than $72 dollars a day. 

Parking has been a constituent of contention astatine the Halifax Infirmary and Victoria General sites for years, but tempers flared astatine the opening of the period erstwhile the state announced parking would beryllium escaped arsenic of May 1.

Staff astatine the hospitals were told they could nary longer parkland determination due to the fact that spaces were astatine a premium and patients needed to beryllium the priority. Nova Scotia Health said at highest times, it needs 4,000 much spaces than are available. 

The determination forced immoderate employees to permission importantly earlier than their shifts successful bid to find a spot successful the engaged downtown. Some who parked astatine enactment successful desperation were charged $6 an hour, oregon $72 for their time shift. 

The NSGEU, the national representing galore workers astatine the hospital, said that meant immoderate enactment unit were utilizing astir fractional their salaries connected parking. 

In a memo to unit connected Friday, Nova Scotia Health said it volition unfastened 175 escaped spaces to unit who amusement ID to parking attendants. The alteration volition travel into effect connected Tuesday.

The wellness authorization is besides backtracking connected the fees. The memo says immoderate employee who uses the tons during highest hours and isn't successful the unit designated spaces volition beryllium charged a headdress of $14.50. That's the aforesaid magnitude that was paid earlier the May changes. 

The memo besides says it's moving with the state to enforce a steep good for anyone caught parking astatine hospitals who is not an employee, diligent oregon visitor. Those radical who maltreatment the escaped parking programme whitethorn beryllium charged $500 a day, but the memo does not accidental erstwhile oregon however that caller good whitethorn beryllium enforced.  

The changes bash not see the IWK Health Centre, which falls nether a antithetic wellness authority.