Barrie's overnight street parking ban starts December 1: hours, exceptions and snow rules
From December 1 to March 31, overnight on-street parking is banned in Barrie. Here are the hours, the holiday exceptions and other snow rules to know.
Many newcomers to Barrie get a nasty surprise on their first December morning: a ticket on the windshield or, worse, a towed car. The reason is the winter overnight parking rule, which applies every year so snowplows can get through. It returns in a few weeks, so it is worth getting organized now.
What the rule says in Barrie
From December 1 to March 31, the City bans overnight on-street parking. Hours vary by area:
- City streets in general: no parking from 12:01 to 7 a.m.
- Downtown Business Improvement Area: no parking from 3 to 6 a.m.
- Waterfront lots and areas such as Spirit Catcher, Lakeshore Drive and North Marina: no parking from 12:01 to 5 a.m.
Downtown off-street lots and the Collier Street Parkade are not covered by this restriction. Outside the December to March period, the ban can also apply on any night the City declares a Winter Maintenance Event, for example during a snowstorm in November or April.
Christmas and New Year's exceptions
Overnight street parking is allowed on December 25 and 26 and January 1. But note: if the City declares a Winter Maintenance Event by 4 p.m. the day before, the exception is cancelled and the ban applies. Notices go out on the City website, social media, the City app and local media.
Tickets and towing
Violators can be ticketed, and enforcement can have vehicles towed when they are in continuous violation or create a safety concern. Downtown and in Allandale, during snow removal, meters are bagged and cars that interfere with the work can be ticketed and towed. Tickets can be paid online, by mail or in person, and anyone wishing to dispute one must go to Enforcement Services at 45 Cedar Pointe Drive.
Other snow rules that catch people out
- Do not push snow onto the road. Pushing snow from your driveway onto the road or sidewalk is an infraction in Barrie. Keep it on your own property.
- Do not park over the sidewalk in your driveway: it blocks the sidewalk plow.
- Keep hydrants and catch basins clear in front of your home.
- Downtown businesses: stores within the defined area must clear sidewalks before 10 a.m., seven days a week.
- Plowing times: main roads are plowed from 5 cm of snow; residential streets from 8 cm, with full cleanup 12 to 24 hours after the snowfall ends.
How to plan if you do not have a garage
- Talk to your landlord or neighbours about driveway space before December.
- If you rent an apartment or basement, check your lease for how many spots you have.
- Consider downtown off-street lots, which are not covered by the ban (check the rates).
- Download the City app or follow official social media to get Winter Maintenance Event alerts.
- Use the Plow Tracker at barrie.ca/snow to follow the snowplows.
Live in another Simcoe town?
Innisfil, Orillia, Bradford West Gwillimbury, Collingwood, Wasaga Beach and other towns in the county also have winter parking rules, with their own dates and hours. Search "winter parking" on your municipality's website before the end of November.
In Barrie, questions can go to Service Barrie at 705-726-4242, and Enforcement Services can be reached at 705-739-4241. Check the official details on the Overnight Parking By-law page and the winter maintenance page. A little planning now saves you tickets, towing and headaches on cold mornings.
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