Parking in Collingwood
The goals of parking enforcement are to improve road safety, allow emergency vehicle access, ensure traffic flow and parking turnover, as well as improve accessibility. Knowing where and when you can park in Collingwood will help you avoid getting a Parking Infraction Notice. For more information on the Town's parking rules, please view the Town's Parking By-law. View our interactive parking map below which shows the many parking options in Collingwood.
Pay a Parking Ticket Purchase a Downtown Parking Permit
Know The Difference: No Parking, No Standing, No Stopping
No Parking
The Highway Traffic Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. H.8 ("HTA") defines “park” or “parking” as the standing of a vehicle, whether occupied or not, except when standing temporarily for the purpose of and while actually engaged in loading or unloading merchandise or passengers.
What That Means
Motorists are only permitted to load or unload passengers or merchandise.
No Standing
The HTA defines “stand” or “standing” as the halting of a vehicle, whether occupied or not, except for the purpose of and while actually engaged in receiving or discharging passengers.
What That Means
Motorists are only permitted to receive and discharge passengers.
No Stopping
The HTA defines “stop” or “stopping” as the halting of a vehicle, even momentarily, whether occupied or not, except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic or in compliance with the directions of a police officer or of a traffic control sign or signal.
What That Means
Motorists are generally not permitted to stop for any reason except to avoid a conflict with other traffic or in compliance with the directions of a constable or other police officer or of a traffic control sign or signal.
Delivery & Courier Vehicles
Where parking is prohibited, motorists may stop while actively engaged in loading/unloading passengers and/or merchandise. However, motorists should not leave their vehicles unattended if going into a building. Otherwise, couriers and delivery vehicles are subject to the same rules and regulations as other motorists, as set out in the Town's Parking By-laws.
Paid parking at Sunset Point Park, Princeton Shores, and Millennium Park is in effect seasonally 7 days a week between the hours of 9:00 am to 9:00 pm and at the Harbour from 7:00 am.m to 9:00 p.m. from the Friday before the Victoria Day holiday until the Thanksgiving holiday Monday. For more information about the Town's Waterfront Parking Program, please click on the link below.
The Town of Collingwood currently requires visitors, shoppers, merchants, and employees who live, work and play in beautiful downtown Collingwood to pay for parking. This system is in place to ensure that everyone is able to enjoy Collingwood’s historic downtown. Paid parking is enforced in the downtown area Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
The Town of Collingwood recently added an app-based parking payment option in Downtown Collingwood. This app-based, online-based payment option will help to enhance user experience and reduce interactions and touchpoints through the pandemic and beyond. Other parking payment options will continue to be available, including parking meters and pay stations.
Our downtown parking map shows the various options for parking downtown:
Downtown Parking Fees:
- Parking on Hurontario Street is currently $1.00 per hour (maximum of 3 hours).
- Metered street and municipal lot parking is currently $0.75 per hour (no maximum).
- Monthly parking passes for the municipal parking lots may be purchased at Town Hall at a rate of $55.00 a month or a yearly pass for $555.00.
- NEW: Monthly parking permits can be purchased through HotSpot online or through the app.
- Go to HotSpot at htsp.ca or the app > My Permits/Purchase a Permit
- Select Collingwood and The Downtown and fill in your licence plate information to be able to continue to payment.
- Note that parking permits are issued by calendar month e.g. October 1 to 31, and the cost is not prorated if you purchase mid-month.
- Never get caught without a permit! Auto-renew is available if you would like HotSpot to automatically purchase your monthly permits at the beginning of each new month.
- The Town of Collingwood offers FREE municipal parking on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays as well as after 6:00 PM during the week.
How to use the Hotspot Parking App
Download the HotSpot Parking App from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
- Create an account with your mobile phone number or email address.
- Park anywhere you see HotSpot Parking App signs and decals.
- Pay for your parking session from your phone.
- Extend your time remotely if you’d like to stay longer.
- Receive digital copies of your parking receipts through the app.
For more information, please preview our Hotspot video:
In a Hurry? No Problem!
HotSpot also allows users the ability to pay for parking through Apple Pay or Google Pay by scanning the NFC/QR code on the parking signs located throughout Downtown Collingwood and at our Waterfront.
Individuals may contest or dispute a Parking Infraction Notice that has been issued to them. If a resolution cannot be made through the First Attendance process, you or your agent may attend court by completing a Notice of Intention to Appear.
How to dispute a parking ticket:
- In person at the Town Hall Customer Service Counter located at 97 Hurontario Street
- Online using HotSpot, once you search and select your ticket, there is an option “Request Notice of Intention to Appear”, this will trigger a notice to our By-Law officers to contact you regarding your request to dispute the ticket
Dispute a Parking Ticket Online
Please ensure you have at least two of the following:
- The ticket number
- Licence plate the ticket was issued to
- Date the ticket was issued
Accessible Parking Permits:
Individuals displaying a valid Accessible Parking Permit or Disabled Person Parking Permit are permitted to park for free in all municipal paid parking locations but are required to abide by any time limits that may apply to that location.
Veteran Plates:
Vehicles that have an Ontario veteran license plate are permitted to park for free in all municipal paid parking locations but are required to abide by any time limits which may apply to that location.
Parking is prohibited in Collingwood on all streets between 1:00 AM and 7:00 AM, from December 1 each year until March 31 in the following year. This is strictly enforced to assist the Public Works Department's snow clearing and winter operations.
Any vehicle parked or left standing during this period may be removed. Any expense incurred for such removal may be charged to and collected from the owner of the offending vehicle.
A vehicle may be permitted to park overnight in any municipal parking lot provided the owner of the vehicle has a valid digital Overnight Parking Permit issued by the Town of Collingwood.
How to apply:
- Complete the Overnight & Temporary Parking Permit Application Form.
- Email completed form to townhall@collingwood.ca
- Customer Service will issue a digital permit in HotSpot to the requested vehicle licence plate(s). No physical pass will be received.
There is no cost for an Overnight Parking Permit. Overnight Parking Permits are valid in Municipal Lots ONLY. Permits are issued during regular business hours Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. (excluding holidays). Applications received outside of regular business hours will be processed on the next regular business day.
Examples of the more common parking regulations that may result in a Parking Infraction Notice being issued include vechicles:
- Parked on any street / municipal lot between the hours of 1:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. from December 1 to March 31;
- Parked within 3 metres of a fire hydrant
- Parked facing the wrong direction
- Advertise for sale on public property (roadway, municipal lot);
- Parked or stopped in a fire route;
- Idling for more than three (3) minutes;
- Parked in an accessible parking spaces without an Accessible Parking Permit;
- Parked in a manner that obstructs traffic/snow clearing; and
- Parked on or over any sidewalk.
Any vehicle found in contravention of the Parking, Fire Route and/or Idling by-laws may be issued a Parking Infraction Notice and/or towed away at the owner’s expense. In the event that a Parking Infraction Notice is not paid within the timeframe specified, a conviction may be registered and your Ontario licence plate sticker will not be renewed until the fine and all other costs have been paid.