Mayor of Ontario town wants to clamp down on Quebec parking scofflaws — literally

The mayor of a town in eastern Ontario is proposing to clamp down on Quebec drivers who incur parking tickets by immobilizing their vehicles until they pay.

Gananoque Mayor John Beddows included the idea in a mayoral directive in August.

Town staff are being asked to study the possibility of amending parking bylaws to allow a clamp to be placed on the tire of Quebec-plated vehicles that are issued parking tickets.

The mayor’s directive also calls for a new class of parking ticket that would include the full cost of clamping and unclamping the vehicle.

Coun. David Osmond criticized the proposal in a Facebook post, suggesting it singles out Quebec tourists and risks discouraging them from visiting.

But Beddows says Ontario doesn’t have an agreement with Quebec on parking ticket enforcement, meaning Quebecers face no consequences if they don’t pay.