Moose Jaw city council heard Monday that nearly one-third of the city’s parking meters are out of service, with vandalism cited as the main cause.
A quarterly report to council showed that 292 meters — about 31.5 per cent of the stock — are currently unusable. Staff said damage ranges from coin slots being jammed to entire heads being disabled, to meters being entirely ripped out of the concrete.
Councillor Heather Eby raised the issue early in the meeting, stressing that residents and businesses need to understand the situation is not a matter of city neglect.
“We're not asking them to vandalize — we're doing the best we can, administration and operations wise, to figure out a solution, and until such a time, there's a lot of free parking in downtown Moose Jaw, fortunately or unfortunately.
"But I think it's very important for people to realize that we are very aware of this and we're trying to figure out a solution. It's just not as easy as everyone might think,” Eby said. “It’s the result of repeated vandalism, and it has become a real struggle.”
Administration confirmed that repairs are ongoing but slow, given the number of units damaged and the costs of replacement parts. They also noted that newer multi-space solutions powered by the HotSpot app are immune to tampering, though their rollout remains limited among concerns about the removal of reliable physical infrastructure.
The parking meter shortage has immediate consequences:
- Lost revenue for the city, which relies on meter income to support downtown infrastructure.
- Frustration from businesses, who say bagged meters discourage turnover and reduce available parking.
- Higher maintenance costs, as staff are called repeatedly to inspect and attempt fixes on the same units.
Councillors and administration have discussed potential long-term solutions, from accelerating the replacement of single-head meters with digital pay stations, to stepping up enforcement against vandalism. For now, staff will continue repairs and provide further updates in the next quarterly report.
Eby said communication is key in the meantime, to make sure the public knows this isn’t about the city ignoring downtown.
"This accounts for about 31.5% of parking meters, and I know we all know what's happening. It's annoying, but I think the city for some reason, in my opinion, is getting the bad rap."
With nearly a third of meters dark, Moose Jaw is grappling with both the financial and reputational cost of keeping its downtown parking system functional — while keeping costs down.