Parking illegally in Tiny Township is going to cost you a lot more money next year.

Tiny Township council approved a series of amendments to parking regulations during a Nov. 30 committee of the whole meeting. 

Beginning next year, permit parking will be extended and run from April 15 to Oct. 15. 

“Each year we are seeing more and more parking-related beach issues in the spring and in the fall,” said Steve Harvey, chief municipal law enforcement officer. “The biggest impact has been in the fall, where we have seen cars coming in and flooding the shoreline.”

This amendment will see permit parking in the township extended by one month in the fall and one month in the winter. In the past, permits were only required from May 15 to Sept. 15.

Council has also decided to increase the fines issued to those who park illegally. In 2020, an illegally parked car was issued a $60 ticket ($50 if it was paid early). Beginning in 2021, those fines will increase to $90 and $75.

“We were hearing that people were seeing (the fine) as the cost of parking for the day,” said Harvey.

By increasing the fine, the township is hoping to decrease the number of vehicles that illegally park at local beaches.

Parking boundaries in the township have also been extended. Next year, a permit will be required to park at Tee Pee Point Park and Corrie Hamelin Park.

“Parking has never traditionally been an issue on the eastern shore until this year — we’ve seen a lot more of it,” said Harvey. 

Permits will be required for parking at both parks and along the road near those parks.

This summer, bylaw officers started ticketing vehicles a second time if the vehicle hadn’t been removed within three hours of the first ticket being written. Vehicles that still hadn’t moved after a second ticket were towed away. This policy will continue to be in effect.

Property owners in Tiny Township are allowed two parking permits. The first permit is free, while the second is $30.

The township also sells 175 non-resident permits every year for $100 each.