Overview

• Krystyna Locke, 63, a lymphoma survivor with two decades of hospital visits, raised over $3,700 to distribute 250 free parking passes at London Health Sciences Centre
• A December Canadian Cancer Society report estimated average lifetime out-of-pocket cancer costs at nearly $33,000, with parking fees a significant contributor
• Ontario’s 2016 parking regulations mandate 50% discounts on multi-day passes at sites charging above $10 daily, and a June NDP motion to eliminate parking fees was defeated
• Local responses include Almonte General Hospital’s $5 daily cap, while provinces have adopted measures such as Nova Scotia’s ticket validation, Quebec’s two-hour free parking with caps, and British Columbia’s targeted coverage post-2022
• London Health Sciences Centre says parking revenues are reinvested into operations and clinical equipment, underscoring tensions between patient affordability and institutional funding needs