Hi All,

Like many Universities when COVID originally shut down our city in March 2020, McGill University suspended paid parking since only essential services (electrical and mechanical trades) were on site. The decision to restart parking came at the end of August and it has taken weeks to set up permits, passes etc for paid parking to begin September 27. Montreal is now entering a second wave and again people are being encouraged to work from home. The University is again considering suspending parking fees. Is anyone else suspending parking for a second wave or is it under consideration?

Jo-Ann Sciampacone, McGill University

City of Halifax Councillors are eager to learn what other jurisdictions are doing relative to curbside management and parking practices during this unprecedented period of time. If you are developing a plan, or have one already in, please would you be willing to share your experiences?

Posted by: Victoria Horne, City of Halifax
Date: March 31, 2020

This past week, the Canadian Parking Association has been actively monitoring the developments of the Government of Canada’s advice, recommendations and mandated restrictions the country is facing as the COVID-19 virus epidemic spreads.  We urge the parking community in Canada to adhere to the health and safety recommendations that are in place and being updated daily.

The CPA is taking measures to provide as much support to our members as possible in these unprecedented times.  For the time being, CPA staff are working remotely, adhering to the social distancing requirements, but are available by email and telephone to address your issues.  We urge members to reach out to the CPA staff members and other members of the parking community to share information, good practices and questions about how they are managing during this time.  https://canadianparking.ca/interchange/ is the link to use to post your questions and comments for all to view and respond.  In the coming weeks, we will be offering video chat sessions to augment traffic on the Interchange site.

Conference planning is ongoing, as it is early still to make a major decision to cancel our October dates.  To that end, staff will continue to organize the various aspects of the event with the understanding that there may be a requirement to cancel or reconfigure the event based on how the pandemic and recovery progresses.  Communications will be sent as information changes, and you are encouraged to visit the CPA website often to watch for updates.  Exhibitors and attendees can rest assured that should the event be cancelled due to this crisis, any fees paid will be fully refunded.  Our hotel partner, Bonaventure Hotel Montreal, and other contractors have been very cooperative in working with us to minimize the impact that may transpire as we evaluate our position going…

Update on new accommodations for scholarship applicants 

As communities and universities across Canada respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, Scholarship Partners Canada is committed to ensuring scholarship applicants have the support they need to weather the impacts of these unprecedented events.

Students face new logistical challenges as universities transition to online instruction, on-campus student services transition to alternative delivery forms, and increasing numbers of university staff and faculty members transition to work-from-home arrangements. In response to these challenges, Scholarship Partners Canada has relaxed application requirements, including by:

• Accepting unofficial transcripts, bearing the student’s name and date, from student accounts where official transcripts are not available; and
• Accepting reference letters with referee contact information and/or digital signatures in place of original signed letters.

These accommodations will help ease the scholarship application process at a time when students need our support more than ever. We will continue to monitor the situation and remain flexible as we support our clients and students through this rapidly evolving situation.

Link to Nouvelles dispositions pour accommoder les candidats aux bourses d’études