Ottawa Hiked Some Of Its Fines On Canada Day & You Could Get $1K For Shouting

The City of Ottawa has bumped up the amount for some unusual fines this Canada Day weekend, and folks can even get charged $1,000 if they're caught shouting. Sheesh.

In a press release sent out on June 29, the city said that it's increasing some key fines up until July 3, so that Canada Day "remains safe and respectful for all residents and visitors."

Some of the fines you could be dinged a grand for include: unnecessary motor vehicle noise, loud speakers and shouting, unnecessary motor vehicle idling, blocking a sidewalk or roadway (tents and other structures included), urinating or defecating on a road or sidewalk, open-air fires, littering, and fireworks that don't follow the city's rules.

Jennifer Therkselsen, the Acting Director for Ottawa's By-Law and Regulatory Services shared with Narcity what the fines were before they jacked up the prices to $1,000 for the upcoming weekend.

Anyone caught making an unusual noise, shouting, or having unnecessary car noise would've gotten hit with a $490 ticket. Public urination on the street normally meant a $260 fine, and blocking up the roads had a $385 fine. Unnecessary idling and setting a fire without a permit both carried the same fine before, at $125 a pop.

The heftier rules were set in conjunction with a vehicle control zone set up on Wednesday. The city said it implemented the control zone since it expected a "higher event footprint" for Canada Day this year.

The Parliamentary Protective Services said that anyone visiting Parliament Hill can expect searches will be carried out. The service also reminded the public not to bring any items that are prohibited on the hill, including alcohol, fireworks, tents and sporting equipment.

Watch where you park! The City of Ottawa also said that its By-law and Regulatory Services will be ticketing and towing vehicles found in no parking zones. Up until July 4, the city will have a motor vehicle control zone in downtown Ottawa.

As of 8 a.m. on Thursday, the Ottawa Police Service said in a tweet that gave out 154 parking tickets and towed 44 vehicles. So, you might want to carefully plan your travel ahead of time.

Before you get going, check out our Responsible Travel Guide so you can be informed, be safe, be smart, and most of all, be respectful on your adventure.