Of all the things on your Christmas wish list this year, getting a parking ticket probably isn’t one of them.

Luckily, parking downtown will be free this holiday season.

In an effort to promote in-person shopping during the festive season, Mayor Valérie Plante has announced that parking will be free in the city’s downtown area throughout the holidays.

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From December 3 to January 2, street parking in the Ville-Marie borough will be free on weekends as well as weekdays from 6 pm to 9 pm.

“We hope that many Montrealers will come and support our downtown merchants for their holiday shopping,” said Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante in a press release. “Our merchants give the city its special colours and flavours. After another year marked by the pandemic, they need our support more than ever.”

Glenn Castanheira, General Manager at SDC Montréal Centre-Ville, also chimed in on the initiative. “The downtown area was hit hard by the pandemic and this measure is in addition to a series of initiatives aimed at promoting economic recovery,” he said.

The hourly street parking rate in Ville-Marie is currently $3.50 per hour.