​All Waterloo Region hospitals affected by new parking rules

All hospitals in Waterloo Region will have to offer reduced parking rates for longer-term users, under new rules set by the Government of Ontario.

Monday, Health Minister Eric Hoskins announced every hospital that charges more than $10 a day to must offer discounts for longer-term users.

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Grand River Hospital spokesman Mark Karjaluoto said his hospital already offers special rates for frequent visitors.

"Our maximum daily rate at either of our campuses is $14," said Karjaluoto. "For childbirth we offer a four-week rate of $30 for a parking pass. For oncology, for cancer care, that would be $30. For renal, for our longer-term kidney patients, that would be $33."

"And so already we're offering discounts for longer-term patients at a substantially lower rate than has been required," said Karjaluoto.

The new rules will mean those rates will be expanded to visitors, regardless of what section of the hospital they're using.

St. Mary's General Hospital said it introduced new parking rates this past April, and will add new parking options where they're needed.

5-day, 10-day and 30-day passes

Daily parking rates at Cambridge Memorial Hospital, St. Mary's General Hospital and Grand River Hospital are all around $14 a day, but in and out privileges vary.

• Cambridge Memorial Hospital a 24-hour pass costs  $13.50 -- with in/out privileges.
• St. Mary's General Hospital offers a 24-hour pass for $14 with in/out privileges
• Grand River Hospital parking costs a max of $14 per exit, until midnight, with in/out privileges

Starting Oct. 1, all hospitals must offer five-day, 10-day and 30-day passes at a 50 per cent discount off the daily rate, with full in-and-out privileges.

Another budget crunch

More than a $100 million is generated by hospitals each year in parking fees, said Hoskins.

At Grand River Hospital parking revenue is $2.9 million, said Karjaluoto, but about $1.6 million of that is spent annually on snow removal, maintenance and upkeep for the hospital's parking garage and surface parking. 

"It's an awful lot of money that needs to be spent to maintain a parking service, especially when you can't, basically, pave over a field and have parking that goes on forever."

Last week, Grand River Hospital announced plans to cut 68 positions, and Karjaluoto said it's too soon to measure the potential impact the province's new parking rules will have on the hospital's bottom line.