Parking tickets issued in Pickering, Ont. are serving as an unlikely source of Christmas cheer this holiday season.
Any driver who receives a parking ticket in the city between Dec. 1 and 17 will be allowed to pay off the fine by donating food or an unwrapped toy to a needy family.
The exchange is part of Pickering's annual "Toys 4 Tickets" and "Food 4 Fines" drive, a joint effort between municipal officials and Durham Regional Police.
There are a few caveats though.
Dollar store trinkets and cans out of your pantry won't cut it in this deal. The toys or food must be worth as much or more than the fine on the ticket.
That means motorists will have to present receipts for their donations before ridding themselves of those parking tickets for good.
As well, donations will only be accepted on two specific days and in a limited window of time.
Donors need to show up to the second floor of the Pickering Civic Complex on Dec. 15 or 16 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. to complete the exchange.
For years, the donations-for-fines deal has been a popular holiday exchange in Canadian cities and beyond.
Cities such as Oshawa, Red Deer, Alta., Kamloops, B.C. and more have run similar programs in the past. In various media reports, municipal officials have cited great success and participation with the program.
