Gatineau honours veterans for Remembrance Day by offering free municipal parking in November 

Sophie Demers 

Throughout the month of November, to thank members of the Canadian Armed Forces for their service, veterans with commemorative veteran plaques, will have free municipal parking. This is the first initiative of its kind for Gatineau. Municipal parking refers to parking spaces with municipal parking meters which can be street parking or in parking lots. 

“Free parking for veterans in November is a modest but sincere gesture to express our gratitude to those who have sacrificed for peace and freedom,” said Lucerne councillor Gilles Chagnon.
Veteran commemorative plaques are only available for veterans. In order to acquire a plaque, a request must be made to the Royal Canadian Legion. The plaques are then issued by the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ). 

“Veterans Affairs Canada lists more than 17,000 veterans in the National Capital Region and we are fortunate to have several of them within the Service de police de la Ville de Gatineau, whether they are police officers or civilians,” said Simon Fournier, Director of the Gatineau Police Department. “We are very proud to recognize their service.”

Photo caption: From left to right: Gille Chagnon, Lucerne Councillor, Paulette Clément, President of the Aylmer Legion, Simon Fournier, Director of Gatineau police department, Lieutenant-colonel G.M.A. Blais, and Jean Lessard, Rivière-Blanche councillor. 

Photo credit: City of Gatineau