Free parking during the holidays allowed in some parts of Mississauga

Holiday season shoppers and others in Mississauga can once again park on the street for free in specific areas of the city’s lakefront community through mid-January.

In what has become an annual campaign aimed at helping local businesses that are still feeling the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, on-street parking charges will be waived by the City of Mississauga for six or so weeks in the Port Credit and Clarkson communities. 

The free parking plan kicked off this past Saturday and continues until Jan. 15.

“To help make holiday shopping and errands more convenient, drivers can park for free in the Port Credit and Clarkson areas until Jan. 15, 2025,” a city spokesperson said in an email to INsauga.com. “All pay-and-display machines are bagged, so you don’t have to do anything except park your vehicle.”

The aim, as in past years when pay-and-display parking charges were similarly waived, is to help shops, restaurants and other businesses continue to recover from the devastating financial impact of the pandemic, officials say. 

Port Credit and Clarkson BIAs once again asked the city to waive the parking charges inside their business areas in an effort to give businesses a better chance of competing with shopping malls across the city where customer parking is free.   

“The holiday shopping season is important to the success of the Port Credit and Clarkson business improvement areas,” reads an earlier report from senior city staff. “The retail members of these BIAs must compete with shopping malls and plazas that do not charge for parking.” 

On-street parking fees are waived during the holiday season in areas both within and outside Port Credit BIA borders, and within the Clarkson BIA borders (see map below). 

Map shows areas of Port Credit and Clarkson where on-street parking fees have been waived through Jan. 15, 2025.

City officials also have other holiday season parking advice to offer.

“We’ve got some parking pointers to make your errands and outings less stressful. If you aren’t using public transportation or a car share service this winter, you may wonder where and when to park in Mississauga during one of the busiest times of the year,” officials said in an earlier news release.

Mississauga officials say there are a few things for people to know:

• on-street parking on statutory holidays such as Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day is allowed beyond the five-hour limit between 8 a.m. and midnight
• for temporary (or short-term) parking, Mississauga residents can request a temporary parking permit that allows parking on the unsigned portion of a residential street longer than the standard five hours and during the prohibited period between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. (Each residential address can use a maximum of 14 parking permits per calendar year for five vehicles for five days. Call 311 or search on the city’s website)
• temporary permits are not valid on private property or where prohibited parking signs are posted

(Cover photo: City of Mississauga)