City tows cars blocking snow clearing, offers help to find them

If you can't find your car where you parked it, call 311, Ottawa residents were being told Friday morning.

After issuing a total parking ban in the downtown core and in an effort to clear snow-clogged streets before the next big snowstorm, the city has been towing cars that get in the way.

Vehicles are not being hit with parking tickets; they are just being towed to streets that have already been cleared of snow.

The city is offering to help people find their cars again if they call Ottawa's general enquiry number, 311.

"But it's just very confusing for residents to know when you can and can't park, and when your friends can and can't park outside. It's a big problem, you know," said Brendan Hennigan, who lives on Bay Street.

"I realize it's very difficult, but we ask people to do their very best to try and stay ahead of us [in moving vehicles out of the way]," said city spokesman Richard Hewitt.

One of the reasons for the parking ban, the city said, is the fear that emergency vehicles will not be able to get through some streets.

"With some of the very large vehicles we have, obviously the very nature of some of the streets we have in the city make it very difficult to manoeuvre around," said Ottawa Fire Services spokesman Kim Ayotte.

"Now, add tonnes and tonnes of snow, coupled with a narrowing of the streets, it makes it a lot more difficult, and when we're responding with 10, 12 vehicles, depending on the size of the incident, it becomes even more complex."

The next big storm will hit Ottawa Friday evening and could last up to 48 hours, according to Environment Canada.