Many staff members and students are concerned about new costs and accessibility
Starting Jan. 2026, anyone who wants to park in one of Mt. A’s parking lots will have to pay. Since the announcement of paid parking in April 2025, staff and students have raised concerns about the additional cost, which is not part of tuition or other fees. In a Sept. 2025 email to all staff and students, Mt. A’s Vice President of Finance Robert Inglis announced a “phased rollout” of parking permits, which would be offered at a discounted price from Jan. to April 2026 to allow time to adjust to the new costs. A general daytime parking permit will cost $130 for the winter semester, then $260 for eight months starting in September, while an overnight permit will rise from $195 to $390.
In a statement to The Argosy, Donna Hurley, Mt. A’s director of administrative services, said paid parking would “better control demand for parking spaces” as well as ensure that “those that use campus parking infrastructure pay for that infrastructure.” According to Hurley, the plan was influenced by parking models at other universities in Atlantic Canada, and the University consulted “student leaders, faculty and staff union representatives” on its implementation. The revenue, she said, will go towards parking lot maintenance, reducing the current financial strain on tuition and government revenue. “The University understands that paid parking represents a significant change and has worked to design a system that is flexible and responsive to a range of campus needs,” she said.
Many students are concerned about the additional fees, on top of tuition and housing. “We’re required to have a car for our education,” said one third-year commerce and aviation student, whose program requires an almost daily commute to Moncton Flight College. “It kind of is difficult for us, because it’s another fee that we have to pay on top of everything else.”
Will Hazelton, a second-year psychology student who shares a car with another student, called the program “redundant.” “Paid parking is just a way to incentivize people not to park on campus,” he said, adding it would “kind of ruin the entire town’s parking system.” Hazelton plans to stop parking his car on campus when the changes come into effect.
In May 2025, CUPE Local 3433, or the Mount Allison Staff Association (MASA), which represents the University’s clerical, technical, secretarial staff, and CUPE Local 2338, which represents Facilities Management, sent a joint petition to Mt. A against paid parking. “We feel this decision shows a lack of respect for employees who show up to work every day and are vital in making Mount Allison the top-ranked University in Canada year after year,” the petition read. A majority of members of the two unions supported the petition.
“We consider it a tax on coming to work,” said MASA President KC Hingley. Staff members also raised concerns about parking lot conditions, particularly in the winter, as well as the possibility of paying for parking and still not being able to find a place to park. Outside of Mt. A, Hingley said it was possible there could be a “spillover effect,” which could lead to paid street parking in the Town of Tantramar.
In his April email, Inglis said “paid parking is intended to encourage alternative transportation options like walking, biking, or carpooling.” Parking rates will include a $50 “carpooling add-on,” which would allow multiple car owners to use the same parking permit for one vehicle at a time.
Hingley said carpooling was unrealistic since the majority of MASA members “live ten minutes or more away,” and the University’s other suggestions, including walking and biking, would not be “feasible in the winter, which is half of our work year.” Tantramar currently has no public transportation.
In a response to the petition, Hurley said “the University emphasized that it takes seriously the concerns raised by staff and union members and reiterated its respect for all employees and their unions.” In September, following feedback, Mt. A announced several changes to the original plan, including the phased rollout. Two parking lots, one on Rectory Lane and the other by Convocation Hall, will be reserved exclusively for faculty and staff, and both the Rectory Lane and Hillcrest gravel lots will be “regraded and compacted with gravel to improve their condition.” According to the Mt. A website, parking enforcement would be reduced during the evening and during the daytime on weekends.
Mt. A is one of the few universities in Canada that does not currently charge for parking. It is unclear, however, if the program will make parking more available or convenient for those who need it.