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Getting a parking ticket rarely sparks holiday cheer — unless you live in North Battleford.
The city is once again turning December fines into Christmas toys for families who need them most. From Dec. 1 to 19, anyone who receives a parking ticket from Community Safety Officers can pay their fine by donating a new, unwrapped toy equal to the ticket’s value.
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Early-payment discounts still apply, and donors must include a purchase receipt when dropping items off at City Hall.
Parking tickets under the city’s Traffic Bylaw range from $20 to $60, depending on whether they’re paid before the discount-period deadline.
All toys collected through this year’s campaign will go to the Battlefords Interval House, which also received donations when the program launched in 2023. Last year, the toys were directed to the Battlefords District Food and Resource Centre.
The campaign has proven generous since its debut. In 2024, it brought in roughly $2,000 worth of toys — enough to fill three truckloads, according to Director of Protective Services and Fire Chief Lindsay Holm.
Mayor Kelli Hawtin said the campaign has become an easy way for residents to turn an inconvenience into something meaningful.
“We don’t love giving parking tickets, but we have to enforce our bylaws. But it turns this kind of not so great thing into a way to give back to the community.”
She even offered a lighthearted take on the tradition.
“Well, you know, you should get parking tickets in December so that you can donate toys for the [Interval House],” she joked.
Donors can bring toys and receipts to the front counter at City Hall until Dec. 19.
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