Free Parking at Hospitals, Healthcare Facilities
The Cape Breton Regional Hospital in Sydney, now being expanded, is shown in April 2023. Parking at hospitals and other healthcare facilities across the province will be free starting Thursday, May 1. (Province of Nova Scotia / File)
Patients, healthcare workers and other visitors to Nova Scotia hospitals and healthcare facilities no longer have to pay for on-site parking, effective Thursday, May 1.
“We committed to eliminating fees for everyone parking at a Nova Scotia Health or IWK Health facility, and that’s exactly what we’re doing,” said Premier Tim Houston. “I know people have been eager to see this change. Nova Scotians shouldn’t have to worry about parking fees when they’re sick and seeking healthcare or caring for our loved ones.”
A ticket validation system will be implemented at some sites to ensure parking is used by patients, visitors, healthcare workers and staff; other parking facility users will have to pay to park. Specific details surrounding the free-parking initiative could vary or be adjusted across the province as each facility’s unique infrastructure and capacity limitations are more fully assessed.
The total cost of free parking at healthcare facilities is approximately $19 million annually, included in Budget 2025-26.
Quick Facts:
- hospital foundations and other organizations that depend on parking fees for revenue will have any resulting shortfall covered by the provincial government
- Nova Scotia Health has 97 parking lots across the province, of which 39 currently charge for parking
- IWK Health has three parking garages, all at its main site on University Avenue in Halifax
Additional Resources:
A full list of investments is included in the Budget 2025-26 highlights documents available at: https://novascotia.ca/budget