John Collins, a 40 year-reservist in the Canadian Armed Forces, was feeling good last Sunday when he went to the London Knights game, and it happened to be Military Appreciation Night.

He sure didn't feel appreciated when he came out.

There was a $42.61 parking ticket on his car parked at an Impark lot on York Street.

Collins was shocked because his Ontario veteran's licence plate had allowed him free parking at Impark lots for years.

“I thought - that's great, right before Remembrance Day. At least the London Knights treated me nice,” said Collins, who was a warrant officer in the military police and served in the Middle East, Germany, United States and the Canadian Arctic.

London City Council started allowing veterans with a veteran's plate (marked with a poppy) to park free in all city-owned spaces in 2005, the Year of the Veteran.

The next year the city council voted to make the policy permanent. Impark followed up in 2007 allowing vets with the official plates to park for free on London lots.

Collins complained to the local Impark office, who referred him to the Vancouver head office of the parking giant. He eventually got his parking fine cancelled, but he is still fuming.

“I think the only reason they dropped it was because a lot of us vets are passing on and someone in their head office figured they wouldn't do it any more.”

Collins said that an Impark employee told him the free parking for vets was quietly dropped about six months ago.

Julian Jones, a senior vice-president with Impark's head office in Vancouver, said he was unaware of the free parking for vets in the London lots and said it creates operational problems.

“There's just no way to control it – to offer one group like that free parking.”

Jones said Impark will be offering free parking to vehicles displaying veteran's plates in lots near Friday's Remembrance Day ceremonies in Victoria Park.

The City of London offers free parking to all motorists in downtown lots and street spaces during the Remembrance Day ceremonies.

hdaniszewski@postmedia.com

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