Free parking offered in downtown Barrie to support local this holiday season

Parking in downtown Barrie, Ont. (Chris Garry/CTV News)

The City of Barrie wants residents to support local when shopping for the holidays, so it's offering free downtown parking on all on-street spaces throughout December.

Parking downtown is limited to a two-hour maximum, which applies all year.

Residents and visitors are prohibited from overnight parking on city streets between 12:01 a.m. and 7 a.m. from December 1 to March 31 to ensure road crews can maintain streets.

Additionally, parking isn't allowed during the same time frame in any hybrid parking lots or waterfront parking areas from 12:01 a.m. to 5 a.m.

All downtown parking options are free after 5 p.m. on weekdays, during weekends and on statutory holidays, while standard parking fees apply in municipal lots and the Collier Street Parkade.