Gary Hee was a man on a mission.

That mission took him from hospital parking lot to hospital parking lot across the Lower Mainland to collect signatures.

Now, he says, that quest is over. His petition garnered 4,281 signatures鈥�719 short of his goal鈥攂ut he feels it鈥檚 enough.

Hee started his petition earlier this year in an effort to end parking fees in provincial hospital emergency parking lots. His mission started at 91原创 Memorial, but then quickly moved to other hospitals.

鈥淲hen I saw the parking fees alone were high, then the fines were high, then the extra fines for not paying within a week were high, I did some research and found out it was a big problem.鈥�

Hee said the parking management companies add a higher fine if the bill isn鈥檛 paid within a set period.

鈥淭hey add a fine on top of the parking ticket. That鈥檚 not legal because it鈥檚 a private company and not a law enforcement company.鈥�

The 75-year-old added these companies work on commission and said they are 鈥渆ager to make more money,鈥� which comes at the cost of legality and fairness.

鈥淚 call it scamming people,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 callous鈥攅specially when people are at a low point, rushing into use an emergency service.鈥�

Hee added the ticket isn鈥檛 a ticket in the way the public thinks of, and understands, parking ticketing.

鈥淭here are no set regulations. Some people pay the ticket, not knowing that they could get away without paying for it because it鈥檚 not actually a ticket鈥攊t鈥檚 an invoice,鈥� Hee said. 鈥淭hese (companies) are not law enforcement agencies. They are parking management companies who issue parking invoices because they make commission. It鈥檚 in their best interest to give tickets. So they sit there and watch people.鈥�

This is not the first petition Hee has championed.

Hee worked with Bill Vander Zalm on the fight to rescind the harmonized sales tax, he fought against the tolls on the Port Mann, and he鈥檚 been involved with a few other petitions.

Hee said he raises these ruckuses because someone has to stand up for the little guy.

Hee lost his seemingly insurmountable battle against million-dollar parking companies and the Fraser Health Authority on the provincial level earlier this year when his petition was presented to Victoria Lee, president and CEO of Fraser Health. At that time, Hee had more than 3,000 signatures.

• SEE ALSO:

鈥淪he said the contract with Imperial Parking was signed, sealed, and could not be changed. They have a several-million dollar service contract.鈥�

Instead of being dissuaded from his mission, that door-in-the-face prompted Hee to kick his quest up to the next level. He鈥檇 heard about the same parking fine grievances in Ontario, Edmonton, and Calgary. So, after a little more research, Hee changed the petition.

鈥淚 amended the wording in such a way that Parliament is now the addressee.鈥� Hee ensured the current petition didn鈥檛 void previous signatures.

鈥淚f the local level refused, I have to represent these people on the next level.鈥�

Hee now wants Parliament to ban ER parking fees and fines by adding a bylaw to the Canada Health Act.

鈥淚 want them to abolish the outrageous fines and penalties that parking companies levy against patients seeking medical help.鈥�

At the Cloverdale all-candidates meeting Sept. 25, election hopefuls addressed Hee鈥檚 petition.

John Aldag, MP for Cloverdale-91原创 City, said he supports the petition. 鈥淚鈥檝e heard from many people鈥攖hat when they go to emergency鈥攖hat having to pay for parking, presents issues and problems for them. People are in a desperate time.鈥�

Conservative-hopeful Tamara Jansen also said she supports the initiative. 鈥淲hen you鈥檙e going to the hospital, it can be a very stressful time and parking fees are the last thing on your mind,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nything that makes it easier for families when they are in a crisis time 鈥� is very important.鈥�

As of Oct. 2, Hee noted his signature-quest had ended.

鈥淚 completed my tour of seven regional hospitals in the Fraser Valley and Greater Vancouver areas,鈥� he said. 鈥淣ow, I have shut down my petitioning efforts as summer weather conditions have come and gone.鈥�

He added he鈥檚 grateful for all the support and encouragement he鈥檚 received. He said he鈥檒l present it to the next MP for Cloverdale 91原创-City after the election.

Now, Hee says, he鈥檒l put his full effort back into running his business.

鈥淎ge is only a number, not a hindrance, when the heart is still strong.鈥�

More info on Gary and his fight can be found at

editor@cloverdalereporter.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter