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Meter mess also in NOTL. Parkers beware, one and two dollar coins from 2012 are not being accepted in parking meters and pay and display meters across Niagara-on-the-Lake. Stickers have been placed on the meters to notify those paying for parking. The new design of the coins, rolled out earlier this year by the Royal Canadian Mint, makes them lighter than previous versions and as a result parking meters are not recognizing the coins.

Finding change for the parking meter just became a little bit more difficult.

At a time when people are more likely to reach into their wallets and pull out plastic when paying for something, finding change to drop in a parking meter can sometimes be a hard feat to pull off.

Now, people putting that change into parking meters or pay and display machines in Niagara-on-the-Lake will have to look closely to ensure the loonies and toonies arent from 2012. The problem? New $1 and $2 coins do not work in parking meters or pay and display machines around town. In fact, its not just Niagara-on-the-Lake thats experiencing this problem. Other municipalities, like St. Catharines, and beyond, are facing a similar problem.

The new coins, dubbed as a new generation of one-dollar and two-dollar circulation coins by the Royal Canadian Mint, feature leading-edge security features combined with a multi-ply plated steel technology. The end result is meant to create a more resistant, long-lasting coin that will also increase cost-efficiencies for the federal government.

The new coins weigh less than previous years editions, whereas in the past one-dollar coins weighed 7.0 grams, they now weigh in at 6.27 grams. Two-dollar coins previously weighed 7.3 grams and now weigh 6.92 grams. On its website, the Mint said it has spent several years preparing vending equipment manufacturers and operators for the change and anticipated the great majority of vending equipment will accept the new coins by the time they enter circulation.

However, Niagara-on-the-Lake and other municipalities across the country are finding out thats simply not the case.

Stickers have been placed on parking meters and pay and display machines across town, notifying people not to use the new coins.

Dawn McInnis, Niagara-on-the-Lake communications and customer service project manager, said staff is working to address the problem. Replacing the machines isnt an option, she said noting it would cost an estimated $28,000 to do so. Meter manufacturers are being consulted, but in the meantime drivers are being reminded to avoid using the coins.

Aside from looking at the year on the coin, people will be able to recognize the coins by several visible changes. The one-dollar coin will still feature its iconic loon image, but now the loon will be joined by a maple leaf in a circle. The two-dollar coins will feature two laser marks of maple leaves, each within a circle, at the bottom of the side with the polar bear design. There will also be a virtual image of two maple leaves at the top of the coin, with a different image produced as the coin is turned from side to side. The words Canada and 2 dollars will be engraved along the coins outer edge.

Originally posted here:
Meter mess also in NOTL