How a $40 parking ticket became a fight for accessibility in Quebec

When Charlie Rousseau visited her hometown of Rouyn-Noranda, Que., for a festival in June, she noticed old-style parking meters requiring users to slip change into a slot.

The problem is, Rousseau cannot easily hold coins, let alone reach the slot with them. She was born with limb differences affecting her arms, legs and hand.

Knowing municipalities like Quebec City, Trois-Rivières, Saint-Jérôme and Sherbrooke allow people with accessible parking permits to park for free, she opted to risk it.

She returned to find a $40 ticket on the windshield of her car, which is adapted for her to drive. In the spur of the moment, the social media influencer filmed a video demonstrating how impossible it was for her to use the meters as she regularly makes posts aimed at spreading awareness about disabilities.

“On Monday morning, I am going to city hall and I am going to contest it,” she says at the end of the clip, referring to the ticket.

Published June 20, the French-language video racked up over 730,000 views and hundreds of comments. In the weeks since, Rousseau says strangers regularly ask her about the ticket and offer support. Watch | Charlie Rousseau's parking ticket video goes viral:

"I didn't expect it to have such a big impact, because usually it only affects people with disabilities," Rousseau told CBC News, noting the message resonated with non-disabled viewers too. "They were like, 'Hey, she's right! We don't even think about it.'"

Rousseau said she plans to fight the $40 fine as a matter of principle.

"I want to fight for people in Abitibi and other regions," Rousseau said. "Accessibility is like women's rights — for us now, it's an 'of course.' Maybe in a few years, we're going to say that about physical disabilities. But for now, it's not an 'of course.'"

Rouyn-Noranda Mayor Gilles Chapadeau reached out to Rousseau shortly after the video went viral, and the two met at city hall. In footage posted to Rousseau's TikTok channel, Chapadeau said his own family and friends saw her video and urged him to take action.

While final decisions rest with the city council, Chapadeau promised to use his influence to address the issue. He noted a previous proposal for free parking for accessibility permit holders was struck down in 2013.

In a statement to CBC News, Chapadeau commended Rousseau's advocacy and reaffirmed his commitment.

"I have personally committed to ensuring that the issue of free parking for people with disabilities is reviewed. This is a matter we will move forward with over the course of the fall," the statement says.

Steven Laperrière, executive director of the provincewide advocacy group Regroupement des activistes pour l'inclusion au Québec (RAPLIQ), praised Rousseau for putting the issue on the map. He noted that infrastructure built solely for able-bodied people remains a widespread problem across Quebec.