Ontario plans to scrap the photo radar program, but City of Ottawa says it saves lives

If you have ever been driving faster than you should near a school zone, chances are you got a ticket in the mail from one of the 60 speed cameras across Ottawa.

But that program is expected to come to an end after Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced he would be drafting legislation to axe the cams. Speaking in Vaughn, Ont, on Thursday, he called them a “cash grab” and said it was not fair to drivers.

“At a time when governments at all levels should be doing everything they can to lower costs and make life more affordable, too many municipalities are using speed cameras as a cash grab,” said Ford. 

The decision is drawing criticism from the City of Ottawa, which has made millions from the cameras. Last year alone, the speed enforcement program brought in $30 million. Since they were first introduced in 2020, over $80 million has been generated, which has helped fund safety and traffic enforcement. 

Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe said he was disappointed with the decision. 

“I thought there was a way forward where we could improve the program rather than scrap the program. I spoke to the premier about it the other day, but I understand that’s not the direction he wants to go in, so, we’ll work with the province and try and find another way,” Sutcliffe told CTV. “But I think it is a disappointment for many mayors and city councillors across the province who had been focused on using these cameras as a way to get people to slow down in particular neighbourhoods, particularly around schools.”

The city had intended to add 24 more this fall at a cost of $1.7 million. However, those plans are now stalled. If speed cameras are banned, the province said it would provide money to help municipalities like the Capital get out of their contracts, but did not indicate how much. Cities would be on their own, though, to cover the costs of taking the cameras down.

What Ontario is planning instead

Instead of cameras, Ford said he would invest in safety measures like speed bumps, traffic circles, raised sidewalks, curb extensions and flashing signs.

But data shows the cameras in Ottawa were working, with a 16 per cent increase in compliance reported. High-end speeding dropped from 18 per cent to less than one per cent. Since the first cameras were installed in 2020, compliance with speed limits near schools, parks, and other safety zones has increased from 16 per cent to 81 per cent, with fines collected funding the city’s Road Safety Action Plan. 

Ottawa Police Chief Eric Stubbs supports keeping the cameras in operation stating that if drivers don't want to get a ticket, then they should not speed. 

Many city councillors have also expressed concern. Beacon Hill-Cyrville Coun. Tim Tierney says he hopes “wiser heads will prevail” and believes that whoever is misinforming the Premier “should be fired.”

On Bluesky, Kitchissippi Coun. and hopeful mayoral candidate Jeff Leiper said residents have demanded “speed enforcement cameras in their neighbourhoods because cameras work to reduce speeds, increase safety, and contribute to a sense of security for everyone using roads and sidewalks.”

College Ward Coun. Laine Johnson said that under Ford's plan, it will be taxpayers who cover the costs of speed enforcement rather than those caught speeding. “Are we so afraid of going after the actual rule breakers that we would rather put it on the back of everybody?,” she asked.

What municipalities are asking for 

Sutcliffe indicated he was hopeful the province would be willing to work with municipalities to figure out how to make the speed camera program better for everyone. The City of Ottawa has suggested that they stay in school zones and create a threshold for how fast cars can go above the limit before they get a ticket. 

The City of Toronto is going a step further, suggesting it will create legislation that prevents a driver from receiving a ticket until seven days after the first to ensure it can be delivered to them through the mail. Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said the city would also install larger signs near cameras by Oct. 31 and provide MPPs with info on schools and playgrounds which are near cameras. 

“Speed kills. Since 2024, 250 Torontonians have died or been seriously injured on our roads,” Chow said in a news release. “Automated enforcement works.”

Toronto had collected $34 million from its speed cameras between July 2020 and October 2022. Last year it collected about $40 million from its 75 automated speed-enforcement cameras.

What other Canadian cities and provinces are doing

The concept is not unique to Ontario. Quebec's speed cameras, known as photo radar, issue fines for speeding, with the base cost starting at $30 plus additional charges for every 5 km/h over the posted limit. Tickets can be for mobile or fixed speed cameras, with mobile units often appearing as white vans or trailer units. In 2022, $63 million was brought in from over 477,000 infractions in Quebec. The following year, that increased to $75 million. 

Winnipeg, Manitoba, piloted the program in 2021 and has 10 mobile units used at school, playground and construction zones. A 2025 survey in that province showed between 65-71 per cent of respondents were in support of keeping the cameras in operation.  

In 2024, Winnipeg's mobile photo enforcement program issued 92,741 tickets with another 35,687 offences captured through intersection cameras. 

Saskatchewan began speed enforcement as a pilot project in Regina, Saskatoon, and Moose Jaw, with a permanent rollout in 2018. In new enforcement areas, warnings are often issued before drivers are hit with fines for speeding. 

The province has seen successful results with only one per cent of drivers in high-speed areas going above the speed limit. In Moose Jaw alone, $4 million has been brought in over the last five years. 

Not all Canadian cities use photo radar. British Columbia had cameras in the 1990s under an NDP government, but they were scrapped in 2001 by the Liberals. The province’s Attorney General stated that year “Photo radar undermined public confidence in traffic enforcement.” Reaction from the public was that vehicle owners were getting fined instead of the actual drivers. It was also called a “cash grab.”

Other Canadian cities like Halifax, Nova Scotia, are considering installing speed cameras through a pilot project. It passed a new Traffic Safety Act in 2018, but it took years to be proclaimed. 

Halifax plans to start with eight cameras and would lose money the first year due to setup. After that, it expects to bring in between $425,000 and $575,000 in yearly revenue. A report by the Ecology Action Centre found that over 60 per cent of Nova Scotians were in support of photo radar to reduce speeding.