Fairness and Accountability in Orillia’s Speed Camera Program

Who is impacted?

Since the City of Orillia installed its new Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) cameras, many residents — including safe, long-time drivers — have been hit with multiple speeding tickets in extremely short timeframes. Some, like myself, have received more than a dozen fines within weeks, often before the first ticket even arrived in the mail, leaving no opportunity to adjust driving habits. To make matters worse, there are growing concerns that some cameras are taking pictures prematurely — before the vehicle has even passed the camera within the marked Community Safety Zone. By law, ASE fines are supposed to be issued only when speeding is detected inside a clearly marked safety zone, yet residents are reporting tickets that suggest otherwise. This is leading to severe financial hardship for single parents, seniors, low-income families, and working residents already struggling with the cost of living.

What is at stake?

If nothing changes, residents will continue to face devastating fines that, in some cases, total thousands of dollars — with no payment plans available unless they are on government assistance. Multiple tickets issued minutes apart on the same route will still be charged in full. The fines in safety zones are automatically doubled, and with some speed limits set as low as 30 km/h, even a slight variation can result in a substantial penalty. Unlike an officer who might issue a single ticket for one instance of speeding, these cameras can penalize drivers repeatedly in a very short span, making the process feel like entrapment. Provincial leaders, including Premier Doug Ford, have acknowledged that the current system can be far too punitive, yet municipalities continue to operate them without addressing fairness or proportionality.

Why is now the time to act?

The City of Orillia needs to act now to ensure this program is fair, transparent, and compliant with the intent of the law. We call on the City to:

(1) offer payment plans for all residents, not just those on government assistance, with a minimum monthly payment option (e.g., $25/month);

(2) consolidate or reduce multiple tickets issued within short timeframes;

(3) ensure cameras only issue fines for violations clearly occurring within posted safety zones; and (4) focus the ASE program on education and safety, not revenue. Without urgent reform, more residents will face crippling fines that could have been prevented with a more reasonable, properly implemented system. We urge citizens to sign now and demand that our City Council and local MPP address these concerns before provincial parliament resumes in September.

The people of Orillia deserve a system that improves road safety without creating unreasonable financial burdens. We ask our elected officials to act now to make this program fair, transparent, and just.

Camera Locations: Fittons Rd + Alexander Rd., Park Street + York Street, Westmount  

📢 Please sign & share so our voices are heard before more residents are hit with crushing fines.

Your voice matters — let’s make sure the City listens.
Vita