We’ve written extensively about the countless number of tickets handed out to Quebecers for violating the province's Public Health Act. Over the past year, there were numerous stories of illegal house gatherings, Airbnb parties, and tickets being issued for offences ranging from breaking curfew to refusing to wear a mask.
While Quebec's strict public health measures are being scaled back, there are still thousands of court cases in the works and according to a recent report provided by Quebec's prosecution service (DPCP), authorities across Quebec issued 19,074 tickets between April 1, 2020, and May 31 of this year.
With most penalties costing about $1,500 plus fees, the total amount of fines handed out equals $28,622,850.
In Montreal alone, 6,092 tickets were issued for more than $9.2 million.
Some of the highest tickets per municipality also include:
Gatineau: 888 tickets.
Joliette: 652 tickets.
Laval: 630 tickets.
Trois-Rivières: 613 tickets.
Longueuil: 602 tickets.
The data also shows that 7,001 people pleaded not guilty to the offence while 1,224 pleaded guilty and paid the fine. Another 1,604 people paid the fine without entering a plea, and another 2,651 tickets are still pending. Finally, a total of 6,694 people had not paid or filed a plea by the legal deadline.
