The City of Pembroke has finished swapping out its old parking meters for new digital ones downtown, giving drivers more ways to pay and a fresh look along Pembroke Street East. The changeover wrapped up on June 18, 2026, with black meters that have digital screens now standing at curbside spots throughout the core.
The City of Pembroke says the new meters take coins, debit, credit, and the HONK Mobile app, so you can handle payment right from your phone. Parking costs $1 an hour, and you can stay for up to three hours. Spots without meters are still free for three hours, just like before.
During the switch in May, the city made metered parking free while crews worked, so shoppers and visitors didn’t have to worry about feeding the old machines. Now that the installation’s done, bylaw officers are back to regular enforcement.
The upgrade comes after years of back-and-forth on parking in Pembroke. The city had offered free street parking from early 2020 through mid-2022 as a boost for businesses struggling through COVID-19. Before that experiment, meters cost $0.25 for 30 minutes and brought in about $50,000 a year, with another $49,000 from tickets, according to Colleen Sauriol, the city’s Director of Planning, Development and By-law Enforcement.
Now, with the new meters in place, Pembroke is hoping the mix of coin, card, and app payments will make it simpler for people to stop, shop, and go without the hassle of hunting for change.
