Here’s What You Need to Know About Panhandling in Brampton

Published April 9, 2018 at 9:40 pm

If you’ve ever encountered someone asking for money on the streets or in parks in Brampton, you’ve encountered someone who’s panhandling, or soliciting funds. 

If you’ve ever encountered someone asking for money on the streets or in parks in Brampton, you’ve encountered someone who’s panhandling, or soliciting funds. 

There are many reasons why someone might be driven to panhandling, and while there are no specific By-laws that address panhandling in Brampton, there are still rules and regulations around the practice in Brampton

So, what should you know about panhandling or soliciting funds in Brampton?

For the most part, panhandling falls under the jurisdiction of Peel Regional Police or Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) depending on where the incident happens.

As for where the regulations around panhandling can be found, the province’s Highway Traffic Act and Safe Streets Act cover most of those complaints, like if someone is soliciting money on the road when cars are exiting the highway. 

And here in Brampton specifically, the city’s Park Lands By-law can be used to enforce rules surrounding panhandling in the city’s parks. 

Here’s what the acts and By-laws say about panhandling or public solicitation in Brampton:  


Highway Traffic Act

  • Section 177(1): No person, while on the roadway, shall solicit a ride from the driver of a motor vehicle other than a public passenger conveyance.
  • Section 177(2): No person, while on the roadway, shall stop, attempt to stop or approach a motor vehicle for the purpose of offering, selling or providing any commodity or service to the driver or any other person in the motor vehicle.
  • Penalties: Police officers can direct possible solictors to stop engaging in that activity. If the officer thinks that it’s necessary to arrest that person without warrant to identify them and prevent them from repeating the contravention, they can. Further penalties would be decided from there.

Safe Streets Act

  • Section 3(2): No person shall:

(a) solicit a person who is using, waiting to use, or departing from an automated teller machine;

(b) solicit a person who is using or waiting to use a pay telephone or a public toilet facility;

(c) solicit a person who is waiting at a taxi stand or a public transit stop;

(d) solicit a person who is in or on a public transit vehicle;

(e) solicit a person who is in the process of getting in, out of, on or off a vehicle or who is in a parking lot; or

(f) while on a roadway, solicit a person who is in or on a stopped, standing or parked vehicle.

  • Penalties: similar to Highway Traffic Act conviction.

City of Brampton’s Park Lands By-Law (161-83)

  • Section 13: No person shall, within parkland property unless otherwise permitted (178-83, 42-92),

(a) beg, solicit or invite subscriptions or contributions;

(b) sell or offer sale any articles, thing or service;

(c) solicit patronage to or for any person, business, rooming house, restaurant or hotel. 

  • Section 15:

(a) No person shall loiter anywhere within parkland or property from 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.

(b) For the purposes of this subsection only, the word “loiter” shall mean the act of staying at or near particular place for more than twenty minutes.

(c) every person who, without lawful excuse, the proof of which lies upon him, loiters within the meaning of this subsection, shall be guilty of an offence.

  • Penalties: Anyone who contravenes could be ordered off of the property where the incident took place, and anyone found guilty of an offence could also be fined.

Have you ever encountered panhandlers in Brampton?

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