Terminated Calgary parking officers sue for wrongful dismissal, citing age

CALGARY — A group of Calgary Parking Authority officers are suing the city for wrongful dismissal, saying they were forced out of their positions because of their age.

The suit contends that trouble started when the city made a change to its hiring practices by hiring officers directly instead of taking them from the Corps of Commissionaires.

Many of the parking officers had been on the job for years and allege they were fired because the city was going for more of a “youthful look” for their employees.

The parking authority says it can’t comment on a matter before the courts while the Corps of Commissionaires, which is also named in the suit, denies any allegation that it has not acted in accordance with the law.

Plaintiff Lynn Harrington tells CTV Calgary some of those who are suing had been counting on the jobs to take them to retirement.

Instead, she says some of them have lost their homes and strained their relationships over being let go.

The plaintiffs also say that the city refused to give them any job references because they weren’t employed by them.

Harrington says it took 11 months to get her employment record from the city, but she says the 63-page file is missing a crucial piece of information on why she was terminated.