A group of Calgary Parking Authority officers who claim they were wrongfully terminated are now suing the city for nearly $1M.

In the suit, the plaintiffs claim that they were forced out of their positions because of their age.

The 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.

In December 2015, the city ended its contract with the Commissionaires to provide parking officers and then the general manager told the officers that they would need to ‘re-interview’ for their jobs.

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.

“People were counting on this to go into retirement and all of a sudden, we were forced out and people have lost their homes, have strained their relationships,” said Lynn Harrington, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit.

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.

“They’re also required to have a piece of paper in my file regarding why I was terminated as a peace officer and that paper was not there, so I still don’t know.”

In a written statement, the Calgary Parking Authority said:

[It’s] aware of the lawsuit filed by former Commissionaires employees contracted to the city. However, because it’s the subject of litigation, it can’t comment.

The Commissionaires, also named defendants in the suit, said:

[It’s not] prepared to comment on a matter before the courts but it has, at all times, acted in accordance with the law and denies allegations to the contrary.

Harrington says the issue is about more than just money.

“I want them to acknowledge that what he did to us was wrong.”

The damages sought in the lawsuit include $220,000 in punitive damages.

(With files from Lea Williams-Doherty)