If you try using a 2012 loonie or toonie at a green Toronto parking machine, it won't work. At least now, the Toronto Parking Authority will be doing something about it.

The new coins have been made using multi-ply steel technology, making them lighter than older versions, but because of that, they are not accepted by the TPA's green machines.

To fix the problem, the TPA will be upgrading almost 3-thousand machines at a cost of around $1-million. The decision came down at a board meeting Wednesday evening and the money to do it, will come from their operating budget for the year. TPA president Gwyn Thomas thinks work should be finished by the summer. Precise Parklink Inc. will be re-programming all of them.

The same type of repairs are being made to 770 parking machines in Calgary.

The Royal Canadian Mint made the switch because the coins are cheaper to produce, and have more security features.