The Ontario government is planning to recall the new licence plates

Ontario's new license plates have caused quite the stir since it was revealed that they're "virtually unreadable at night" and that Toronto's new photo radar cameras are having trouble reading the "Ontario" marker on them. 

The whole situation has been dubbed #PlateGate as Ontario officials have gone back and forth between claiming there's nothing wrong with them and placing blame on manufacturer 3M Canada. 

So @3MCanada isn’t responsible for this license plate ordeal. People signed off on this! This is the government not doing their job. #Ontario

— Angela (@angela30allen) February 20, 2020

Now, the government is saying they're prepared to begin recalling the malfunctioning plates. 

According to a Canadian Press report, Progressive Conservative House Leader Paul Calandra said the government will begin recalling the plates once 3M Canada figures out how to fix the problem.

He said the province has a supply of old plates that can be given out to those who need it in the meantime, but they're hoping to avoid having to go back to the previous model. 

The government has not yet indicated how many of the new plates have been issued since they began being rolled out on February 1. 

lol the first new ontario license plate i saw was when i was driving at night and the only thing i noticed was that i actually couldnt see anything at all

— nat 🚀 (@nataIiah) February 20, 2020

"These plates were tested extensively and we did work with a broad number of stakeholders. Some problems have been identified [and] we are working very closely with 3M," Calandra told reporters Thursday, according to the CBC.

"The people of Ontario invested in something. We want 3M to correct the problem."

The issue with the province's new license plates first came to light when a Kingston police officer tweeted a photo of one of the plates at night. His post quickly went viral. 

Ok, this was taken off duty in a relatively well lit parking lot with my headlights on. Did anyone consult with police before designing and manufacturing the new Ontario licence plates? They’re virtuallly unreadable at night. pic.twitter.com/CoLxnp3iTQ

— Sgt Steve Koopman (@SgtKoopman) February 16, 2020

"Ok, this was taken off duty in a relatively well lit parking lot with my headlights on," Sgt. Steve Koopman wrote. "Did anyone consult with police before designing and manufacturing the new Ontario licence plates? They’re virtuallly unreadable at night."