With YaraCentre now under municipal ownership, a new admissions structure has been adopted to ensure residents pay the same price when accessing every city-owned recreational building.
The YaraCentre and its staff transferred to the parks and recreation department recently, after city council adopted a resolution last November as part of the Downtown Facility and Field House strategic plan, according to a department report.
Monthly membership at individual buildings will now be offered at reduced prices. The department report indicates all monthly memberships at YaraCentre have decreased by roughly 10 per cent, while reductions at the Kinsmen Sportsplex are about 62 per cent. The department acknowledges this will affect how much revenue is generated.
During its April 8 regular meeting, council voted 5-2 to accept the revised 2019 parks and recreation rates and fees proposal. The rates go into effect June 1.
Councillors Scott McMann and Brian Swanson were opposed.
The parks and rec department has proposed 14 changes to the admissions structure.
One change includes a new seniors’ admission rate to all municipal buildings. YaraCentre had a seniors’ rate while municipal buildings did not. This means residents over age 55 will pay a drop-in rate of $6.25 to use all recreation buildings. A monthly pass will be $48.75; a three-month pass is $121.88; and an annual pass will be $390.
For memberships at YaraCentre only, seniors would pay $43.75 per month (from $51 currently); $109.38 for three months (from $138 now); and $350 annually (from $460 now).
There is also a new monthly membership for the seniors’ walking track program. The department report indicated YaraCentre offered a drop-in rate of $2.25. Moving to a monthly rate would reduce the administrative and customer service burdens associated with paying daily. Drop-in seniors’ track rates will be $4.
A monthly seniors’ walking program membership is now $21.
McMann anticipated pushback from seniors with the increase to the drop-in rate to use the track. However, a monthly pass might offset that anger.
He also appreciated that the drop-in rate for public skating and to use the track are the same, at $4. Yet he pointed out there is a season pass for public skating, at $31.25, while there is nothing similar for the walking track.
The seniors’ drop-in rate to use the track is for the two-hour window in the morning, explained Derek Blais, director of parks and recreation. This is why a monthly membership was introduced: it provides a reasonably cheaper alternative.
Residents with a track membership would also need to pay more if they wanted to use other areas of the building, Blais added.
The idea of incorporating the YaraCentre into the overall recreational structure came from Blais, Swanson pointed out. However, the economics are simply not there. The idea that that building can be self-sustaining even with reduced revenue is unfeasible.
Swanson pointed to the department report, which says reduced revenue can be overcome by increased memberships. The report says memberships would have to increase 18.7 per cent during the final six months of 2019 to generate more revenue.
It costs money to operate these buildings, Swanson said. Although admissions rates are cheaper, the extra money has to come from somewhere.
“I’m all for personal fitness, but we also have to pay the bills,” he added.
