**** HRM Media Release
Parks and Recreation fee changes will take place on April 1, 2022.
On April 1, 2022 the Parks and Recreation Fee structure will be changing. These changes will affect all recreation services; programs, rentals, drop ins, voucher and memberships fees. As a result of the fee structure changes that was approved by regional council, some fees are increasing in cost while others are staying the same or decreasing. Please see the full list of fee structure changes here.
The updated fee structure will reflect the actual cost of providing recreation services to residents. The fee structure change is due to several factors, including:
- Parks and Recreation fees have been frozen since 2011
- Current recreation fees do not reflect actual costs of providing the service.
- Recreation fees are well below other organizations and municipalities.
- Opportunity to support not-for-profit organizations by aligning with their fee structure and overall marketplace.
How will this fee change affect residents enrolled in recreation
Where the fees have been frozen since 2011, many of the fees have increased, therefore, it may be more expensive to participate in recreation programs.
How this fee change affects seniors (55+)
The new age for seniors is 60 years of age, which will align with the age of seniors at other Recreation facilities. This will impact residents ages 55-60 who previously received seniors’ discounts. The discount rate will remain at 25% savings, therefore, no change.
How this fee change affects rental clients
Where the fees have been frozen since 2011, many of the rental fees have increased, therefore, it may be more expensive to rent HRM recreation assets. There will be no free rentals for not-for-profit groups, however, if the not-for-profit group is registered with Registry of Joint Stocks, they are eligible for a 50% discount for all room rentals.
How this fee change affects current members
Where the fees have been frozen since 2011, many of the membership fees have increased, therefore, it may be more expensive to be a member at HRM owned and operated facilities.
The fee changes will benefit ALL residents in several ways, including:
- New user categories – user categories will be based on the age group and type of organization.
- Consistent subsidization for fee categories – for example, the fee structure will ensure that all youth programs across municipality will receive same subsidy.
- Reduced risk of unexpected fee increases – new fee structure accounts for inflation, helping to reduce unexpected and potentially significant fee increases
- Predictable five-year review cycle – new requirement to review fee structure every five years
- More inclusive and affordable programming – affordable access program, senior discount, student discount, employee discount and volunteer discount
- No user charge for Parks that are rented for public events that are open to the public, non-exclusive and free of charge
- Overall standardization, consistency and transparency of fees across the municipality
If you have any question regarding how the Parks and Recreation fee changes will effect you. Please email. myREC@halifax.ca.
