Food and housing costs may be rising due to inflation and higher interest rates.
But at least Port Coquitlam residents won't have to pay more to go to the gym, pool or skating rink in 2023 after city council voted to continue to freeze fees.
The fees were held to current rates when Port Coquitlam council adopted the Fees and Changes Amendment Bylaw at a meeting on Tuesday (Dec. 6).
Mayor Brad West stated in a press release that council is trying to encourage residents to use recreation facilities as part of their quest for a good quality of life.
“At a time when the cost of just about everything is rising, I’m proud that we are again freezing recreation fees for our residents. We recognize that it is important to do everything we can to encourage families, young adults and people of all ages to use our great recreation facilities without barriers,” West stated.
“This is about helping our residents to have an accessible healthy and active lifestyle, an essential part of the quality of life for our residents of Port Coquitlam, which is the right thing to do.”
The city reviews its fees and charges each year.
The bylaw does not include recreation program registration fees, which are based on cost-recovery and available subsidies.
Here are the current admission fees:
- Tots ages 0–4 years: no cost
- Children ages 5–12 pay $3.26 for a single visit and $29.30 for 10
- Youth ages 13–24 pay $4.88 for a single visit and $43.94 for 10
- Adults ages 25–59 pay $6.51 for a single visit and $58.59 for 10
- Adults ages 60–79 pay $4.88 for a single visit and $43.94 for 10
- Super seniors ages 80+ are free; non-residents pay $4.88 for a single visit and $43.94 for 10
- Family rate is $13.02 for a single visit or $117.18 for 10.
- Monthly, annual and 20-visit passes are also available for all ages
“With freezing our fees again, it shows that our city continues to be a leader in providing much-needed support for our residents,” noted Coun. Steve Darling, council’s designate for recreation matters. “Freezing these fees and making it more affordable is a good thing."
The City of Coquitlam has also frozen its recreation fees for next year.
Other measures are in place to reduce financial barriers and improve access to recreation services.
For example, changes to the financial assistance policy in 2021 provided qualifying residents with free access to recreation drop-in activities for all ages, increased subsidies for children and youth program and camp fees, and made it easier to access discounts for recreation services.
Port Coquitlam also offers the following assistance:
- One-on-one support for children and youth in registered activities through the Leisure Buddy Program
- Funding for children and youth with socioeconomic barriers to participate in organized sport and recreation in partnership with Canadian Tire Jumpstart
- Free and low-cost opportunities in swimming, skating and arts and culture
For more details, email [email protected] or call 604-927-7529. Information about financial assistance can be found online at portcoquitlam.ca/financialassistance.
