PORT COQUITLAM, BC, Dec. 7, 2022. . . Port Coquitlam continues with another year of freezing recreation admission fees to encourage participation and reduce financial barriers.

Port Coquitlam Council adopted the Fees and Changes Amendment Bylaw at last night’s Council meeting that will take effect Jan.3, 2023.

“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,” Mayor Brad West said. “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.

The amendment change is intended to continue to increase participation and the cost of services skips the typical inflationary increase to admission and facility rental fees – effectively freezing fees at rates from early 2020.

“With freezing our fees again, it shows that our city continues to be a leader in providing much-needed support for our residents,” noted Cllr. Steve Darling, Council’s designate for recreation matters. “Freezing these fees and making it more affordable is a good thing.”

The fee schedule complements the City’s measures 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 information, contact recreation@portcoquitlam.ca or 604-927-7529. Information about financial assistance can be found at portcoquitlam.ca/financialassistance.

– 30 –