That of access to Recreation activities for families with limited income, with the issue making for a theme for the public comment period of the Committee of the Whole on Monday.
During the course of the observations from the lone participant in the COW speaking opportunity, Acting Mayor Barry Cunningham took exception to some of the comments expressed, particularly the belief that the Civic Centre had become elitist, leaving those on the lower end of the economic spectrum in the city on the outside looking in.
And while the questions raised of city staff discounts, or free pass distributions were not addressed from the conversation of Monday, the theme of some of the programs available for youth in the community was, with Mr. Cunningham observing that the Civic Centre staff can steer parents in the right direction should they have financial need.
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| The topic of access to recreation facilities in the community was one of the topics from the public comment period from Monday's City Council Session |
A good place for parents and guardians to start in the quest for information was the recently delivered Recreation Guide for Spring 2018, that informative package makes note of the activities coming up at the Civic Centre over the next few months, and also has a number of entries that highlight the list of assistance programs currently in place.
One initiative of note is he City hosted program called the Recreation Access Program, where those in need can receive a discount on course registration fees, as well as free admissions to the Civic Centre complex facilities.
You can find out more about that Recreation Access Program by contacting shantelle.berry@princerupert.ca or by calling 250-624-6707 extension 242
Another program that the City makes note of is the Kidsport project, which looks to ensure that all kids that want to play can take advantage of the opportunities in their community.
The Canada wide program is a donation based concept, you can learn more about how it works from their website or Facebook page.
The Recreation Centre also hosts a Free Thursday Youth Night program every month for youth from ages 13-18, program details can be found on the RupertYouth Facebook page.
Beyond those initiatives, corporate, labour and business groups, as well as community organizations in the city such as Ridley Terminals, Friendship House, The Prince Rupert District Teachers Association and local realtors regularly host Free Swim, Gym or Skating events at the McBride Street facility.
As for becoming involved in recreation issues in the community, the forum where residents can seek out more information on how the City is working towards reducing the cost for those with a limited income, is usually through the Recreation Committee meetings.
Like many of the City organized Committees, it's a little known group, consisting of Council representation and appointed members from the public.
However, sharing information about the range of committees that the City hosts, is seemingly not very high on the to do list for the City's administration at the moment.
The City's website doesn't have an easy access guide to the Committee structure, nor do the many information portals currently hosted by the City, provide much background about the growing number of committees that have been formed, or even when they plan to hold meetings for residents to attend.
Councillor Cunningham is currently a member of the Recreation committee, so a logical place for those with an interest into how it works and when it meets, could be to inquire through the Councillor's email address at City Hall, barry.cunningham@princerupert.ca.
You can review Monday night's commentary on recreation use and the programs available from the City's Video Archive, starting at the fifteen minute mark.
For more items related to Monday's City council Session see our City Council Timeline feature here.
A wider overview of City Council Discussions is also available from our Council Discussion Page.
To view the most recent blog posting of the day, click here.
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