Fee increase is one way forward for new recreation infrastructure in Kamloops

KAMLOOPS — If you or a family member utilize a city recreation facility in Kamloops, you may have to pay more to use that piece of infrastructure in the future. That’s because city council okayed a modest increase to user fees next year and in 2025.

“We proposed to council that the vast majority of fees would go up five per cent, which is what has happened in the last several years. When we’ve done fee increases, they’ve been around five per cent,” Linda Stride, Recreation, Health, and Wellness Supervisor for the City Kamloops explains. “Then there were a couple of others where we proposed they go up around seven per cent. That was Hillside Stadium, and also [pool] lane rentals.”

Currently, the City recoups just 27 per cent of the operating costs of aquatic facilities from users, while just 17 per cent of field costs are paid for through user fees. City council has expressed a desire to see those shares increased to 50 per cent.

“When we looked at the comparables to other communities in BC, we are tremendously behind – sometimes 75 per cent in what we are charging, compared to other communities with equivalent services,” Councillor Katie Neustaeter tells CFJC Today. “We’ve heard loud and clear, Kamloops thinks it’s time to catch up.”

While recovering half of the operating costs for all recreational facilities is a goal of city council, those fee increases won’t take place overnight. Stride says staff plans to bring the issue to the committee level to look at different ways to reach that goal.

“That might be a combination of fee increases, maybe we have to charge more taxes and that would cover recreation facilities,” Stride explains. “I think there will be many different ways we can look at that, so that is something that will come back to council in the next year.”

According to Neustaeter, the last thing council wants to do is price residents out of taking part in recreational activities. However, as demand continues to rise for increased rec facilities, the City needs to find a way to build new infrastructure and improve the current recreational buildings.

“We have to find the dollars if we want to give the people what they’re asking for,” Neustaeter says. “That needs to be intelligently done, and it needs to be strong and steady in the process. But this is the first step towards that. We cannot go another four years without adding to the facilities that exist in our city. We are a growing city, with growing demands, with many young families that are active, and we have to plan for that.”