Council approves rec centre rates

by Colin Smith

Adults will pay $8 for a single admission to the Morinville Community Recreation Facility, with children, youths, students 18-plus and seniors paying varying percentage of the rate for those 18 to 64.

Pass rates for adults will be $75 for a 10-visit pass, $40 for a monthly membership and $400 for an annual, with proportional discounts for the other groups.

A family, which is defined as two adults and an unlimited number of children living in the same home, pays $20 for a single admission, $100 for a monthly pass and $1,000 for an annual pass.

The rates were approved by Town Council at its December 11 regular meeting.
The facility is intended to be a community hub that accommodates on all aspects of leisure and sport use, including both active participation and passive use, such as being a spectator at an event or activity.

In determining the rates, the Administration took into account three factors: fair prices for all, considering local sport/fitness businesses; regional facility fees and service provision; and making facility use affordable while encouraging its use overall use, and the promotion of healthy mind, body and spirit.

Tots are going to be admitted to the facility free up to the age of five. Most facilities offer free access only to age two but the Administration felt that raising the age limit was important because of the facility’s “limited amenities.”

There will also be a $2 single admission rate available for people who only want to use the facility’s track, and a monthly rack pass for $20 This is an uncommon feature – currently only offered by the Dow Centennial Centre in Fort Saskatchewan.

“Through the community surveys it’s known that our walking trails are the most frequently used amenity,” stated the Administration’s presentation to Council. “The importance of this activity throughout the year is vital, especially during extreme cold and wet weather days. Administration believes providing users with access to the track will be well received, and may serve as a promotional conduit to other facility amenities or programs.”

Fees for children age six to 12 were set at 50 per cent of the adult rate; youths 13 to 17 at 60 per cent; students 18-plus, with student identification, and seniors 60-plus at 75 per cent.

Council unanimously approved changing the senior age to 60 from 65 and adding the monthly $20 track rate.

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55 Comments

    • I would also like to know more specifics. I know there is supposed to be fitness facilities but will it be comparable to what the Body Shop offers or more comparable to what Goodlife offers. I want to know if I’m sticking with Goodlife or making the switch to local.

    • Rob Pelletier Short answer. No. Sturgeon County and Morinville, as with Sturgeon County and the other municipalities have a few years left in a cost sharing agreement where they pay a formula rate so their residents pay the same to use the facilities in those communities. But it has come up lots

    • All bordering municipalities must do inter municipal agreements within two years. We just formed our committee. Mayor, Boutestein and myself. We will be the group working with county over the next long period of time.

    • Dustan McLean id charge them double until the county bucked up and made an honest contribution. Especially seeing as these reports of how the county “is in a great spot financially”

    • It is not conveniently located for the majority of county residents which is why they are not funding it. St.Albert, Spruce, Westlock, the Garrison and the Fort are closer for most residents and have more facilities and shopping to do in a trip. It’s only $370 more for an annual family pass to Servus and you get access to 2 indoor and 1 outdoor pool, leisure skating, the rec areas, as well as you can fill up on cheaper fuel. If you raise rates for County residents for less services you will just have less people using the facility and end up costing you more as well.

    • Brad Belanger I don’t think your geography is up to snuff. This facility will be closer to any other rec facility for all of Bon Accord. Gibbons. Red Water and RQB? The facility could possibly have a pool or lower rates if sturgeon county would make a substantial contribution. And if county residents would rather pay another municipality or county to use there services than we have a lot more to worry about. In order to have nice things you need to support them.

    • Rob Pelletier actually due to the nature of my job I know every road, trail, subdivision, hamlet, industrial park, and municipal boundary of the county. Bon Accord, Gibbons, and Redwater are separate municipalities by the way so you will have to go after their councils if you want to get them to pay. I stand by my statement. One fifth of the counties population lives in the Sturgeon valley and very few of them go to Morinville for anything let alone recreation. The other highly populated areas are around Calahoo, Villeneuve/Meadowview, and near the Sturgeon industrial park. All closer to other venues. If the county built a rec center in the Sturgeon valley and asked Morinville to contribute a few million because some of your residents might use it how do you think that would go over?

    • Brad Belanger I’m not sure why any resident in sturgeon county would rather support a facility that isn’t in sturgeon county over one being built in it. So essentially what your saying is that sturgeon county residents would rather not contribute to any. Meaning they wouldn’t be to upset when the membership fees are increased for them.

    • The county contributed $500,000 to Servus and the Morinville rec centre as well as contributing to installing services for the Morinville one. $5 million was budgeted for the joint servicing of the future county campus but I don’t know how much was actually spent. I would prefer to pay more per use as would the majority of the residents. I can count on one hand the times I have used any of the surrounding facilities so I would not want my taxes to increase to support it.

    • Rob Pelletier I’m totally fine with higher rates for non Morinville residents. I wouldn’t agree with the county paying a large sum out of taxes as was asked by town council before. I get Morinville residents point that it isn’t fair for other people to use the facilities without a contribution but than they have to see county residents point of it not being fair to pay for something we don’t use. Thank you for the civil discussion on this too.

  1. That’s a great deal if there’s a good selection of workout equipment. Plus the track when days are crappy. I’ll take this over the Servus rate any day.

    • Dustan McLean there is only going to be limited gym equipment is what was said a couple weeks back. There is not going to be a gym to workout! From what I was told, there will be a track, hockey rink and a multi use court…that’s it! A glorified hockey rink, yay ?

  2. I’m definitely moving as soon as the market turns around. The taxes are getting out of countrol. Government needs to learn to stop taxing the people to such an extreme.

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