Out-of-town visitors make up a small percentage of individuals utilizing Saskatoon’s publicly owned pools, rinks, and recreation centers. Despite this, there is a potential for increased revenue by implementing higher fees for non-residents accessing municipal facilities, as per a report from city hall officials.
Councilor Bev Dubois requested the report during the previous governance and priorities committee meeting, anticipating recommendations for fee adjustments following the analysis. The report will be reviewed by the same committee on Wednesday, with city council’s budget deliberations scheduled to commence on Nov. 25.
Statistics reveal that a minimal number of individuals from outside Saskatoon are utilizing the city’s pools, arenas, and recreation centers. Only five percent of Leisurecards, which are memberships, were purchased by non-residents from 2022 to 2024. Similarly, over the same period, just four percent of recreation center rentals and six percent of indoor arena rentals were attributed to out-of-town visitors.
Comparatively, a higher proportion of individuals, 10 percent, were enrolled in recreational programs operated by the city during the same timeframe. Drawing from the City of Regina’s recent implementation of a 50 percent surcharge for non-residents participating in such programs, the report suggests that a similar surcharge in Saskatoon could lead to a 15 percent reduction in participation but generate $52,000 in revenue.
Proposed surcharges of 50 percent on arena rentals and recreation center rentals are also predicted to decrease usage while generating $44,000 and $22,100, respectively. The report notes that the earliest possible implementation of these charges would be the following autumn, owing to necessary operational adjustments.
The report rules out the notion of increasing daily admission prices, citing potential delays and inconvenience for all parties due to the need for residency verification. Notably, research on 15 cities in Western Canada, including 10 in Saskatchewan, indicates that charging higher fees to non-residents remains uncommon. Several cities, such as Regina, Prince Albert, Humboldt, Winnipeg, Burnaby, and Surrey, have already introduced slightly elevated fees for non-residents, with Winnipeg, for instance, charging double for out-of-town registrations in city programs.
Furthermore, collaborations on funding agreements have been established among five cities and other municipalities, including Moose Jaw, Estevan, North Battleford, Warman, and Meadow Lake.