Ravensong Aquatic Club was denied a reduction in swim lane fees at Tuesday’s (March 27) Regional District of Nanaimo regular board meeting.
RDN Director and Qualicum Beach Mayor Teunis Westbroek put forward a recommendation to reduce the swim lane fees to $12 per lane per hour from $15.
“That’s in comparison to what Nanaimo charges and Comox and I think we should be in the ballpark by saying $12 per hour per lane,” Westbroek said.
However, Westbroek was unable to get a seconder for his motion.
The board, with Westbroek opposed, voted that no changes be made to the existing fees and that staff communicate to the Ravensong Aquatic Club about other funding options currently available.
RELATD: Club wants its Ravensong pool fees reduced
The club’s head coach, Byron Trajan, had originally asked that Ravensong Aquatic Centre’s lane fees be adjusted to be more in line with other facilities such as the pools in Nanaimo and the Comox Valley.
In a letter addressed to the District 69 Recreation Commission, Trajan said the Nanaimo Aquatic Centre charges $10.86 per lane per hour and Comox Valley Aquatic Centre charges $12.65.
“Our team, the Ravensong Breakers, is a very small club with only 41 members,” Trajan said in his letter. “Our swimmers all come from the Regional District of Nanaimo and travel from Nanoose Bay to Bowser to swim at the Ravensong Aquatic Centre.”
Trajan estimated that the annual fees for the club would be $37,000.
“Despite fundraising efforts throughout the season, our higher pool costs and subsequent club fees are discouraging new members from joining the club. It also is forcing existing families to choose fewer swim meets and limit other RDN activities that their children can attend due to expense.”
With his request, Trajan had hoped to make the club more financially accessible to youth in the RDN.
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