A working group to explore North Simcoe Sports and Recreation Centre fees will focus on encouraging youth participation in sport and how to reduce Midland’s tax burden to keep the facility running.
A report on non-resident arena fees was discussed by Midland council during its regular meeting, addressing the town’s financial problem in operating the more than 20-year-old facility. The 2024 budget reported an annual $1.8 million requirement to operate, maintain and rehabilitate the NSSRC through debt payments and/or the tax levy.
As far back as 2022, the town found inequity in how Midland ratepayers – whether they used the facility or not – paid for arena operations despite only accounting for 39 per cent of the overall user group. A proposed fee increase drew heavy ire from North Simcoe groups that felt they were being unfairly targeted to cover the costs.
Despite Tiny Township opting to stop funding the NSSRC last October, the staff report originated from a 2022 request from council to explore a working group to financially support the facility, which was called a ‘missing link’ by then-councillor Bill Gordon.
Now mayor, Gordon spoke to council’s approval of the NSSRC working group and how it would operate.
“We’re working in tandem… to try funding agreements with our neighbouring partners, which I’ll say has gone over lukewarm right now honestly with Tiny and Tay so far,” said Gordon.
“That’s the purpose of getting everyone in a room and showing them under the tablecloth (so) they can actually see: what the costs are; here’s what we’re trying to achieve; here’s how we’re trying to lose less money.
“Is everyone going to leave happy going: ‘wow, I’m so glad we’re giving more money to Midland’? Probably not, but they will have had a voice at the table and understand our challenges, and be part of the conversation,” Gordon noted.
One recent influence to the NSSRC report came from the friction between the Midland Public Library and Tiny Township, and its effective resolution which set an annual non-resident membership fee as well as an annual borrowing fee per person, reimbursed by Tiny Township monthly.
“Hopefully the folks that have been irked by this in our neighbouring municipalities will see that we’re making every effort to work with them and come up with a solution that makes sense, that doesn’t kill sports and doesn’t attack the kids,” said Gordon. He added that he had been fielding community rhetoric on accusations that organized sports weren’t being given a “free pass” like other groups, which he denied.
Regarding the NSSRC working group, Coun. Jamie-Lee Ball suggested “to look at not-for-profit organizations that aren’t allowed to charge for additional fees for profit.”
Ball also chimed in that a noticeable amount of youth had appeared regarding the issue, and pitched once more for applicants on Midland’s youth advisory committee.
“I think they (the youth) were very politically charged, a lot of them,” said Ball. “Maybe they want to give us their opinion before we make decisions for next time, for any future decisions.”
The non-resident North Simcoe Sports and Recreation Centre fees report is available in the council agenda on the town of Midland website.
Council meetings are held every third Wednesday, and can be viewed on Rogers TV cable channel 53 when available, or through the livestream on the Rogers TV website. Archives of council meetings are available through Rogers TV and on the Town of Midland’s YouTube channel.
