A recent delegation to Pickering City Council raised concerns regarding the absence of public skating programs during the Spring and Summer sessions at the Chestnut Hill Developments Recreation Complex.
The delegation requested council to ensure that publicly-funded ice time includes guaranteed, accessible public offerings, particularly for families with young children.
According to Sam Snyders, member of Pickering Accessibility Advisory Committee, concerns were expressed that throughout the Spring and Summer sessions, there are currently no public skating programs offered, including Public Skate, Parent & Tot Skate, Parent & Tot Stick & Puck, or Daytime Skate, despite ice being available and the facility remaining operational.
“As a result, residents who fund the facility through their property taxes are unable to access basic public skating opportunities for a significant portion of the year,” he said.
He pointed out that the Chestnut Hill Developments Recreation Complex was built using public capital funds, and continues to be maintained and operated through annual operating budgets supported by taxpayers.
Focus On Paid Leagues & Rentals
While paid leagues and rentals contribute to cost recovery, municipal recreation facilities are not private venues. Their primary purpose is to provide public benefit and equitable access, the delegation contends.
When all available ice is allocated to paid users, with no public programs scheduled, the public return on that investment is diminished, Synders pointed out.
He said through discussions with city staff, it was confirmed that ice was available during the Spring and Summer sessions, yet no public skating programs were scheduled. The ice was instead allocated to leagues and programs that pay to use the ice.
“This means the absence of public skating is not due to lack of capacity, but rather to programming and allocation decisions. At minimum, residents reasonably expect that some portion of available ice in a publicly-owned facility will be reserved for public use,” he added.
School-hours Program
Another point raised was that currently, Parent & Tot programs are offered only on Fridays from 2-4 pm. These programs are intended for children aged 6 and under, yet children aged 4–6 are typically in school during these hours, the delegation said.
Many parents and caregivers are at work on weekday afternoons. As a result, these time slots unintentionally exclude many families and create a barrier to participation, particularly for working households, it pointed out.
The delegation did clarify that the Parent & Tot Skate and the Parent & Tot Stick & Puck Daytime Skate do not require on-ice supervision. This means there are no additional staffing costs associated with offering these programs. Where ice is already being maintained and operated, the decision not to offer public skating is not a budgetary constraint, but a programming choice, it said.
“This distinction is critical when evaluating the fiscal impact of providing public access,” said Synders.
Beneficial to Public Health
The delegation went on to state that skating is not merely recreational, it is a public health activity with well-documented benefits, particularly for young children and families.
Skating supports:
- Balance, coordination, and motor skill development
- Cardiovascular health
- Confidence and social development
- Family-based physical activity
- Mental wellbeing
Providing consistent access to public skating directly aligns with Canada’s 24-Hour Movement Guidelines, which encourage regular physical activity for children and adults as part of a healthy lifestyle. Not offering skating year-round, when ice is available, is inconsistent with the city’s stated objectives around promoting active, healthy communities.
Cooling During Summer Heat
Spring and Summer increasingly include periods of extreme heat, which pose challenges for families with young children.
Indoor, climate-controlled public spaces—such as municipal arenas—can provide:
- Safe environments for physical activity during heat events
- Relief for families without access to air-conditioned private space
When ice is available but no public skating is offered, a publicly funded, air-conditioned facility remains inaccessible to the public during the hottest months. Ensuring some level of public skating availability during Spring and Summer supports equity, public health, and climate resilience, the delegation said.
The delegation said it was not opposing paid leagues or cost-recovery programs. Rather, it was asking council to reaffirm a basic principle that publicly funded assets must include protected public access, particularly when capacity exists.
The delegation by Sam Snyders, went on to add that a reasonable balance can and should be struck between revenue generation and core public service delivery.
He ended his delegation with focusing on requested outcomes:
- Guarantee a minimum level of public skating programming whenever municipal ice is operational, including Spring and Summer sessions.
- Re-evaluate Parent & Tot program scheduling to include evenings or weekends that families can realistically attend.
- Direct staff to prioritize baseline public-use allocations before assigning all available ice to paid or private programs.
- Ensure future ice programming decisions reflect the taxpayer-funded nature of the facility, as well as Council’s health, equity, and accessibility goals.
“Residents are proud of this facility. They simply want to access what they have already paid for. Ensuring consistent, affordable, and family-friendly public skating is not only good recreation policy, it is good governance, good public health policy, and a fair return on taxpayer investment,” Synders added.