City of Toronto: The Public Good of Recreation

Wednesday May 9th, 2018

Framework for Recreation in Canada Forum 2018

Regina, Saskatchewan

Presented by: Howie Dayton

Director Community Recreation, City of Toronto

Presentation Overview

o The BIG Question

o Ontario policy Framework

o Strategic Policy Alignment-the “culture of a city”

o The City of Toronto’s Approach to Affordable Access

o Impacts, Investments and Outcomes

o Trends

o Challenges and Lessons Learned

o Group discussion

o Q&A

Is Recreation a

Public Good?

The BIG Question

Former Mayor, Hazel McCallion. City of Mississauga

- Provincial Policy Framework: Every One Playshttp://www.prontario.org/index.php/ci_id/3681.htm

Everyone has access to affordable recreation in their community in order to enjoy health and social benefits and to improve their prospects for a better future.

More than any other service, recreation has the ability to reach all citizens, and to bring people together in a non-threatening, pleasurable atmosphere. However, a rebalancing of recreation is necessary if it is to strategically address the barriers and constraints to participation faced by some people, and to celebrate the rich diversity of Canada’s population

- A Framework for Recreation in Canada 2015 Pathways to Wellbeing

“

Council Priorities

City of Toronto

Embedded Culture that supports Affordability, Equity, Access

Need for equitable access

31 Neighbourhood Improvement

Areas

26.3% of children live

below poverty

Community services/facilities difficult to access

Limitedresources

available to racialized/

marginalized communities

20.2% resident are below the Low Income

Measure

VISION:

Every Torontonian has better access to quality recreation

programs in their community.

Recreation Service Plan

Systems Approach

Free Leisure Swim

Focus on large groups,

Primary Programs

Low cost / Free access to community

space

Welcome Policy

39

Free Centres

Subsidized fee based programs

Free Leisure Drop-in

Programs for children,

youth, and older adults

75% Of all Recreation programs offered are free

$8.8 million Welcome Policy funding (92,800 Welcome Policy registration)

70%Visits are to free programs (7.4 million visits annually)

31%Of the Recreation operating budget is

recovered through User Fees. Fee based

programs highly subsidized

Investment

23% increase in

unique clients

31,000

additional

registrations

annually

75% of

registrations

within 3.4km

Fill rate at Free

Centres 90%+

Outcome – Free Centre Expansion

Welcome Policy down by 16%

Increase of 300,000 Leisure Program hours

80% of all programs are Primary

Community use of space at 30%

Interesting Trends

Unable to adjust

Services

Technology

GrowthWaitlist

Management Practice

Ensuring local access

Challenges

Recreation Service Plan has:

Increased local access to affordable programs

Next…

Access and inclusion for marginalized populations

20 year Parks and Facilities Master Plan

Supply versus demand-3 year Growth Plan

Policy levers to optimize access-waitlists and local access to free programs

Implement new technology solutions

Summary

• Does your organization/ municipality address affordability?

• What challenges related to access do your residences have?

• What would it take to address those challenges?

Table Topics