Item - 2019.EC6.2

The Economic and Community Development Committee:

1.  Received the report (June 11, 2019) from the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation for information.

This report responds to City Council’s direction for Parks, Forestry and Recreation (PFR) to report on the Phase 1 implementation of the Community Recreation Growth and Waitlist Management Plan (Growth Plan) CD24.3; and responds to Economic and Community Development Committee's (ECDC) request regarding Recreation Program Registration EC3.13. 

City Council directed Parks, Forestry and Recreation (PFR) to report back on the size of waitlists, Growth Plan performance indicators, opportunities and partnerships to expand participation in recreation. In addition, ECDC directed PFR to report on recreation program registration processes, the state of waitlists and improvements to the registration system.

The Growth Plan was developed by Parks, Forestry and Recreation (PFR) to address the ongoing high demand for recreation programs and as a means to begin to address waitlists. This plan was approved by Council December 2017 with implementation beginning in 2018. Parks, Forestry and Recreation (PFR) was successful in achieving the 2018 Growth Plan targets, adding 19,459 spaces in the high-demand program areas of learn to swim, summer camp, sports, art and general programming. In 2018, waitlists were reduced by 9 per cent, which is a reduction of 19,394 waitlist spaces over the previous year.

The Growth Plan was approved as one strategy to address unmet demand for popular, registered instructional programs. Combined with other investments, including, but not limited to, new and expanding recreational facilities and the transformation of the recreation registration and facility booking system, the City is improving customers' overall access to and experience with recreation services.