Prince Albert may hike recreation entry fee

WATCH: In 2026, the City of Prince Albert will re-examine spending in parks and recreation and clients at city facilities may notice prices rise.

In 2026, the City of Prince Albert will re-examine spending in parks and recreation. Clients at city facilities may notice prices rise.

Budget committee members have voiced throughout the deliberation process that they want to limit the city budget’s impact on tax rates, and the proposed 2026 budget is tightening as a result.

On Thursday morning, the second day of budget deliberations, the committee voted to cut $50,000 from the proposed 2026 operating budget for parks, recreation and culture functional areas.

The city plans to make up for part of the $50,000 by cutting $15,000 in spending and said the remaining $35,000 can be generated in revenue if the city stops waiving fees for group events.

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The director of parks, recreation and culture, Jody Boulet, said groups who rely on waived fees won’t be left without options as there are existing grants to support recreation groups.

“We can look at the different forms and funding opportunities that we already have,” he said. “We could then provide those supports to them and achieve the goal of this resolution without revisiting the rates and fees manual.”

Rates and fees at the Cooke Municipal Golf Course will see an increase of 2.5 per cent.

The city says the golf course is the only city recreation space that generates enough revenue to keep itself operational.

“The money that pays for all to the improvements, the maintenance,” said city manager Sherry Person. “Everything out there, including staffing, is from the user’s fee. So, this is literally the only one that is self-sustaining.”

As of early Thursday afternoon, a five per cent increase in user fees for recreation facilities, including the leisure centre and Alfred Jenkins Field House, is also on the table.

Deliberations continue Friday.