On June 26th, the Community Development and Recreation Committee met. Prior to the committee, Community Recreation For All and Toronto Women’s City Alliance released a briefing for one of the items being discussed: Recreation Service Plan 2013-2017 Implementation Plan. This briefing contextualized and highlighted some of our key recommendations for the committee:
CDRC is being asked to approve the implementation plan before they receive numerous reports from PFR meant to inform its content. As a result, we ask that the committee move to create provisions to amend the implementation plan based on the forthcoming reports in fall 2013.
We ask the committee to request a report to be delivered with upcoming reports in fall 2013 on minimum requirements for Priority Centre programming, capacity and hours, to be applied to all current and future Priority Centres.
The introduction of two centralized, full-time positions to connect youth to space, youth drop-ins and youth programming in 2013. We ask the committee to request a report to be delivered on the implementation of two dedicated positions to connect youth to space and programs as outlined above
We ask the committee to request a report from PFR on how to address the crisis in access to youth space and drop-in programming for summer 2013 to be delivered in July 2013.
We ask the committee to request a report from PFR on best practices in youth drop-ins, suggesting a model for expansion to be delivered along with the inventory of youth drop-ins report in fall 2013.
We ask the committee and staff to demonstrate a commitment to access now by removing fees on leisure swim at indoor pools.
We ask that the committee request a report on incorporating ‘Access without fear’ into the five-year implementation plan.
We ask PFR staff to define a clear data collection strategy, including plans for sharing data with the community and access to data disaggregated by gender and ethnicity
We ask PFR staff to define a clear training strategy, including anti-racism and anti-oppression training for all PFR staff including management, rec staff and maintenance staff.
To read the full briefing:
Report Back from The Committee:
City staff refused to report on anything earlier than already scheduled and refused to pass anything that required money spent in 2013. They said if councillors want to move motions for more programming than they need to attach budgets to them.
Community Development and Recreation Recommends that:
1. City Council adopt report and refer to budget committee for financial impacts. Also, noting that it may be amended as reports on priority centres, welcome policy, user fees and universal access, youth engagement strategy, and open streets have been reviewed be Committee and Council.
2. City Council direct PFR to fully participate in youth consultation framework developed for the Youth Equity Strategy and work with the ED, of Social Development, Finance & Administration to identify points of integration, partnership and collaboration across departments and the two strategies.
3. City Council direct PFR to report to the September 18, 2013 meeting of the Community Development and Recreation Committee on the Youth Engagement Strategy, at the same time as the Youth Equity Strategy.
4. City Council support the elimination of leisure swimming fees for children and youth for 2014 (City staff would not support this for this summer because all outdoor pools in the city are free)
5. City Council direct PFR to report on the review of user fees to the September 18, 2013 meeting of the Community Development and Recreation Committee, and include the financial implications of eliminating of leisure swimming fees for children and youth in 2014.
6. City Council request the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation to report on a strengthened capital plan for parks and recreation services during the 2014 budget process.
7. City Council request the Deputy City Manager and Chief Financial Officer, in preparing for the 2014 Operating budget, to include the incremental costs of this Implementation Plan outside the regular staff budget setting targets.
8. City Council request PFR to report back to CDRC on expanding the Duke of Edinburgh award or a similar program ( this award is a self directed development program for young people aged 14 to 25).
9. City Council request PFR to report back to CDRC in early 2014 on expanding the use of school pools to the 4-6 p.m. period for use by the City’s recreation division to achieve the goals of the Implementation program in early 2014.
10. City Council direct PFR to report to the October 28, 2013 meeting of the CDRC on all matters, including youth engagement and the welcome policy usage review, that may have 2014 operating budget implications.
11. City Council request PFR to report to CDRC with the upcoming reports in Fall 2013, on minimum requirements for Priority Centre programming, including capacity and hours, to be applied to all current and future Priority Centres.
