In a report going to the District of Squamish Council on May 12, staff are recommending continued annual recreation fee increases in the coming years, as the municipality works to bring its rates in line with, what they say, other neighbouring communities charge.
The recommendation follows a council resolution in October requesting a broader discussion on how recreation fees are set.
According to the report, Squamish recreation fees are currently estimated to be between 40 and 200 per cent below regional averages for comparable amenities. Staff say the gap has grown in part because fees were not regularly increased, with the last significant hike occurring in 2018.
In 2026, the District moved to begin closing that gap. They increased rental rates by 5 per cent, admission rates by 7 per cent, and miscellaneous fees like towel and lock rentals by 5 per cent. Staff say they want to keep future annual increases gradual to avoid sticker shock for residents.
“Staff are recommending that fees and charges are increased incrementally over the coming years to enable the department to align with regional averages, while managing the impact to recreation users and the community annually,” the report states.
Staff say in the report that financial accessibility remains a priority. The District lowered Summer Camp base rates this year to keep childcare affordable, and the Recreation Access Pass program continues to provide subsidized access for eligible lower-income residents.
Non-Resident vs Resident rates
While the District’s new fee structure does include higher rates for non-residents on paper, staff acknowledge they have no way to actually enforce the distinction.
The registration software does not collect address information, meaning staff cannot verify whether a customer lives in Squamish or not. Staff estimate only about 5 per cent of current users are non-residents, and say the administrative burden of verifying residency is not worth the tradeoff right now, though the question may be revisited in a future policy review.
Staff are also flagging that fees set too low can create their own problems, noting that cheap field rentals can lead to groups booking space they never use, wasting a limited community resource.
Staff expect to bring forward fee increases each year through updates to the District’s Fees and Charges Bylaw.
