CUPE warns Toronto
residents may lose programs
(The
following article is from
the January 16-31,
2008
issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles
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A
sharp debate has broken out in
Toronto over proposals to increase fees for recreation services. We
print here some excerpts of an analysis of this development by CUPE
Toronto District Council.
The proposal by Toronto Parks,
Forestry and Recreation to increase recreation fees in order to
increase access to recreation is misleadingly called, Everyone Gets to
Play. In fact the report, released on January 7, will severely limit
recreation opportunities for poor and working families, the majority of
whom are from racialized communities.
Currently,
Parks, Forestry and
Recreation operates 21 Priority Centres and has a subsidy called
Welcome Policy which is accessible for all families who are below the
low income cut-off. Free programs are run across the City in all
recreation centres and there is a 30% cost recovery rates for
recreation programs.
Under the
new plan, Priority
Centres will be eliminated by 2011. Currently there are 40,000
registered participants taking part in free recreation programs at
priority centres, which are in the poorest neighbourhoods across the
City. There have been 500,000 visits to priority centres for recreation
programs over the past year. There are approximately 50,000 children
and youth and 26,000 adults on social assistance. The latest United Way
report on poverty, Losing Ground, says that 30% of families in Toronto
are living in poverty. The Colour of Poverty Campaign
(www.colourofpoverty.ca) highlights the increasing and persistent
poverty among newcomers, and in particular racialized people.
Priority
centres are true
examples of universal accessibility where people, regardless of their
socio-economic background can participate in recreation and cultural
activities. This should be expanded, not eliminated. Statistics in the
PFR report show that people who participate in priority centres are not
only from the poorest communities. Any movement away from the
ghettoization of racialized and poor communities should be encouraged,
not eliminated.
Introducing
fee programs at
priority centres starting in 2009 and then increasing those fees yearly
for three years, will result in fewer residents living in poor
communities participating in recreation programs. Poor residents will
chose to feed their families and pay their rent before they pay for
recreation programs, even though it has been proven that an investment
in recreation programs saves millions of dollars in social assistance,
policing and the justice system...
Increasing
fees to 34% cost
recovery in 2008 with a goal of 54% cost recovery rates by end of the 7
year implementation period, will have an impact on working families who
have been taking the brunt of the loss of manufacturing jobs in the
city. Stable good paying jobs are declining and contingent, part-time
and lower paid jobs are replacing them. As the rich get richer, and the
poor, poorer, we should not be limiting their access to recreation
programs.
If the
Welcome Policy is capped
at 15,000 users, how will those 40,000 who take part in priority
centres and will now have to apply for subsidy be accommodated? What
about the 50,000 children and youth on social assistance? Currently
there is no cap on the cost of recreation programs accessed under the
welcome policy. Under the proposed plan, there will be an annual
subsidy of $360 for children and youth and $150 for adults and seniors.
Currently, a child who registers for the After School Recreation Care
program qualifies for three free months and is also eligible for an
Aquatic program per season and a Camp. ARC alone costs $100 per month.
In the new system, this child will only receive ARC and will not be
able to participate in swimming lessons nor summer camp programs.
Free
programs are going to be
offered under the new plan, including swim to survive, learn to skate
and youth leadership programs. The swim to survive program is
important, but it will not take the place of swim lessons, which will
be severely limited for poorer families. What about those children and
youth who are talented swimmers or skaters? Not only will they never
know if they could go on in either of these sports, they will not be
able to get one of these higher paid instructional jobs with the city
if they are not qualified in either sport. Youth from poor families
will be streamed into generic and lower paid program or camp leader
positions.
There are
many basic programs
for children and youth that should be offered free of charge. In fact,
the Mayor's election platform called for free programs for children and
youth in the priority neighbourhoods. Certainly free programs should
include preschool programs that help prepare children for school and in
many cases offer screening and identification of children with special
needs years before they enter the school system. What about skill-based
programs in instructional sports and arts? Are there not as many
talented dancers, artists and musicians in poorer neighbourhoods or do
they only supply great basketball players who then can seldom make it
beyond their school teams.
The
community must mobilize to
fight the recommendations in Everyone Gets to Play.... We urge all
locals, CUPE members and our community allies to get involved in the
fight for accessible and affordable recreation for everyone.
Expand and
reinvest in priority
centres! Expand number of welcome policy participants! Expand the range
of free programs for children and youth across the City!
(For more information on this urgent
issue, visit http://www.torontocouncil.ca)
Found
at:
http://www.peoplesvoice.ca/articleprint10/CUPE_warns_Toronto_residents_may_lose_programs.html