Fort St. John, British Columbia
· adopted 2025-07-28
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THE CITY OF FORT ST. JOHN
Community Services Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 2608, 2025
Community Services Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 2608, 2025 Page 2
CITY OF FORT ST. JOHN
Community Services Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 2608, 2025
A Bylaw to establish Community Services Fees and Charges.
WHEREAS, Section 194 of the Community Charter provides authorization to municipalities to
impose fees for all or part of a service that a municipality may provide and to impose fees for the
use of municipal property,
AND WHEREAS, the City of Fort St. John deems it necessary to establish fees and charges for
various municipal recreation services,
NOW THEREFORE, the Council of the City of Fort St. John, in open meeting assembled hereby
enacts as follows:
TITLE:
This bylaw may be cited as "City of Fort St. John Community Services Fees and Charges Bylaw
No. 2608, 2025".
Community Services Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 2608, 2025 Page 3
CONTENTS
PART ONE - ADMINISTRATION .................................................................................................................... 4
CITATION ................................................................................................................................................... 4
REPEAL ...................................................................................................................................................... 4
DEFINITIONS ............................................................................................................................................. 4
PURPOSE AND APPLICATION .................................................................................................................... 5
SEVERANCE ............................................................................................................................................... 6
PART TWO - GENERAL PROVISIONS ............................................................................................................ 6
PROVISIONS .............................................................................................................................................. 6
PART THREE - USER AND USER GROUP CATEGORIES ................................................................................. 8
USERS ........................................................................................................................................................ 8
USER GROUP CATEGORIES ....................................................................................................................... 8
PART FOUR - CALCULATING FEES AND CHARGES USING BENEFITS-BASED APPROACH ......................... 10
RECIPROCAL SUBSIDY ............................................................................................................................. 10
FEE REVIEW ............................................................................................................................................. 10
PART FIVE - ENACTMENT ........................................................................................................................... 11
PART SIX - SCHEDULES ............................................................................................................................... 12
SCHEDULE A - COMMUNITY SERVICES FEES AND CHARGES.................................................................. 12
Community Services Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 2608, 2025 Page 4
PART ONE - ADMINISTRATION
CITATION
1)
This bylaw may be cited as "City of Fort St. John Community Services Fees and Charges Bylaw
No. 2608, 2025".
REPEAL
2)
Community Services Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 2460, 2019 and Community Services Fees and
Charges Amendment Bylaw No. 2592, 2024 will be repealed as of August 31, 2025.
DEFINITIONS
3)
In this Bylaw, unless the context otherwise requires, the following words have the following
meanings;
a) Common Areas Rental: 32 SQFT / 8 x 4-foot space in a lobby, hallway or rink adjacent that
consists of a table and 2 chairs.
b) Drop-In Admission: The drop-in admission provides the bearer with access to public skate,
drop-in hockey, or public drop-in dry-floor use.
c) Event: An organized gathering for the purpose of commercial endeavors, community
special events or moderate-to-high risk activities such as (but not limited to) sporting
events. For example, a promotion, parade, or race which requires significant use of a
space or exclusive use hosted on municipal property requires a permit. An event does not
refer to small gatherings, or low risk activities that are considered a reasonable and
accepted use of the space.
d) Event Damage Deposit: May be applied to permit applications of medium-to-high
risk events, as defined by the Municipal Insurance Association of BC.
e) Maintenance Services: The cost of the employee(s) for additional set up or take
down, listed in the Collective Agreement base rate plus 30%.
f) Non-Profit Organization: A registered society in the province of BC or Canada. The Society
is required to provide proof to qualify for the reduced rate.
g) Permit: Written permission granted by the Director, for an event or special event
on municipal property.
Community Services Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 2608, 2025 Page 5
PART ONE - ADMINISTRATION (continued)
h) Rental Agreement Use: An individual, group or organization who rents a space
through a rental contract and controls the uses and the users of that space during
the period of rental. Regular user groups enter into a Facility Use Licence
Agreement.
i) SOCAN: The Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada, a
performance rights organization that administers the public performance and
communication rights of its members' musical works and collects licensing fees for
the use of such works in accordance with the Copyright Act.
j) Subsidy Levels: The amount to which a service is paid for by taxes, whereas user
pay is the amount to which a service is paid for by users.
k) Taxes: Not included in the rental rate(s) in Schedule A, except for drop-in
admissions.
l) Use of Additional Utilities: Refers to the use of power greater than that of a
standard electrical outlet. This usually includes the use of a distribution board
and/or incurs additional maintenance and/or services fees and/or lighting the
obelisks.
PURPOSE AND APPLICATION
4)
Purpose - Except as otherwise provided, this bylaw applies to the recreation services of
Community Services within the City of Fort St. John.
5)
Application - The guiding principles to calculating the fees and charges consist of:
a) Transparency - User fees and subsidies are reported for all City recreational services in a
transparent manner.
b) Service Efficiency - Prices are set to ensure optimal service delivery and administrative
efficiency.
c) Public Engagement Principle - The public will have opportunities to engage with the City,
and to provide input on a user fee and charges bylaw.
d) Actual Cost Principle - The actual cost of service delivery is well understood prior to
setting user fee or subsidy rates.
e) Benefit Principle - Those who benefit from a good or service should pay in proportion to
the benefit they receive.
Community Services Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 2608, 2025 Page 6
Who
Benefits
Community
only
Mostly
community and
partially the user
Community and
user equally
Mostly the user
and partially the
community
User only
Who Pays
0% User Fee
100% Tax Support
25% User Fee
75% Tax Support
50% User Fee
50% Tax Support
75% User Fee
25% Tax Support
100% User Fee
0% Tax Support
PART ONE - ADMINISTRATION (continued)
6)
Application of the Benefit-Based Approach - The benefit-based approach is supported by the
benefits continuum that provides structure for categorizing recreation services by the amount
of community benefit they provide.
Those who benefit from a good or service should pay in proportion to the benefit they receive.
If a user only benefits, then the user should pay 100% of the costs. If the community receives
most of the benefits, then the service can be subsidized to the extent justified.
7)
Benefit Continuum (figure 1) - Fort St. John's assessment of the overall public benefit of
recreation services has been reviewed and evaluated during previous assessments conducted
in 2011, 2013, 2018, and 2024. This approach will remain in effect under the current bylaw. It
provides the rationale and justification for the level of public subsidy allocated to various
categories of uses and users of indoor and outdoor public recreation spaces.
FIGURE 1
SEVERANCE
8)
If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, definition, or phrase of this bylaw is for any
reason held to be invalid by the decision of any Court of competent jurisdiction, such decision
shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this bylaw.
PART TWO - GENERAL PROVISIONS
PROVISIONS
9)
Safe and Courteous Behaviour - All users of recreation facilities must adhere to the Code of
Conduct, "Recreation Code of Conduct Policy No. 26/22".
10)
Allocations - All user groups of recreation facilities must adhere to the "Recreation Facility
Allocation Policy No. 117/19".
11)
Cancellations - Cancellations for rentals is outline in "Recreation Facility Allocation Policy No.
117/19".
12)
Daily Charge - Groups that have a multi-day event and require to maintain the set up beyond
their reservation or overnight will be charged a day rate of a 10-hour day.
Community Services Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 2608, 2025 Page 7
PART TWO - GENERAL PROVISIONS (continued)
13)
Discount Pricing - Discount pricing shall be applied to bundled passes, with greater discounts
for longer-term passes and /or discounting of regular rates to promote the sale of time slots
that occur within 72 hours. Prior to discount pricing, regular user groups will receive right of
first refusal, open for 12-hour period to respond prior to promoting to the public at a discount.
14)
Exclusive Use of Facilities - Historically, "Exclusive Use" of the facilities has been identified in
Schedule A. However, more frequently the user does not require the entire facility and would
prefer to select items included. Users requesting "Exclusive Use" shall contact the department
manager to build a custom package and corresponding fee.
15)
Non-Prime Time - Non-Prime time is between 8:00 am - 3:30 pm, Monday through Friday
during the school year and is not applicable on holidays or non-instructional days.
16)
Prime Time - Prime Time is between 3:30 pm - 9:00 pm, Monday through Friday during the
school year and Saturday and Sunday between 9:00 am - 6:00 pm.
17)
Spring and Summer - Historically, Spring and Summer Ice was charged at the regular ice rate
plus 35% from April 1 to August 31 annually. However, to ensure efficient use of the municipal
ice facilities during the spring and summer the following has been established:
a) All user groups booking (combined) for spring and/or summer ice are required to utilize at
least 75% of the total prime time hours in order to be allocated. The specific date range
will be set at the annual ice allocation meeting. This requirement is in place to ensure that
when ice is constructed at a facility it will be utilized.
b) Refunds will not be issued for unused or canceled ice time during the spring and summer
periods. This encourages accurate forecasting of ice needs and ensures that allocated
hours are used effectively.
18)
Ticketed Event - In cases where an organizer charges an admission ticket for an event
sporting, civic, charitable or other event, the City reserves the right to charge a premium
applied to the regular rate.
19)
Tier A and B for Ball Diamond or Soccer Pitch - To better reflect differences in maintenance
requirements, field quality, and user experience, the City has introduced a tiered classification
system for its sports fields.
a) Tier A Fields - Tier A fields are premium fields that receive a higher level of maintenance
and offer a superior playing surface. These fields may include enhanced irrigation systems,
improved turf quality, regular aeration and topdressing, and more frequent mowing and
field lining. They are ideal for competitive play, high-performance training, and major
tournaments.
Community Services Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 2608, 2025 Page 8
PART TWO - GENERAL PROVISIONS (continued)
b) Tier B Fields - Tier B fields are standard community-use fields that receive regular but less
intensive maintenance. While still safe and suitable for recreational and league use, these
fields may have fewer enhancements and a more basic level of upkeep compared to Tier
A. They are best suited for practices, casual games, and community-level sports.
PART THREE - USER AND USER GROUP CATEGORIES
USERS
20)
The categories of public or individual users consist of;
a) Preschooler: An individual from 0 to 5 years old,
b) Youth: An individual between 6 to 18 years of age,
c) Adult: An individual between 19 to 59 years of age,
d) Senior: An individual 60 years of age and over, and
e) Family: Up to two adults and four youth residing in the same household.
USER GROUP CATEGORIES
21)
The categories of user groups consist of;
a) Youth Non-Profit: A non-profit organization whose primary purpose is providing a
community service where youth in the local community are the beneficiary. 80% of the
membership must be 18 years of age and under to qualify for youth status. Groups not
meeting the 80% membership under the age of 18 would qualify for adult non-profit
status.
i) Examples include (but are not limited to) Girl Guides, Scouts, or Minor Sports Groups.
b) Adult Non-Profit: A non-profit organization whose primary purpose is providing a
community service where adults in the local community are the beneficiary. Adults are
between the age of 19 and 59 years of age.
i) Examples include (but are not limited to) Fort St. John Recreation Hockey or North
Peace Potters Guild.
Community Services Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 2608, 2025 Page 9
PART THREE - USER AND USER GROUP CATEGORIES (continued)
c) Senior Non-Profit: A non-profit organization whose primary purpose is providing a
community service where seniors in the local community are the beneficiary. 80% of the
membership must be 60 years of age and over to qualify for senior status. Groups not
meeting the 80% membership over the age of 60 would qualify for adult non-profit status.
i) Examples include (but are not limited to) Save Our Northern Seniors, North Peace
Seniors Housing Society, or senior sport groups.
d) Standard Group: An individual, group or organization requesting use of a facility for the
purpose of a rental where no profit is being generated by that group, and does not fall
into other categories of the user groups detailed in this Bylaw. An individual, group, or
organization that is offering an activity, service, or event that is a mix of public and private
beneficiaries to receive tax support. Standard is a group or organization that does not
have non-profit status.
i) Examples include (but are not limited to) Church congregation activity, service club
Annual General Meetings, government agencies, or corporations holding meetings.
e) Private: An individual, group or business requesting use of a facility for a private event or
for its own profit or generating revenue.
i) Examples include (but not limited to) a family reunion, wedding, private business
service, sales, trade show, sport academies or a training provider offering a course for a
fee.
f) Internal Users: All departments and associated committees within the City of Fort St. John
using a recreational facility for its departmental needs.
i) Examples include (but are not limited to) meetings, Municipal Elections Committee,
Council approved initiatives, Youth Advisory Council meetings, Sports Council, and
Learning and Development Training.
g) Schools: All schools and programs as provided in School District No. 60 District Directory
as well as students attending Distance Education, Christian Life School, and other students
where they reside within City limits attending an accredited school.
i) School use occurs during school hours (8:00 am - 3:00 pm) when school is in session.
Does not include non-instructional days or school breaks.
ii) School District No. 60 Credit Programs or Field Trips: The use of recreational space is
awarded on a fair and equitable distribution of available times for field trips subject to
space.
Community Services Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 2608, 2025 Page 10
PART FOUR - CALCULATING FEES AND CHARGES USING BENEFITS-BASED
APPROACH
RECIPROCAL SUBSIDY
22)
User and user group fees and charges are based on percentages of user or rental user pay and
reciprocal subsidy levels (figure 2). The recreation fees and charges are attached to and form
part of this bylaw as Schedule A.
FIGURE 2
USERS
DROP-IN
ADMISSION
USER PAY
RENTAL
USER PAY
SUBSIDY LEVELS
Individuals
Pre-School (0-5 years)
0%
100%
Youth (6 - 18 years)
25%
75%
Adult (19 - 59 years)
50%
50%
Senior (60 years +)
25%
75%
Family (2 a + 4 y)
$ = (2 a +1 y)
Groups
Youth Non-Profit
25%
75%
Adult Non-Profit
50%
50%
Senior Non-Profit
25%
75%
Standard
75%
25%
Private
100%
0%
School District
0%
100%
FEE REVIEW
23)
The rates identified in Schedule A are to be reviewed each year by the Director of Community
Services in collaboration with Department Managers. If the British Columbia Consumer Price
Index (CPI) is greater than 3% in December of the previous year, the costs will be recalculated
and the Bylaw amended and/or if the expenses or revenues within Community Services
fluctuate more than 3% in December of the previous year, the costs will be recalculated and
the Bylaw amended.
Community Services Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 2608, 2025 Page 11
PART FIVE - ENACTMENT
READ FOR THE FIRST THREE TIMES THIS 14th DAY OF JULY, 2025
ADOPTED THIS 28th DAY OF JULY, 2025
LILIA HANSEN
BONNIE MCCUE
MAYOR
CORPORATE OFFICER
Community Services Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 2608, 2025 Page 12
PART SIX - SCHEDULES
SCHEDULE A - COMMUNITY SERVICES FEES AND CHARGES
Current
2024 - 2025
2025 - 2026
2026 - 2027
2027-2028
2028 - 2029
2029 - 2030
Indoor Recreation Facilities
Meeting Rooms in PSC or KAFH (per hour)
Youth / Senior Non-profit
$24.00
$25.00
$25.25
$25.50
$25.75
$26.00
Adult Non-Profit
$41.00
$50.00
$50.50
$51.00
$51.50
$52.00
Standard
$62.00
$75.00
$75.75
$76.50
$77.25
$78.00
Private
$83.00
$100.00
$101.00
$102.00
$103.00
$104.00
Common Areas Rentals (per 32 square feet, per day)
Youth / Senior Non-profit
$24.00
$25.00
$25.25
$25.50
$25.75
$26.00
Adult Non-Profit
$41.00
$50.00
$50.50
$51.00
$51.50
$52.00
Standard
$62.00
$75.00
$75.75
$76.50
$77.25
$78.00
Private
$83.00
$100.00
$101.00
$102.00
$103.00
$104.00
Fitness Area Rentals (per hour)
Training Gym - Youth / Senior Non-Profit
$32.00
$32.50
$32.75
$33.25
$33.50
$33.75
Training Gym - Adult Non-Profit
$64.00
$64.75
$65.50
$66.25
$67.00
$67.75
Training Gym - Standard
$96.00
$97.00
$98.25
$99.50
$100.50
$101.75
Training Gym - Private
$128.00
$129.50
$131.00
$132.50
$134.00
$135.50
Studio - Non-Profit
$26.00
$26.50
$27.00
$27.50
$28.00
$28.50
Studio - Adult Non-Profit
$52.00
$53.00
$54.00
$55.00
$56.00
$57.00
Studio - Standard
$78.00
$79.50
$81.00
$82.50
$84.00
$85.50
Studio - Private
$104.00
$106.00
$108.00
$110.00
$112.00
$114.00
Indoor Walking Track Exclusive Use (per hour)
Drop-In
No charge
Youth / Senior Non-Profit
$27.00
$27.50
$28.50
$29.25
$30.25
$31.00
Adult Non-Profit
$53.00
$55.25
$56.75
$58.50
$60.25
$62.00
Standard
$80.00
$82.75
$85.25
$87.25
$90.25
$93.15
Private
$107.00
$110.25
$113.50
$117.00
$120.50
$124.00
Dry Floor Rink Rentals
North Peace Arena and Pomeroy Sport Center (per rink, per hour)
Youth / Senior Non-Profit
$66.00
$68.25
$70.25
$72.50
$74.50
$76.75
Adult Non-Profit
$132.00
$136.50
$140.50
$144.75
$149.25
$153.75
Standard
$199.00
$204.75
$210.75
$217.25
$223.75
$230.50
Private
$265.00
$273.00
$281.25
$289.75
$298.50
$307.25
Indoor Turf Pitch Rentals
Kids Arena Fieldhouse (per hour)
Youth / Senior Non-Profit
$25.00
$26.25
$28.00
$31.00
$34.25
$37.50
Adult Non-Profit
$48.00
$52.50
$55.75
$62.25
$68.75
$75.00
Standard
$72.00
$78.75
$83.75
$93.50
$103.00
$112.50
Private
$96.00
$105
$111.75
$124.50
$137.25
$150.00
Ice Rink Rentals
Public Skate & Drop In Hockey (Includes GST)
Preschool (0-5 yrs)
No charge
Youth (6-18 yrs)*
$3.50
$4.50
$4.50
$4.75
$4.75
$5.00
Adult (19-59 yrs)*
$6.00
$8.75
$9.00
$9.25
$9.50
$9.75
Senior (60+ yrs)*
$3.50
$4.50
$4.50
$4.75
$4.75
$5.00
Family (Max. 2 adults and 4 kids residing in same house)
$16.00
$22.00
$22.50
$23.25
$23.75
$24.50
North Peace Arena and Pomeroy Sport Centre Regular Season (per rink, per hour)
Youth / Senior Non-Profit
$86.00
$88.50
$92.75
$97.50
$102.25
$107.50
Adult Non-Profit
$173.00
$177.00
$185.50
$195.00
$204.50
$215.00
Standard
$259.00
$265.50
$278.25
$292.50
$306.75
$322.50
Private
$344.00
$354.00
$371.00
$390.00
$409.00
$430.00
Other Ice Rates
Spring Ice
Ice rate plus 35%
Summer Ice
Ice rate plus 35%
Flood of rinks after scheduled time (15 minutes)
1/4 of rate
Flood of Oval after scheduled time (45 minutes)
3/4 of rate
Outdoor Recreation Facilities
Tier A Ball Diamond or Soccer Pitch Rental (per hour)
Youth / Senior Non-Profit
N/A
$13.25
$14.00
$15.50
$17.25
$18.75
Adult Non-Profit
N/A
$26.25
$27.75
$31.25
$34.50
$37.50
Standard
N/A
$39.50
$41.75
$46.75
$50.50
$56.25
Private
N/A
$52.50
$55.75
$62.25
$68.75
$75.00
Tier B Ball Diamond or Soccer Pitch Rental (per hour)
Youth / Senior Non-Profit
$11.00
$12.00
$12.50
$13.50
$14.50
$15.50
Adult Non-Profit
$23.00
$24.00
$25.00
$27.00
$29.00
$31.25
Standard
$33.00
$34.00
$37.50
$40.50
$43.50
$46.75
Private
$44.00
$46.00
$50.00
$54.00
$58.00
$62.50
Outdoor Courts
No charge
Outdoor Rinks
No charge
Centennial Park Stage
No charge
Festival Plaza
Site (per hour)
Youth / Senior Non-Profit
$24.00
$25.00
$27.75
$31.00
$34.25
$37.50
Adult Non-Profit
$41.00
$49.00
$55.50
$62.00
$68.50
$75.00
Standard
$62.00
$73.50
$83.25
$93.00
$102.75
$112.50
Private
$83.00
$98.00
$111.00
$124.00
$137.00
$150.00
Events
Municipal Property Permit
Permit Fee
$35.00
$45.00
$46.00
$47.00
$48.00
$50.00
Use of additional Utilities Per Day (Eg.Additional site power or obelisk lighting)
$28.00
$60.00
$61.00
$62.00
$63.00
$64.00
Other
Regular User Annual Damage Deposit
$500.00
$500.00
$500.00
$500.00
$500.00
$500.00
Special Event Damage Deposit
$1,000.00
$1,000.00
$1,000.00
$1,000.00
$1,000.00
$1,000.00
Additional Damage Deposit - Events with Liquor
$1,000.00
$1,000.00
$1,000.00
$1,000.00
$1,000.00
$1,000.00
Exclusive Use of Dressing Room per year (NPA Historical Agreements Only)
As per policy
Exceeding Dressing Room Time Penalty (Past 45 mins per every 10 additional minutes)
$36.00
Rink Surface Cover
At cost
Major Sporting Event
Inquire
Exclusive Use of Facilities
Exclusive Use Rate
Maintenance Services (per hour)
At cost
SOCAN Fees
As per schedule
Cancellation Fees (Rentals)
As per policy
Community Services Fees & Charges Bylaw - Schedule A
Inquire
75% Fill Rate within specific date range
75% Fill Rate within specific date range
1/4 of rate
3/4 of rate
No Charge
No Charge
No Charge
No Charge
Item
PROPOSED
As per policy
1/6 cost of rate
At Cost
Inquire
No Charge
As per Policy
At cost
As per copyright legislation