Markham partially reopens sports, cultural facilities

City not prepared to 'further burden' residents with what equates to 6% tax hike required to open all facilities: Mayor Frank Scarpitti

Yorkregion.com
Sept. 18, 2020
Heidi Riedner

Preventing the spread of COVID-19 isn’t the only factor driving the partial reopening of sports and cultural facilities in Markham this month.

Residents will get their rec fix based on demand since council is not prepared to hit them with the required tax increase deemed necessary to open all of the city’s centres under current coronavirus protocols, Mayor Frank Scarpitti said.

“The operation of these facilities is already heavily subsidized by property taxpayers,” Scarpitti said, adding “council is not prepared to further burden residents with higher property taxes by reopening all of our community centres resulting in additional cost for services and dramatically less customers due to COVID-19 protocols.”

By offering recreation programs based on demand, it allows the city to evaluate services in order to control costs, he added.

Services will gradually resume at select arenas and soccer domes, pickleball, badminton and table tennis will restart at the Pan Am Centre, while the Aaniin Community Centre and the Angus Glen Tennis Centre will be open to sports groups and registered participants only.

If the city had resumed full operations at all of its recreation and cultural facilities, while also meeting the COVID-19 protocols, Scarpitti said it would have required a doubling of subsidies and an increased cost to taxpayers that would be the equivalent of an additional six per cent property tax rate increase.

Appointment-only visits will be implemented at cultural venues such as the Markham Museum and Varley Art Gallery.

All programming at the Flato Markham Theatre has been cancelled, however, for the fall of 2020 due to current COVID-19 protocols.

Scarpitti thanked Markham residents for their continued co-operation with COVID-19 health and safety measures in effect in all reopened cultural and recreation facilities. The measures are in accordance with the province’s limits on facility capacities, York Region’s directive on the mandatory use of masks or face coverings and City of Markham policies.

“I am confident we will find a good balance between reintroducing safe and enjoyable recreation programs and cultural services, while minimizing the impact to our property taxpayers,” he said.

Program registration opened Sept. 15 and is required for all recreation activities.

For all full list of programs and services, visit markham.ca.