Recreation services with the City of Ottawa will cost more when the harmonized sales tax comes into effect on July 1.
The new tax means residents will have to pay more for using facilities such as swimming pools and soccer fields, which are currently exempt from the provincial sales tax.
"What will be taxed is services we already provide, mostly in the recreational area. Where there is GST on today, there will be HST on July 1 this year," said city treasurer Marian Simulik.
However, some fear paying more for recreation might get in the way of encouraging children to stay active.
"It's kind of sad because they want to improve our children's health by promoting activities and then they're going to be taxing us on this, so a lot of parents won't be able to afford a lot of these activities, so a lot of kids will be losing out," said soccer mom Sylvie Lamarche.
Some worry that any increase in fees might also mean less revenue for sports associations if enrollment decreases -- all at a time when city rental fees are also going up.
"It is a growing concern in our community for sure," said Tim Tierney, who coaches soccer and sits on a hockey executive in the winter.
He says the HST already has him concerned about paying for ice time this winter.
"I sit on a hockey executive, we're thinking ahead about that right now. We've used a lot of reserves to help make it more cost-effective for parents but those reserves are running quite low," Tierney told CTV Ottawa.
Although fees are going up, a city report indicates some recreation services for children ages 14 and under won't be subject to the HST. Residents also won't have to pay HST on single-use fees until next year.
"The city will absorb the difference between the GST and the new HST for those single admittance fees until the end of this year, and then increase the price starting in 2011," said Simulik.
Delaying those fees will cost the city an estimated $120,000.
With a report from CTV Ottawa's Karen Soloman
