The Town of Inuvik has passed a motion to lower its swimming lane rental fee from $37 to $27 while the town considers further revisions.
Senior administrator Cynthia Pihlaja said the town’s youth swim team faces a “financial burden” with lane rentals, paying up to $23,000 last year.
During a council meeting last week, she noted that most community facilities offer discounted rates for nonprofits and youth groups but the pool does not.
Currently, the team pays $37 per lane per hour, on top of a $700 swimming fee that each child is already charged. By comparison, as of September 2025, youth lane rental in Yellowknife is just under $25 per hour.
“When we looked at the pool schedule, they could have anywhere from two to three lanes, so that’s what they’re paying per lane, per hour,” Pihlaja said in the meeting.
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“But they are also sharing that with parents-and-tot, other lane swims and swim lessons. We did not believe that that was equitable.”
Councillor Kendall McDonald, who was involved with the swim team several years ago, said a cost reduction was “definitely needed.” He also asked whether it might be better to review all user fees together rather than addressing this separately.
Pihlaja said broader changes to user fees would require more analysis, including reviewing the request-for-donation process and overall policy to ensure fairness while maintaining revenue for operations. A full review of all fees is expected by March.
Councillor Mario Lemieux suggested reducing the fee to $20 might be too drastic and proposed considering a rate closer to $24 as a more reasonable option.
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“Our costs are going up. Power is going up. You know, we’re not raking in a ton of cash, but I understand we want to give them a bit of a break, and I get it. But do we need to go that far?” he asked.
Councillor Kurt Wainman said he supported providing a reduction, but not one as large as the proposed cut. He suggested a rate closer to $24 or $25 to reflect regional norms, noting the goal should be to break even while still supporting community groups and covering operating costs.
An interim rate of $27 per lane per hour was ultimately recommended instead of $20, representing a $10 reduction from the current $37 rate, though the full review may result in further changes.
