Look it up and you will see that the Vancouver area has a number of FREE outdoor pools. They are all fully staffed, etc. But still manage to keep it free. Not to mention all the free lakes and ocean. Calgary has one public lake and the city wants to change. Simply not fair. We don’t even have ONE free outdoor pool. How come BC can afford it and we can’t? Last time I checked our province is booming with the high oil prices.
Claudia - 8 years ago
It is ridiculous! I understand that it needs upgrade and etc. but I'm very angry about the comment that someone made here that free users are just upset and don't want to invest in upgrade .. It's a silly comment.
What about families who can not afford it??? Taking their only option out to have fun with the kids by the water and put more stress on the parents.
If government can't afford the upgrades than wait until you can. It's just so not fair to less fortunate families and their kids. Really sad!
Rosalee - 8 years ago
no one is going to go due to the prices. The food there is already pricey enough not to mention gas prices. No one is going to be able to afford it.
Tim - 8 years ago
Not worth the fee. Taxes, taxes, and more taxes! New government needed at all levels, mismanagement all around.
Linda - 8 years ago
Repeating what several comments have said. NO FEES for Sikome. So many people can barely get by as it is. Charging a fee now will prevent many struggling families from taking their children there. Maybe a few less city paid alderman/mayor/etc. luncheons and important things like that could help pay for needed upgrades?
Rosie - 8 years ago
We are in a recession so charging for summer access this year will now take away one of the few remaining free activities from struggling families. Everyone is stressed out and the free lake access was one healthy activity people could take their families at no cost. Why couldn't this be implemented next year when the economy has healed a bit? OR do a fundraising campaign over the year instead? Domestic violence has gone up due to recession stress, let's keep one free option for people to decompress and allow kids have some free lake fun.
Kris - 8 years ago
The problem isn't as much the charging of user fees.. It is the fact that there is no transparency in government. They will collect the fees, mismanage the money, give the "upgrade" contract work to friends or family members companies. I would be surprised if $0.05 on each dollar raised was actually put back into Sicome Lake.
This user fee is about taking more money from hard working Calgarians, where ever they can get their hands on it.
What could be an easier or more cost effective social program than keeping public parks like this free for all people to use...
Sam - 8 years ago
Why not make it a voluntary donation for the first year and see how much money is raised. All different classes of people enjoy this lake, and Calgarians are extremely good at helping when and where they can. If you feel as though you are able to help and donate, whatever that amount might be, then donate. After this season if it is not enough, implement the fees for the next. What is the actual cost for the upgrades and time extension? Surely $2-10 per person or family or the price for the season passes would far surpass the amount needed for these upgrades.
Debbie - 8 years ago
The problem is there simply is not enough money in the budget for all citizens want. Newer communities have put additional strain on urban sprawl causing overuse in existing facilities and amenities. The fees, as stated in the article 'The province said in a release the fees will allow Sikome to expand its capacity, upgrade facilities and extend the swimming season past Labour Day.". There are complaints of overcrowding and inadequate facilities and staffing. User fees will help address these issues. If citizens boycott Sikome Lake as suggested by one commentor there would not be the necessity which would address the need to upgrade and extend pass Labour Day. This would save operating costs which would result in not needing as much money to operate. Users can not complain about have commented, times are tough.. . It shouldn't be up to all citizens to pay additional taxes to offset the privilege to visit the lake.
Chad - 8 years ago
It seems like the people that are complaining are the ones that having been using the lake for free yet they do not want to invest in it's upgrading. If it's such a valuable place to be, then a user fee to keep the lake open past labour day and upgrades should not be out of line. Charging a user fee will keep the lake safe and pay for upgrades. It already is over populated during warm days so a fee sounds fair.
Margaret - 8 years ago
No way!, it is one of the only places left in Calgary that parents could take their kids for free. The pools have gotten too expensive for most families to afford to go. If people have to pay, then a lot of people won't be able to afford to go any more, and that is a terrible shame. Taking this away from anyone who can't afford to pay is wrong.
FedupWithTheTaxes - 8 years ago
Enough with the fees!!! We are ALREADY paying provincial and federal taxes for THIS REASON! I am this close to uaing my colorful adjectives. GOA you SUCK!
Paul - 8 years ago
What a real joke. I worked at sicome lake for 3 full seasons and I watched the ridiculous management of the government of Alberta slowly put that place into the ground. They don't care about the staff working there or the people who go there. I really hope no one goes there and everyone boycotts this decision to make people pay to enter sicome lake. I've never seen worse management in my life than the government of Alberta who managed sicome lake. They put up a fence because they always planned to charge people to come in. Firstly they change our names from lifeguards to aquatic staff. Then they change our position on payroll to grounds keepers. Then they say no lifeguards on duty with their signs, even tho we were all certified lifeguards. This is to try and cover their ass incase someone dies. Then they take away the guard chairs so you can't see anyone drowning. Then they cut your staff so we were guarding with 4 staff for the entire lake with thousands of people there. Everyone should know about this horrible mis management by the government of Alberta at sicome lake. No one should pay to go there.
Brian - 8 years ago
Wow seriously? I've been going to this lake all my life and it's really nothing much to begin with. Add on to the fact someone died in this lake and now you PAY for it?? What exactly is the money going towards? Oh yeah just extra tax. It's not like they're giving free towels with your visit so this fee is nothing more than extra revenue for the city. Nice one, taking advantage of people's entertainment.
Susan - 8 years ago
Pretty soon they will charge us to enter into Fish Creek Park too. Let's see how busy the lake is going to be with a fee associated with it. Some families are just barely getting by and that was an entertainment easily afforded!!! I am so tired of there being fees associated with everything we do.
Shari - 8 years ago
Sikome Lake is a specialty lake. It is not like a city park. City indoor and outdoor pools and recreational centres are not free. There is a user fee for these amenities and therefore a user feel is very fair. If users do not want to pay to offset upgrade fees, they can opt to use the rest of Creek Park where it is free or make a free trip to the Bow River where there are no facilities.
Breanna - 8 years ago
To be honest I think it's not fair to people who have to pay I know all my life I've been going to this lake since I was born and my opinion is that we shouldn't pay just to swim and have a good time like we would pay for food and stuff which is a bit pricey and I think it should be free and it also maybe far depending where half of the people come from but if people are coming all this way it should be free as well and I don't think we should wast our money for a day just for swimming is actually should be free????????????
Geri - 8 years ago
I know I'll be finding other things for my kids to do, sad cuz we love going to sikome and we even have our own comunity lake pass in midnapore but still go to sikome some times for a change, but heck no way am I paying to get into a city park ! Not fair at all and at a time like this where ppl are pinching pennies to get by! What a slap in the face ! How rude !!
Jenn Quint - 8 years ago
$2-$10 each? So approx $25/family for a day from $0! That's a pretty steep user fee increase! In this economy a user fee should have been put in hold and revisited next year. Families are struggling and having a place like Sikome to go and de-stress for a day is exactly what people need right now. Not more user fees.
Nester - 8 years ago
Sikome lake is not even worth driving to for free. I hope no one pays to sit around a slough!
Ray - 8 years ago
At least Few places in city should be free.Vacation time is time, where kids need more places to go without further cost to families.
Reports of kids moving less and less, sitting in front of TV and computer just recent in TV. Often it happens because parents work and cant provide money on daily bassis for much ( friend goes because their parent could afford and mine need to stay home). All goes up: taxes, payments, more payments. Distances in city are big to drive, additional food, drinks to buy.
It seems like people who are deciding on all those payments are of high disposable income.
They may have their wages raising regularly but most of us - moms on single income havent got significant pay raise in years and we just cutting on daily basis things we used to have just to manage raising food cost, insurance cost, additional things to pay coming from nowhere.
Look it up and you will see that the Vancouver area has a number of FREE outdoor pools. They are all fully staffed, etc. But still manage to keep it free. Not to mention all the free lakes and ocean. Calgary has one public lake and the city wants to change. Simply not fair. We don’t even have ONE free outdoor pool. How come BC can afford it and we can’t? Last time I checked our province is booming with the high oil prices.
It is ridiculous! I understand that it needs upgrade and etc. but I'm very angry about the comment that someone made here that free users are just upset and don't want to invest in upgrade .. It's a silly comment.
What about families who can not afford it??? Taking their only option out to have fun with the kids by the water and put more stress on the parents.
If government can't afford the upgrades than wait until you can. It's just so not fair to less fortunate families and their kids. Really sad!
no one is going to go due to the prices. The food there is already pricey enough not to mention gas prices. No one is going to be able to afford it.
Not worth the fee. Taxes, taxes, and more taxes! New government needed at all levels, mismanagement all around.
Repeating what several comments have said. NO FEES for Sikome. So many people can barely get by as it is. Charging a fee now will prevent many struggling families from taking their children there. Maybe a few less city paid alderman/mayor/etc. luncheons and important things like that could help pay for needed upgrades?
We are in a recession so charging for summer access this year will now take away one of the few remaining free activities from struggling families. Everyone is stressed out and the free lake access was one healthy activity people could take their families at no cost. Why couldn't this be implemented next year when the economy has healed a bit? OR do a fundraising campaign over the year instead? Domestic violence has gone up due to recession stress, let's keep one free option for people to decompress and allow kids have some free lake fun.
The problem isn't as much the charging of user fees.. It is the fact that there is no transparency in government. They will collect the fees, mismanage the money, give the "upgrade" contract work to friends or family members companies. I would be surprised if $0.05 on each dollar raised was actually put back into Sicome Lake.
This user fee is about taking more money from hard working Calgarians, where ever they can get their hands on it.
What could be an easier or more cost effective social program than keeping public parks like this free for all people to use...
Why not make it a voluntary donation for the first year and see how much money is raised. All different classes of people enjoy this lake, and Calgarians are extremely good at helping when and where they can. If you feel as though you are able to help and donate, whatever that amount might be, then donate. After this season if it is not enough, implement the fees for the next. What is the actual cost for the upgrades and time extension? Surely $2-10 per person or family or the price for the season passes would far surpass the amount needed for these upgrades.
The problem is there simply is not enough money in the budget for all citizens want. Newer communities have put additional strain on urban sprawl causing overuse in existing facilities and amenities. The fees, as stated in the article 'The province said in a release the fees will allow Sikome to expand its capacity, upgrade facilities and extend the swimming season past Labour Day.". There are complaints of overcrowding and inadequate facilities and staffing. User fees will help address these issues. If citizens boycott Sikome Lake as suggested by one commentor there would not be the necessity which would address the need to upgrade and extend pass Labour Day. This would save operating costs which would result in not needing as much money to operate. Users can not complain about have commented, times are tough.. . It shouldn't be up to all citizens to pay additional taxes to offset the privilege to visit the lake.
It seems like the people that are complaining are the ones that having been using the lake for free yet they do not want to invest in it's upgrading. If it's such a valuable place to be, then a user fee to keep the lake open past labour day and upgrades should not be out of line. Charging a user fee will keep the lake safe and pay for upgrades. It already is over populated during warm days so a fee sounds fair.
No way!, it is one of the only places left in Calgary that parents could take their kids for free. The pools have gotten too expensive for most families to afford to go. If people have to pay, then a lot of people won't be able to afford to go any more, and that is a terrible shame. Taking this away from anyone who can't afford to pay is wrong.
Enough with the fees!!! We are ALREADY paying provincial and federal taxes for THIS REASON! I am this close to uaing my colorful adjectives. GOA you SUCK!
What a real joke. I worked at sicome lake for 3 full seasons and I watched the ridiculous management of the government of Alberta slowly put that place into the ground. They don't care about the staff working there or the people who go there. I really hope no one goes there and everyone boycotts this decision to make people pay to enter sicome lake. I've never seen worse management in my life than the government of Alberta who managed sicome lake. They put up a fence because they always planned to charge people to come in. Firstly they change our names from lifeguards to aquatic staff. Then they change our position on payroll to grounds keepers. Then they say no lifeguards on duty with their signs, even tho we were all certified lifeguards. This is to try and cover their ass incase someone dies. Then they take away the guard chairs so you can't see anyone drowning. Then they cut your staff so we were guarding with 4 staff for the entire lake with thousands of people there. Everyone should know about this horrible mis management by the government of Alberta at sicome lake. No one should pay to go there.
Wow seriously? I've been going to this lake all my life and it's really nothing much to begin with. Add on to the fact someone died in this lake and now you PAY for it?? What exactly is the money going towards? Oh yeah just extra tax. It's not like they're giving free towels with your visit so this fee is nothing more than extra revenue for the city. Nice one, taking advantage of people's entertainment.
Pretty soon they will charge us to enter into Fish Creek Park too. Let's see how busy the lake is going to be with a fee associated with it. Some families are just barely getting by and that was an entertainment easily afforded!!! I am so tired of there being fees associated with everything we do.
Sikome Lake is a specialty lake. It is not like a city park. City indoor and outdoor pools and recreational centres are not free. There is a user fee for these amenities and therefore a user feel is very fair. If users do not want to pay to offset upgrade fees, they can opt to use the rest of Creek Park where it is free or make a free trip to the Bow River where there are no facilities.
To be honest I think it's not fair to people who have to pay I know all my life I've been going to this lake since I was born and my opinion is that we shouldn't pay just to swim and have a good time like we would pay for food and stuff which is a bit pricey and I think it should be free and it also maybe far depending where half of the people come from but if people are coming all this way it should be free as well and I don't think we should wast our money for a day just for swimming is actually should be free????????????
I know I'll be finding other things for my kids to do, sad cuz we love going to sikome and we even have our own comunity lake pass in midnapore but still go to sikome some times for a change, but heck no way am I paying to get into a city park ! Not fair at all and at a time like this where ppl are pinching pennies to get by! What a slap in the face ! How rude !!
$2-$10 each? So approx $25/family for a day from $0! That's a pretty steep user fee increase! In this economy a user fee should have been put in hold and revisited next year. Families are struggling and having a place like Sikome to go and de-stress for a day is exactly what people need right now. Not more user fees.
Sikome lake is not even worth driving to for free. I hope no one pays to sit around a slough!
At least Few places in city should be free.Vacation time is time, where kids need more places to go without further cost to families.
Reports of kids moving less and less, sitting in front of TV and computer just recent in TV. Often it happens because parents work and cant provide money on daily bassis for much ( friend goes because their parent could afford and mine need to stay home). All goes up: taxes, payments, more payments. Distances in city are big to drive, additional food, drinks to buy.
It seems like people who are deciding on all those payments are of high disposable income.
They may have their wages raising regularly but most of us - moms on single income havent got significant pay raise in years and we just cutting on daily basis things we used to have just to manage raising food cost, insurance cost, additional things to pay coming from nowhere.