NEWS RELEASE
CITY OF BARRIE
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Residents can register for City of Barrie winter recreation and culture programming starting Tuesday, Dec. 5.
Currently, customers can browse programs and save them to their “wish list” to conveniently find desired programs when registration opens. The city’s recreation and culture team is also offering a lineup of special holiday drop-in activities, workshops and events. Registration is currently open for holiday programs including winter break camps.
“Staying active can be especially hard during the shorter, colder days of winter,” says Dan Bell, director of recreation and culture programs. “The city’s recreation and culture team is here to help with a variety of activities suitable for all ages and abilities. Staff are also excited to offer a special lineup of holiday programs that we hope will get everyone feeling festive this season.”
Special holiday programs include:
- Winter break camps: Kids aged four to 12 can enjoy sports, games and crafts over the holidays. Camps will be available at Peggy Hill Team Community Centre and East Bayfield Community Centre from Dec. 27 to 29 and Jan. 2 to 5.
- Holiday activities including ornament and card making class and Winter Wonderland program.
- 55+ Centre events at Parkview Centre: Pop-up craft Sale, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1; sing-along with Don McNair, 1 to 3 p.m. on Dec. 4.
Those looking for holiday gift ideas can consider purchasing a recreation gift card. Reloadable recreation gift cards are available to buy at Allandale, East Bayfield, Peggy Hill Team, and Parkview community centres. Cards can be used towards drop-ins, recPASS memberships, registered programs, and facility rentals.
In addition to in-person programs, the city offers recPASS memberships that include access to all drop-ins, including fitness, skating, open gym, kids programs, and swimming, as well as unlimited access to the city’s fitness centres at East Bayfield Community Centre, Allandale Recreation Centre, and Peggy Hill Team Community Centre.
The city also provides a fee assistance program, called recACCESS, that offers support to low-income families and individuals in Barrie by providing qualifying participants with a recPASS membership and youth credits that can be applied to the registration fee for qualifying programs and activities.
As colder weather approaches, residents can look forward to the return of outdoor skating. The city maintains seven outdoor ice rinks throughout Barrie. New this year, Simcoe Skate Rentals will provide skate and helmet rentals and skate sharpening services at the Circle at the Centre rink located at city hall as part of a two-year pilot project. The skate rental services will be offered Friday through Sunday, on holidays and as requested for events. The city’s outdoor rinks and the Simcoe Skate Rentals services are expected to be operational starting Dec. 16. Operation of all outdoor rinks is weather dependent. Details about the status of city-maintained rinks are available at barrie.ca/rinks.
Browse and register for recreation programming opportunities including winter break camps and holiday activities at play.barrie.ca, or visit barrie.ca/RecDropins for the most current schedule of drop-in offerings.
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