Town council believes Air Ronge residents don't pay their fair share for recreational opportunities in La Ronge. (Derek Cornet/larongeNOW Staff)
municipal disagreement

La Ronge preparing to bill Air Ronge residents to access town facilities, programming

Jun 24, 2025 | 5:10 PM

Air Ronge residents will be paying out of pocket for recreational activities in La Ronge unless the two municipalities reach an agreement before September.

At a regular town council meeting on Tuesday, all members voted in favour of amending a policy related to recreational fees to require individual village residents to pay more when attending events hosted by, or occurring, on town properties.

The amendment aims to charge village residents enrolled in an activity that use the Mel Hegland Uniplex at a cost of $1,000 per season, or enrolled in an activity that uses town outdoor facilities at $100 per activity. In addition, renting a town facility will be increased by 300 per cent of the applicable regular rate, and village resident registration in town programs will be at 100 per cent cost recovery.

According to a document prepared for council, in 2023 the town presented a request to increase the village’s annual recreation contribution from $20,000 to $140,000. This request was based on a per capita contribution toward Mel Hegland Uniplex and town recreation programming cost.

In response, the village approved an increase to $85,000, but in April 2025, they informed the town that the contribution would be reduced to $40,000 for the next two years. The town requested that the village re-consider the decision, but that request went unanswered.

“In presentations to the village, it has been insinuated that the town spends too much money on recreation and the operations of the Mel Hegland Uniplex,” the document states.

“However, a comparison of 2023 municipal audited financial statements shows that the town spent $459 per resident (based on census population data) and the village spent $126 per resident on parks, recreation, and culture. To see how these numbers compare, the town reviewed the audited financial statements of 10 other Saskatchewan communities with (at least) one arena and a population between 1,050 and 1,550. Of those communities, the average population was 1,272, and the average parks, recreation, and culture spending was $599 per resident. Increasing the … recreation contribution to $140,000 would have increased the Village’s spending to $220 per resident.”

The Northern Saskatchewan Administrative District (NSAD) has already entered into an agreement with the town that provides appropriate per capita funding to parks and recreation in the amount of over $60,000 per year. In addition, the Lac La Ronge Indian Band operates the Jonas Roberts Memorial Community Centre (JRMCC) facility and programs, which are comparable investments in recreation to those of the town. As such, the band and town do not charge each other recreation contributions.

In response to the town’s decision, Air Ronge Mayor Julie Baschul told larongeNOW that a total of 63 village residents comprised the town’s user base in the 2023/24 data presented to the village council, encompassing minor hockey, figure skating, and youth and adult curling clubs. That data did not include statistics on public rentals, public skating, or programming accessed by village residents.

“Our council allocated $85,000 last year exclusively to the Mel Hegland Uniplex, a considerable amount given that the facility is not our asset and we have no decision-making authority or input on operations and staffing,” Baschuk wrote.

“This year, our council opted for a more representative and fair approach, contributing $40,000 each to the JRMCC and Mel Hegland Uniplex, totaling $80,000 ($160,000 over two years). We acknowledge the importance of both facilities to their users.”

Baschuk added village council has not received further information on the rollout of user fees by the town, apart from the amount, which was communicated via email on Tuesday. She stated a decision of that nature will have significant implications for volunteer boards, clubs, schools, and the community.

“Our council intends to work with our residents and user groups on this issue, once they have been consulted and understand the impact on their future work,” Baschuk wrote.

derek.cornet@pattisonmedia.com

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