Recreation User Fee

BEING A BY-LAW to establish fees for the use of The Nation Municipality’s recreational facilities and installations and repeal By-law 75-2025

WHEREAS Section 11 of the Municipal Act, 2001, S.O. 2001, c.25, as amended, provides that a lower-tier municipality may provide any service or thing that the municipality considers necessary or desirable to the public;

AND WHEREAS Part XII, Section 391(1) of the Municipal Act, 2001 as amended, provides for municipalities to pass by-laws imposing fees and charges on any class of persons,

1. for services or activities provided or done by or on its behalf;
2. for costs payable by it for services or activities provided by or done by or on behalf of any other municipality or local board;
3. for the use of property including property under its control.

AND WHERAS Section 398 (1) of the Municipal Act, 2001 provides that fees and charges imposed by a municipality or local board on a person constitute a debt of the person to the municipality or local board, respectively. 

AND WHEREAS through a series of reports presented throughout the year 2026, council approved fee increases for 2027 for the use of the Nation Municipality’s recreational facilities and services;

AND WHEREAS on June 22, 2026 Council of The Nation Municipality adopted resolution RES-CM-137-2026 stating that any fee increases be presented in the budget process, highlighted in a yearly report, and that anything over cost of living be presented to Council in a report;

AND WHEREAS Council deems it expedient to update its fee schedule to provide for annual rate adjustments based on the cost of living and to ensure that fees continue to support the costs of operating municipal facilities and services;

Now THEREFORE the Council of The Nation Municipality enacts as follows:

1. Definitions:
   1. “Person” means an individual, corporation, partnership, association or Organization, whether resident or non-resident of the Municipality, who rents or uses a municipal facility, including but not limited to halls, arenas, fields, or other municipal property, and includes any individual acting on behalf of such entity.
   2. “Organization” means any incorporated or unincorporated entity, association, society, club, community group, partnership, or other body, whether formal or informal, that is responsible for renting, leasing or otherwise making use of a municipal facility.
   3. “Recreation User Fees” means any fee established under this By-law and set out in Schedule “A” or “B” thereto.
   4. “Municipality” means the Corporation of The Nation Municipality.
   5. “Treasurer” means the Treasurer of the Corporation of The Nation Municipality.
2. That fees and charges for the use of The Nation Municipality’s halls and parks for the year 2027 be established as presented in schedule “A” attached to and forming part of this by-law;
3. That the fees and charges for the use of The Nation Municipality’s ice rinks and fields for the years 2026 and 2027 be established as set out in Schedule “B” attached hereto and forming part of this By-law;
4. The fees and charges set out in Schedules “A” and “B” are hereby established as the approved rates under this By-law and shall increase by the greater of 2.5% or the annual percentage change in the Statistics Canada All-items Consumer Price Index for the Ottawa-Gatineau Region for the most recently available 12-month period, to a maximum annual increase of three percent (3%).
5. Any change to the Recreation User Fees that exceeds an annual three percent (3%) increase shall be approved and implemented by by-law;
6. That the Recreation User Fees can be paid by any method deemed accepted by Municipality;
7. That the Recreation User Fees imposed by the Municipality on a Person or Organization constitute a debt of the Person or Organization to the Municipality;
8. The Recreation User Fees may be invoiced to the Person and shall be payable within 30 days of the date of the invoice;
9. Interest and penalties for unpaid amounts owing for Recreation User Fees will be charged at a rate of 1.25% per month for each month or fraction thereof in which the default continues;
10. The Recreation User Fees are subject to the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) where applicable;
11. That Recreation User Fees for facilities or installations booked prior to the passing of this By-law be charged according to the rates in effect at the time of booking;
12. That By-law 75-2025 is hereby repealed;
13. That this By-law comes into effect on the day of its passing and that the effective pricing for each rental category shall apply as identified in Schedules “A” and “B”.

READ A FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD TIME AND PASSED IN OPEN COUNCIL THIS 31^st DAY OF AUGUST 2026