It’s not exactly a free ride for Aberfoyle Public School students, but it will be a free skate at the Optimist Recreation Centre.
On Dec. 16, councillors reviewed a request from the school requesting reduced or waived fees to use the facility.
Aberfoyle Public School staff member Jamie Skeoch wrote on behalf of staff and students in making the request.
“For the past few years we have really enjoyed taking classes to the rink,” wrote Skeoch. “It has been a very positive experience and we love the facility and being able to use it.”
Skeoch explained one of the reasons for the request is that the school had covered remaining costs, allowing free skating for all the students.
“We would love to continue to make this a free experience. If we were to pay the full $88.14 per visit we would likely need to start charging students,” he said.
Mayor Dennis Lever said essentially the school is looking for the same arrangement as in previous years.
Councillor Wayne Stokley agreed with the idea. “It worked out well with the kids and the money came from the school budget not the individual kids.”
Councillor Ken Roth asked council to consider taking it a step further.
Roth said this affects kids in the township and that this is a very slow time for rentals.
“I think when the building was constructed, the intent was to allot free time for use by township kids.”
He asked council to consider allowing the free use, on the condition that the school would change its schedule if there was a chance for a rental of the ice pad during one of those times.
Councillor Matthew Bulmer appreciated the direction Roth had suggested.
“It is one thing to give away prime time, but another when it is non-prime time … and is not likely there would be another rental,” said Bulmer.
He asked if it was the same timeframe when Optimist volunteers are supervising. Lever believed it was. As a result, Bulmer said “councillor Roth makes a convincing argument.”
Lever added he believed the Optimists had also donated money to the school to ensure there would be skates for students. He too supported Roth in the belief the intent of the Optimists “was to provide activities for the kids.”
Council quickly endorsed waiving the fees for use of the ice rink, as set out in a contract with the municipality, during the 2016 season, conditional upon the school being flexible with scheduling should the township receive a rental request.
