People who live outside Kelowna could pay more than local residents to use city-owned facilities such as swimming pools and gyms.
Higher fees for out-of-towners might also apply when people register for a broad range of city-run sports programs and recreational activities.
The rationale for the higher fees is that only Kelowna residents currently contribute toward the construction, operation, and maintenance of municipal assets.
Between 13 per cent and 20 per cent of everyone using city-owned facilities such as the H2O Centre, the Rutland Y, and the Parkinson recreation centre live outside Kelowna, most coming from nearby municipalities such as West Kelowna, Lake Country, Peachland, and unincorporated areas, according to information to be presented to councillors at the Monday morning meeting.
The recommendation before council is to direct staff to keep developing details of the so-called ‘’Resident Discount’ policy and bring back more information later this year.
The idea of Kelowna charging more for out-of-towners to use city-owned facilities is not unique. Other B.C. municipalities, such as Vernon, Trail, and Detla have various methods of giving priority bookings and/or reduced admission fees to people who live in those communities.
Kelowna accounts for more than two-thirds of the Central Okanagan’s total population.
The extra amount the city could receive from charging out-of-towners more to enter Kelowna pools and recreation centres is uncertain, the report notes.
“The combined cost to administer the program coupled with revenue potential requires further review, however the return on investment is not anticipated to be significant,” the report states.
“The implementation of a resident discount program may be guided by the principle of supporting residents who contribute to general taxation, rather than for financial reasons,” the report says.
Successful launch of a ‘Resident First’ admission policy, the report says, would depend on “effective communication, fair implementation, favourable market conditions and continuous evaluation to ensure that it serves the entire community’s interests”.
Pending council’s support of the initiative, higher fees for out-of-towners could be implemented in spring 2026.
