Inflation hitting Saskatoon parents from the dance studios and soccer fields
People looking to put their kids in extracurriculars are feeling this pinch this year as the rising cost of facilities and staffing gets passed on to parents.
Trilogy Academy of Baton and Dance opened a year ago, and the owners say managing their increased costs has been a tricky dance move to pull off.
“We had to do a lot of research in terms of inflation and with rising costs and costs with the construction of our building,” said Zoe Vassos, co-owner of Trilogy Academy.
“Rising costs are definitely impacting everybody in all aspects of life,” said Vassos, who’s been involved in Saskatoon’s dance community for 17 years.
She says they’re trying to get creative to keep from passing the burden onto families.
“We have a cap on fees, so if you go into the program, you get capped pricing as well as some sibling discounts,” she says.
Saskatoon youth soccer is feeling the pressure too, but they’ve managed to keep fees fairly consistent over the past five years.
Prices for kids to play soccer have only gone up about $15 in that time according to Amanda Probe, Executive Director of Saskatoon Youth Soccer.
“Inflation has definitely affected our rental fees and refereeing and staff wages for cost-of-living increases,” Probe says.
Soccer has gained a lot of popularity in Canada, and equipment costs are low compared to other sports.
Probe says the fact that it’s a global sport is also a huge factor.
“A lot of new Canadians have come to Saskatoon in the last few years and it’s been increasing every year and it is a world sport,” she says.
Saskatoon Minor Hockey SMHA is seeing more players this year even though the cost to play has gone up.
“Our fees went up an average of 2.5% this year, mainly due to the cost of ice rentals increasing. Overall registration numbers are up over last season and are higher than pre-Covid numbers,” SMHA Executive Director Kelly Boes told CTV News.
Groups like Kids Sport offer some help paying for fees and equipment, but those amounts are capped. Some sports like soccer have their own financial aid.
“All our zone members and community association member have a fund in place to help subsidize fees where there are economic challenges for certain families,” Probe says.
Back at the Trilogy studio, they’re doing their part and making every effort to give kids a creative and positive outlet.
“We know that kids’ activities and giving your children something important and valuable to keep them busy is very important, so it was big for us to make sure that we could find ways to make that feasible,” Vassos said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Donald Trump was the subject of 'an assassination attempt,' FBI reports
The FBI said Donald Trump was the target of “what appears to be an attempted assassination” at his golf club in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Sunday.
LIVE UPDATES 2024 Emmy Awards: 'The Bear,' 'Fargo' and 'Hacks' win acting awards
'Shogun,' 'The Bear' and 'Baby Reindeer' at the topo of the queue as the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards arrive on Sunday.
B.C. to open 'highly secure' involuntary care facilities
B.C. will be opening “highly secure facilities” for people with addiction and mental health issues in the province, officials said Sunday.
Calgary police honour 3 Calgarians who helped save Lanny McDonald’s life in airport incident
The Calgary police paid tribute to a trio of Calgarians who saved the life of Lanny McDonald at the airport in February, 2024.
They came from Jamaica for work, now they're homeless and out thousands of dollars in lost wages
Abuse of Canada’s temporary foreign worker program has left a group of carpenters from Jamaica 'destitute' after an Ottawa company refused to pay them for nearly half a year of work.
Montreal bars, restaurants react to Quebec bill to regulate merchant tipping requests
Quebec tabled a bill on Thursday that would regulate how merchants determine suggested tips, forcing businesses to calculate them based on the price before tax. Restaurant staff and management are divided on the policy.
Greater Sudbury resident dies in 5-vehicle crash involving 3 motorcycles near Port Dover
A person from Greater Sudbury died and two other individuals were transported to hospital after a five-vehicle crash near Port Dover, Ont., late Saturday afternoon.
Queen Victoria's favourite Tuscan villa for sale for more than US$55 million
Once a favoured holiday destination for Queen Victoria, and reputedly described in one of the greatest works of Italian literature, the Villa Palmieri is steeped in history and could now be yours – if you have more than €50 million (US$55 million) lying around.
Liberals will let Conservatives hold non-confidence vote 'fairly soon', no intention of proroguing Parliament
The Liberals have no intention of using procedural tactics to delay the Conservatives' promised non-confidence motion, and they have no plans to prorogue Parliament to hold onto power, according to Government House Leader Karina Gould.