Mission Leisure Centre will be open longer on weekdays and Saturdays starting as soon as possible.
At Monday’s (May 5) meeting, council voted unanimously to extend business hours at the Leisure Centre until budget time.
Leisure Centre hours will be extended to 10 p.m. on weekdays and Saturdays starting as soon as possible, with a budget amendment of $30,000 for this year.
Staff recommended that the city’s 2026 budget include a core increase of $40,000 for extending hours on weekdays only, but council elected to wait for more information on usage during extended hours this year, while also staying open to 10 p.m. on Saturdays.
A spending package will come back to council during budget discussions to accommodate the changes moving forward.
According to a staff report, the largest cost is additional staffing requirements, with staffing challenges expected to be manageable.
The city previously shortened the hours to 9 p.m. in 2020 as a cost-saving measure, per the report. Staff were asked to report back on options for extending the hours again during a council meeting in April.
The report noted that extended hours aren’t supported by historical data but not all impacts are easily quantified.
“It is expected that as the population grows, facility demands will naturally increase potentially supporting an increase to operating hours,” the report reads.
The report says it would increase community access and also touted benefits for commuters.
“Adjusting the hourly operations would also benefit the large segment of residents who commute away from Mission for their employment providing them with more flexibility in evening facility access,” the report reads.
