The City of Toronto expects to collect an extra $200,000 this year by charging low-income adults for recreation programs.

The move reverses a policy set in 1999 that offered free adult programs in 17 community centres located in areas where at least 30 per cent of the people had low incomes.

Last year, adults registered for 9,188 free courses. Registrations are expected to drop by 20 per cent now that charges apply for such activities as swimming, Pilates, yoga, tai-chi and arts and crafts.

Rather than impose user fees without debate, city council should fine-tune the existing policy, said Councillor Shelley Carroll.

“I don’t disagree that if you’re a young condo dweller up by the Wellesley community centre, with disposable income, you probably would be willing to pay a fee,” Carroll said.

“However, if you start to look at places like Chalkfarm community centre (near Jane St. and Wilson Ave.), there’s no affluent condo dwellers,” she added.

“The adult programs at Chalkfarm tend to be geared to people who we want to come to the centre. That’s the whole point — of making that a healthy neighbourhood.”

Councillor Janet Davis said she worries there will be a severe decline in registrations once fees are charged.

“It’s very likely that many of the users of those centres will not be able to afford the fees,” said Davis, vice-chair of council’s community development and recreation committee.

“The user fees are going to reduce access to recreation programs in the very neighbourhoods where we want to see greater access.”

Like Carroll, Davis would like to see a full council debate on the issue.

“We can’t talk about recreation unless we talk about access and who can afford to pay,” Davis said.

The 17 community centres where adults will now have to pay are Chalkfarm; Elmbank; Falstaff; Kingsview Village; North Kipling; Driftwood; Dennis R. Timbrell; Lawrence Heights; Oakdale; O’Connor; Jimmie Simpson; John Innes; Masaryk-Cowan; Regent Park; Scadding Court; Secord; and Wellesley.