Summerside considering removing CUP fees for elderly

Summerside is considering whether it will make Credit Union Place free to seniors over a certain age.

The idea came up during Tuesday night’s committee of council of meeting.

Councillors Brent Gallant, Brian McFeely and Tyler DesRoches all said they have been approached by the same unnamed senior, asking them to put forward the idea.

This citizen’s reasoning was that they are more than 75 years old and have been paying taxes in the city for over 50 years, so they should get free access to facilities like Credit Union Place.

The current price for a Credit Union Place monthly membership is $43.53 for anyone more than 55 years old. It is free to use the walking track, but there are fees for pretty much all other services at the facility.

Gallant indicated that he was not prepared to bring a motion forward at Tuesday’s meeting, but he suggested city staff could take a closer look at the suggestion.

He added that if such an exemption did move forward it should probably be reserved for clients on the higher end of the age range, though he didn’t offer any specifics.

DesRoches said this might be a good way to increase usage of the facility, especially during the day.

“It would be a great way to get some people into the facility, get it hopping,” he said.

Summerside deputy chief administrative officer Gordon MacFarlane pointed out that city is currently undergoing a comprehensive review of its various fees, as well as a financial review.

“We will add this one to the list,” said MacFarlane.