06/30/2026
An 11% Ice Fee Hike This Fall Will Price Kids Out of Hockey
Dear Community,
I’m Chris Fraser, President of the Lake District Recreation Association in Lower Sackville. I’m writing because we’re about to make hockey a lot less accessible for the kids who need it most.
Starting Oct. 1, Halifax Regional Council has approved an 11% increase to ice rental fees. That’s a big jump from the 2% increase that was planned.
What that looks like at HRM rinks:
• Youth groups: $212/hour prime-time, $106/hour non-prime before tax
• Adult groups: $265/hour prime-time, $159/hour non-prime
Cole Harbour Place is following with youth prime-time at $219/hour and non-prime at $109/hour.
The municipality says the hike will bring in about $460,000 more revenue to help cover operating costs, but “narrow, not eliminate, the gap”. Coun. Trish Purdy calls it a “balancing act” to keep the lights on while keeping access open.
But here’s what families are actually feeling:
Evan Williams, President of FUNSports, helps kids from lower-income households get into sport. He says equipment is already a barrier, and higher ice costs “make it even more unattainable for families”. “Even upper middle-class families are having challenges”.
Parents are already pulling kids from competitive levels because they can’t afford it. As Williams put it: “In order to succeed in this game, in order to move up, you do have to pay for more ice time… It’s hard to develop athletes if they don’t have access to the actual facility”.
As LDRA President, this is what I’m asking for:
1. Treat minor sport ice as essential, not optional. Our Community Access Plan commits to accessibility and equality. An 11% jump tests that commitment.
2. Protect youth rates before we lose a generation of players. When prime ice hits $212/hour, clubs have to pass that on. That’s registration fees families can’t absorb.
3. Get creative now. Purdy is right that “what worked 10 years ago is not necessarily going to work in the next few years”. Let’s bring private donors, sponsors, and community partners to the table before we price kids off the ice.
Hockey is more than a game here. It’s where kids learn to show up, work hard, and belong to something bigger than themselves. If we let cost be the reason they leave, we lose more than players. We lose future coaches, volunteers, and teammates.
Please help us keep the rink door open for every kid in Lower Sackville.
Sincerely,
Chris Fraser
President, Lake District Recreation Association
Lower Sackville, NS
Hockey organizations in the Halifax area are bracing for an increase in ice rental fees that will go into effect this fall.
