Toronto's two city-operated ski hills and a campground in Scarborough could be put in the hands of private operators to help trim the city's $9.2-billion operating budget this year.
The plan, which would save about $700,000 a year, was hidden in confidential budget documents until yesterday, when the union representing about 360 mostly part-time workers who work at the ski hills found out that city staff are recommending the move."Today I was able to confirm that there is a proposal to lease out the two hills and the Glen Rouge campground in Scarborough," said Ann Dembinsky, president of CUPE Local 79.The proposal, which was circulated to councillors but not the public, would see the city possibly lease out the use of the Earl Bales Ski and Snowboard Centre in North York and the Centennial Park Ski and Snowboard Centre in Etobicoke, and the Glen Rouge campground, to private operators.Doing so would mean the ski hills would no longer be subject to the city's welcome policy - meaning that low-income residents could no longer make use of the facilities for free - and the below-market $25 day pass would likely rise as well, according to budget committee member Joe Mihevc."The cost savings for 2010 is about $179,000," said the St. Paul's councillor. "But the service side of things that would ensure that people, especially people who can't afford it, would not be able to access this if we give it over to a private vendor who will not be subject to our welcome policy. Next year (in 2011) it's a half-million dollars we save."According to a city news release put out late March 1, the city will save $700,000 in total.Mihevc and budget chief Shelley Carroll both said the city had a duty to keep the change under wraps because it would result in layoffs if approved. Mihevc said he thought council would ultimately not approve that recommendation, and go looking elsewhere for the savings the city needs to balance the budget."Whether councillors accept it is an open question and I think that will have a very difficult time surviving a council debate," he said.Dembinsky and CUPE Local 79 accused the city of trying to bury the change in the confidential part of the budget, when the public ought to be able to comment on the proposal."I think this should be open to the public - the public should decide," said Dembinsky. "It shouldn't be done in secret. It should be the public deciding which services should remain public. They shouldn't be denied an opportunity to have a say."Mihevc pointed to a page in the city's voluminous budget binders that indicated the city was looking at reducing staff in the parks department - which, he said, amounted to the city making the policy change public.But he acknowledged the binder document had no reference to skiing or privatization.Dembinsky said she was only able to confirm the staffing reductions were related to ski hills Monday, after speaking with parks and recreation general manager Brenda Patterson.Carroll said council had no option but to deal with the matter in private because of the staffing implications. She wouldn't say whether she would or would not support a private sector leasing arrangement."I'm not trying to be cute about this but I can't tell you exactly," he said. "There are a number of proposals in the staff recommended budget but a number of these proposals do include staff reductions. You won't find $172 million in savings (the total projected savings for the city this year) without staff reductions. And when the budget committee deliberates we go in camera and have all the options before us."