By Pepper Parr
October 6th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
The City of Burlington has many different types of facilities and parks available for rent to the public for sporting activities, meetings, parties, group photography and special occasions.
Space has always been available in city property but it was never actively marketed. That change in policy came out of some of the discussions as to how the Bateman High school, now repurposed as the Robert Bateman Community Centre, was going to use the space that was going to be available.
Denise Beard, Manager of Community Development
Denise Beard, Manager of Community Development, explained that events like Family Reunions needed a large space that didn’t quite work at commercial locations.
The idea then was to experiment which has resulted in:
Tansley Woods Community Centre
The City of Burlington is introducing two new ways to rent community rooms at Tansley Woods Community Centre, designed for flexibility and convenience. New Short-Notice Community Room Rentals at Tansley Woods – started September 16, 2024
The community rooms are available during non-peak hours on weekdays, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Spaces are intended for personal and community use only. Some examples of activities allowed are meetings, card games, light activities.
Residents can still book community rooms more than seven days in advance. Standard rental and insurance rates apply to bookings made more than a week in advance.
Exclusions include Tansley Woods Community Centre gyms and pools, commercial or for-profit organizations, and community rooms at other city facilities.
- Free, On-the-Spot Bookings
Walk in and check availability at the customer service desk
If a room is available, sign yourself in and enjoy a room for free
Insurance is not required
Room is available up to 90 minutes
- Pay What You Can
Book up to 7 days in advance and pay what you can
To book, complete the online rental request form or email the rentals team for more information
To complete your booking, select your Facility Room Setup
A minimum insurance fee of $4 per hour will be required
This may be why having someone on council with a business mentality would be beneficial. “Pay what you can”, person (a) can pay $10.00, while (b) $75.00, plus $4.00 per hr ins. Or just show up pay zip and no insurance and you have the room to yourself for 90 minutes. Hey BRAG, do you need free meeting space? How many staff are in the “rental team” and at what cost?
Years ago when the auditorium at the senior centre was totally refurbished along with the upgraded kitchen( which was paid for buy the volunteer board) the city tried to encourage the public to rent space. At the time there was an extra charge to use the kitchen.
On the city’s website there were pictures of the improvements. Instead of setting up an area that showed how this area could look if rented for a special occasion or meeting ( perhaps tables set up with tablecloth’s etc. Or how a corporate meeting might be set up). They did nothing.
The photos showed an empty room that looks like a gymnasium with all the floor markings in full view.
Hopefully those involved in renting out these space will understand how to market their product this time around.
The article mentions that walk-in rentals will not have to pay for insurance. My question is why? Certainly the liability remains the same whether you book the space in advance or not.