Get Ready to Dig Deeper
Colour me surprised.
I attended this evening’s public participation session component of CPSC after sitting through another skirmish in London’s long-running taxi war at ETC. It was an opportunity for people to sound off about proposed fee increases:
- Neighbourhood and Children’s Services
- Programs: “Child, youth, adult and older adult programs are increasing between 4% and 10%”
- Centres: Rentals at community and recreation centres “are increased by 3%…”
- Parks and Recreation
- Aquatics: “…aquatic fees will increase between 8-10%.”
- Arenas: “Ice rental rates have increased by 3%.”
- Golf: “Green fees have increased an average of 6%…”
- Special Events: Although the vendor permit fees “remain unchanged… most other fees increased between 2-3%. Some event support fees increased substantially…”
- Storybook Gardens: “Admission fees have increased by an average of 8%…”
But…
nobody did 
© Fowler Media
I thought Storybook Gardens was closing at the end of the year. Is that no longer the plan?
I can’t recall hearing anything about the attraction in any of the recent meetings that I’ve attended. But I note that page 471 of the 2010 Draft Budget (http://www.london.ca/budget/Budget_2010/2010_Tax_Supported_Budget/Lif e_Cycle_Renewal_Capital.pdf) indicates that funds are going into one or more reserve funds to “update and maintain Storybook Gardens.”