Local youth between the ages of 13 and 18 will see prices drop at the Canada Games Centre (CGC) beginning Sept. 1.

On Monday evening, council was unanimous in passing third reading of amendments to the fees and charges bylaw.

The city typically makes changes to certain fees each year, with its recreation fees usually increasing by 1.5 per cent to account for inflation.

This year, a number of changes are in store for admissions at the CGC beyond the annual rise in fees with admission fees dropping for some.

The youth age group for 13- to 18-year-olds will fall under the child category, with the same pricing for anyone aged two to 18.

Those in the youth category have paid slightly higher prices for admission (which will continue until Sept. 1).

Daily passes into the centre, for example, are now $4 for children and $6.25 for youth as well as seniors and students with valid ID.

The amendment will see children (ages two to 18) charged $4.05 to get in.

As it was highlighted in an earlier report to council, the change aims to “encourage participation of teens in recreation.”

There are also changes in store for families going to the CGC.

New rates will be in place for one- or two-parent families “in order to simplify multiple fees for family passes and to create flexibility for single and duo parent families as well as financial incentives for families with multiple children who engage in recreation.”

That change is also expected to cut down on administration time.

The current charge to families looking for monthly or continuous memberships is based on the individuals living in one house.

For example, a family paying for a single monthly membership would be charged $52.85 for the first adult, plus $45.65 for the second adult, $42.65 for the first student or senior, with subsequent students or seniors in the family charged $36.60 and all youth or children in the family $11.60.

As of Sept. 1, single-parent families with up to five dependents age 18 and under will pay $69 a month while a duo parent family would pay $117 per month.

The price of a family 10-pass punchcard for families will see a reduction of only a few cents going from $162.40 to $162. Family day passes will rise by just five cents from $17.95 to $18.

As it was highlighted in the city’s report: “A review of these rates showed that it was not in line with the other admission rate categories.”

The bylaw rounded fees to the nearest dollar on punch passes, monthly fees and continuous memberships “for the simplicity of calculation and ease of use for the public.”

Another change for the CGC is the additional fee of $10 put in place for setting up parties for 10-plus people rather than setting out four different pricing categories for additional guest numbers.

Among other changes to the bylaw is the deletion of fees around the joint use agreement the city has with the territory as they are not public fees and already determined by an agreement between the two governments.

Some wording and definitions were also amended for clarity and to make the language more consistent with city operations.