Getting to the Town of Newmarket’s drop-in recreation classes on time is not always simple for physiotherapist Angela Greco.
Meeting patient demands sometimes leaves her a few minutes late for the popular fitness programs for which she signs up, she said.
But it surprised her when she discovered that the municipality would start fining her for being tardy.
“It’s a little bit unfair,” Greco said, adding she is not aware of any fitness facility she has ever joined that will do that. “That has become harsh, I think, and especially when times are tough right now for many people.”
The Town of Newmarket implemented the new policy Sept. 9 for those who fail to show up on time to drop-in programs without giving prior notice. Now the municipality is applying a $10 penalty fee to their account for each instance. The town's website also states spots in classes like aqua fit and group fitness will also not be held for people if they are not there for the start.
The town confirmed the fee applies to no-shows, but Greco said it also applies to tardiness for those popular programs like aqua fit. She said the fee adds to stress, and there can be good reasons for absences or tardiness. She recounted being sick and sleeping in one day, which prevented her from calling ahead.
“People are being stressed out driving there, trying to get there on time,” she said. “You can’t always get anywhere on time, and to be punished in a monetary way doesn’t really make sense.”
Director of recreation and culture Colin Service said the town implemented the policy to address community concerns. Residents can sign up for drop-in programs at the start of each week, and spaces typically fill up quickly.
“Almost all programs are filled by the end of the day. We were experiencing no-shows in many programs each week because people would sign up and not show up or cancel their registration. Our programs are extremely popular, and patrons were very frustrated that they were unable to get into programs only to see those spots sit empty when people did sign up and then not show up,” Service said.
The fee is a way to get people to call ahead of time to cancel so the town can fill spots, Service said. No fees apply if someone cancels ahead of time.
“The fee was solely introduced to address frustrations felt by individuals who are eager to participate in our programs but were unable to do so. Our hope is the fee will not need to be applied often, as people cancel early so spaces in classes can be filled,” Service said.
He further said that a patron unable to cancel prior due to “extenuating circumstances” is encouraged to speak to customer service.
But Greco said it is causing her stress and concern as she weighs calling ahead each day and whether she can make it on time.
She said she thinks they could find ways to more efficiently use space to help with demand or take feedback to find other solutions, rather than apply the change unilaterally.
The change, “it’s just stressing people out…I see people coming in late all the time and it’s hard,” Greco said
