Space Allocation Administrative Guidelines

• Feedback and challenges as identified by the users from the previous year.
• Expressed needs of the users.
• Facility distribution and availability from the previous year.

The City considers recurring and historical use when processing booking applications and endeavors to ensure previous rentals retain their timeslot when requested before the booking application deadline.  Clubs receive information on their prior seasons contract usage and will be provided the same space for their current request.  Any renewal applications received after the booking application deadline dates will be treated as new requests. Requests for new or additional space beyond the previous year is considered following the prioritization of space for aquatic use.

Pool Booking Seasons:

• Fall/Winter: September - April
• Spring: May - June
• Summer: July – August

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Insurance is required prior to the first day of the rental.

Special Events:

Special Events at the pool may pre-empt users throughout the year taking into consideration the guiding principles and objectives of Space Allocation.

Group Booking - Terms & Conditions:

Group Bookings are pool activities that occur during Everyone Welcome Swim which include school lessons, school recreation swims, and general groups.

• Submit an online application https://www.princegeorge.ca/parks-recreation/aquatics/rentals-group-booking
• Aquatic programmer reviews the request and responds within two business days.
• A booking confirmation is sent to the customer once approved.
• Uninterrupted pool space is not provided and requires a pool space rental contract.
• Aquatic administrative staff reserves the right to alter or cancel group bookings.
• Groups may not replicate programs or services already offered by the Aquatic Division.
• Payment is required 30 days after the invoice has been submitted.

Annual Sign-In Admission - Terms & Conditions:

An Admission Agreement is required for organizations that visit the pool regularly and are invoiced monthly but do not require uninterrupted pool space.

• Submit an online application https://www.princegeorge.ca/parks-recreation/aquatics/rentals-group-booking
• Aquatic sign-in requests must be submitted annually. Pre-approval is required prior to Aquatic admission sign-in agreements becoming active.
• Designated discount swim times are reserved for drop-in customers only and not eligible for aquatic sign-in admissions.
• Uninterrupted pool space is not provided and requires a pool space rental contract.
• All participants/leaders are required to sign-in prior to admittance.
• When entering as a group, the leader may sign-in for the group. If not entering as a group, each participant must show proof they are with the group prior to signing in (ID card).
• Aquatic administrative staff reserves the right to alter or cancel aquatic sign-in agreements.
• Organizations providing rehabilitation, specialized instruction are required to demonstrate proof of credentials upon request prior to approval of the aquatic sign-in agreement.
• Organizations may not replicate programs or services already offered by the Aquatic Division.
• It is the responsibility of the sign-in organization to adjust their schedule to avoid pool conflicts during busy swims such as pool vacations, non-instructional days, and statutory holidays.
• Invoicing occurs monthly with payment due upon receipt.

Pool Closures:

The Canfor Leisure Pool is closed for annual maintenance for a minimum of five weeks commencing during the first week of December. The Prince George Aquatic Centre is closed for annual maintenance for a minimum of five weeks commencing on Labour Day. The Aquatic Division reserves the right to close the pool at any time due to extenuating circumstances. Extended hours of operation will occur at the Canfor Leisure Pool during pool closures at the Prince George Aquatic Centre.

Rule Enforcement Guidelines:

Aquatic staff are to provide a comfortable and safe environment for all patrons. The lifeguard’s role is to educate and re-direct. For conduct that is grossly inappropriate or where repeated education is ignored, the shift supervisor may ask that customer or group to leave the pool. The RCMP can be contacted if assistance is required. Aquatic staff will report any behaviour which makes them feel uncomfortable in the workplace. It is the role of the RCMP and not the lifeguard to conduct investigations of potential criminal behavior. Children under ten are not to leave the facility unless accompanied by their parent/guardian. The shift supervisor will contact the parent/guardian by phone if not in the building.  All incident reports where the RCMP have been involved require a RCMP File # recorded on the pool incident report. All disciplinary measures will be progressive in nature unless the conduct poses a health and safety risk, is of a criminal nature or grossly inappropriate.

 Prioritization for Use Allocations (refer to Fees and Charges Bylaw #7557)

1. Annual Conferences/Conventions
2. Annual Special Events
3. Conferences/Conventions
4. Special Events – with food and beverage
5. Special Events – without food and beverage
6. School District #57

Facility Closures:

The PGCCC will be closed on statutory holidays except where facility-operating costs are either paid by the renters or included in the operating budget for that facility as determined through the City’s annual budget, contractual obligations, and maintenance requirements.

• Regular Ice Season:   September 1 until the Friday before the start of SD57 Spring Break
• Spring/Summer Ice:   First Saturday of SD57 Spring Break -- August 31
• Dry Floor:                     April – August

Availability in each facility varies based on playoff schedules, special events, major tenant agreements year to year, and ice demands.

• Special events are year-round. 

User Group Rentals

Third Friday in March

• Application requests are sent to past sustaining users, and Special Event users.
• All request applications must be completed in full.

Third Friday in April

• Requests for next year's ice use is received.

Third Friday in June

• Preliminary Schedules are sent to sustaining users.

Third Friday in July

• Requests for revisions to the schedules must be received.
• Mid August
  • Schedules are prepared and returned to sustaining users.

Mid September

• Sustaining Ice User groups will determine registration numbers and confirm schedules with Scheduling Coordinator, within cancellation policy determined on contract.
• Single or Private Ice user schedule will be determined after Sustaining Ice User schedules are confirmed and may be allocated two weeks in advance of booking date.

Spring/Summer Ice Seasons & Dry Floor Season:

Second Friday in December

• Spring/Summer application requests are sent to arena users.

January

• Requests for spring ice and dry floor use are due in the final week of January.

February

• Requests for summer ice and dry floor use are due in the final week of February.

Mid March

• One Friday prior to School District 57 Spring Break, Single or Private Ice user schedule will be determined, and may be allocated two weeks in advance of booking date.
• Final Spring/Summer schedule and contracts prepared and sent to Sustaining Ice User groups.

Second Friday in March

• Final dry floor schedule and contracts prepared and sent to user groups.

Prioritization for Special Event Use:

1. Contractual obligations to the Prince George Cougars are scheduled at the CN Centre.
2. Where contractual obligations for entertainment events pre-empt the Cougars practice schedule, the Cougars will be scheduled at other facilities.
3. Space needs for special events are placed into the schedule.
4. Special events at the CN Centre and Community Arenas will pre-empt community users throughout the year. Elite provincial or national competitions scheduled in the CN Centre in Community Arenas will not be pre-empted.
5. Annual youth special events that are required as part of an amateur sport program are scheduled during the regular season. Event dates that are set by provincial organizations will be scheduled according to sport governing body requirements.
6. Annual adult special events are scheduled before the start of the regular season or after spring break and after the completion of youth special events scheduling. Time permitting, special events can be scheduled over Christmas break when regular use is not typically scheduled.
7. The Prince George Spruce Kings are scheduled at the Kopar Memorial Arena after the Special Event schedule for the Kopar Memorial Arena is prepared.

Prioritization for Sustaining Use Allocations:

1. Public skating Program
2. City Programs
3. Youth non-profit leagues, societies or associations, and public recreation programs. Youth may be scheduled up until 9:30pm.
4. Adult non-profit leagues and teams. More consideration will be given to leagues trying to schedule sequential sessions than individual team allocations. Adult start times vary between individuals, teams, and leagues.
5. Private and commercial youth
6. Private and commercial adult
7. School District #57 is allotted a block of time during school hours at the Kin Centre, Elksentre, and Kopar Memorial Arena.
8. Remaining ice will be distributed to groups with late applications.

Prioritization for Spring/Summer Ice Users:

1. Annual Users with a history of 2 years where the booking is classified as a Major Tenant
   • where 2 or more user groups fall under this category, allocation will be prioritized based on the most hours used in the previous year.
2. Annual Users with a history of 2 years where the booking is classified as a Minor Tenant
   • where 2 or more user groups fall under this category, allocation will be prioritized based on the most hours used in the previous year.
3. Major or Minor Tenants with no booking history, in order of most to least hours required per week.
4. Private Youth
   • consideration will be given to Private Users in order of most to least hours required per week.
   • consideration will be given to Private Users in order of most to least hours booked within the previous 2 years.
   • consideration will be given to groups booking multiple sessions.
   • must be paid in full, in advance.
5. Private Adult
   • in order of most hours required per week, must be paid in full, in advance.
   • where possible, ice will be allocated equally among this classification of user groups.
6. Remaining ice will be distributed to groups with late applications.

Prioritization for Single or Private Ice Users:

1. Schedules for single or private users will be distributed no sooner than 2 weeks before the first day of the requested month. (Ex: October schedule will be distributed no sooner than September 15).
2. Single or private users with a history of 2 years, within good financial standing with the City of Prince George will be allocated space based on availability, evenly among other single or private users.
3. Where 2 or more user groups fall under this category, consideration will be given to Single or Private Users in order of most to least hours booked within the previous 2 years.
4. Single or private users without a booking history of 2 years, within good financial standing with the City of Prince George will be allocated space based on remaining availability.
5. Late applications will be processed last and will be allocated space only if remaining space is available.

Request for Revisions to first Draft of Schedule:

• All requests for revisions of Regular Season schedule must be received in writing by the third Friday in July of each year.
• Revisions will be considered using the same procedures and will be based on feasibility Arena Facility Closures.
• All facilities will be closed on statutory holidays except where facility-opening costs are either paid by the renters or included in the operating budget for that facility as determined through the City’s annual budget, contractual obligations, and/or maintenance requirements.

The City provides park and outdoor recreation Facilities that are administered in a fair and equitable manner for use by the residents of Prince George for recreation, Tournaments, and Special Events.  The City achieves this goal by managing park and outdoor recreation facilities in a way that strives to ensure optimal utilization and programming. The City coordinates and issues Facility Contracts and Permits for both community and School District No. 57 (SD57) use of City parks and outdoor recreation facilities, as well as SD57 schools and Sport Fields through a Shared Use Agreement.

The City processes booking applications for park, outdoor recreation facilities and schools for the coming year on a first come, first served basis once the booking application deadline has passed for the following Facilities.

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Note: Previous tournaments, special events, nationally recognized day or regular seasonal play retain its annual time slot as long as it is requested annually by the booking application deadline.  Organizations with annual Event bookings are encouraged to book their space for the next year as soon as the Event is over. Reminder emails for booking deadlines will be sent approximately a month before the booking application deadline to all Organizations who have booked in the previous year.

Scheduling Priorities:

Booking applications received within the booking application deadlines, will be processed according to the following priority listing:

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Games typically have higher priority than practices for all uses marked with an asterix.  The City will review any conflicting uses based on the level of the competition and will allocate the uses on a case-by-case basis. Note: These priorities guide the allocation of Facilities, but the City reserves the right to determine any final approvals.  In the event that booking application requests are made by the same level, the City would then make the final decision based on the booking conflict resolution.

Generally, these priorities are relied upon to schedule tournaments/special events, Community Associations, and youth programming over adult bookings during peak hours to support the City’s commitment to facilitate recreation and quality of life in our community. 

Parks & Shared Use Closures:

An annual rest and maintenance program may be scheduled to maintain Sport Field and turf sustainability generally from Sept. 30^th – April 30^th.   The City makes every effort to accommodate Organizations, however the health and safety of the users as well as the condition and playability of Sport Fields takes precedence.  The City may close Sport Fields, restrict use, and/or provide alternate sites for use and reserves the right to cancel or suspend Facility Contracts as a result. Refunds or credits will be issued when Sport Fields are closed by the City. 

SD57 Schools and Sport Fields:

The SD57 must give notice in writing up to the City sixteen (16) days prior if a school gym or Sport Field (listed in Schedule ‘B’ of the Shared Use Agreement) is required by SD57 for curricular or extra-curricular school activities.  The SD57 can, without notice, close a SD57 school or Sport Field for reasons of safety to the user, Facility, and/or grounds as per the Shared Use Agreement, Schedule C, Section 7 of the SD57 Services and Practices.

Consistency in Allocation (Park and Outdoor Recreation Facilities)

The allocation of park and outdoor recreation facilities will follow the direction set forth in this document.  The City reserves the right to assign Facilities annually, as required, to satisfy changing priorities, appropriate facility usages, and emerging municipal, provincial, or national directives.

On an annual basis, the City will review Facility allocation in relation to:

• Feedback and challenges as identified by the users from the previous year.
• Expressed needs of the users; and,
• Facility distribution and availability from the previous year.

Rule Enforcement Guidelines (Offences and Loss of Privileges)

Loss of privileges for any infraction will consider the circumstances and severity of infraction, damage and effect on sport field, general conduct and cooperation of the permit holder and any previous infractions.  Discipline may range from verbal to written warnings to cost of repair and loss of sport field use. It is understood several discipline measures can be used in combination and discipline measures will generally be progressive in nature.  

Generally, discipline follows steps 1 – 3:

Step 1:  First Offence

Verbal warning /discussion with individual/group to be followed up with written documentation that a second offence will result with being placed on probation. 

Step 2:  Second Offence

Written documentation indicating because of the second breach they are now placed on probation.

Step 3:  Third Offence

The booking is cancelled for up to one full season at the discretion of staff. 

Annual Youth Special Events:

• Events that are required as part of the amateur sport program are scheduled during the regular season.
• Competitions, test days and tournaments are set by provincial organizations and have little flexibility for change.
• The size of the organization and the number of days or events requested are always taken into consideration. New requests from existing regular season ice users are considered before requests from other ice users.

Annual Adult Special Events:

• These events are scheduled before the start of the regular season or after spring break.
• If applicable, and if space permits, adult special events booked during regular season will be scheduled after allocation of youth special events.
• New requests are considered after annual events have been scheduled, after considering the number of pre-emptions in that facility during that time period and considering the users affected.
• The size of the organization and the number of days or events requested are always taken into consideration. New requests from existing regular season ice users are considered before requests from other ice users.

Regional, Provincial, National or World Championships:

• Provincial and national competitions may be scheduled for dates later in the season.
• Groups who may be bidding for future championships are asked to provide as much notice as possible about booking for major championship events.  The Event Services Division is also willing to provide some assistance with facility information for bid proposals.
• The size of the organization and the number of events requested are always taken into consideration. In addition, the amount of previously requested special events for the same group are taken into consideration before confirmation of this category of event, in order to ensure groups, have fair allocation of total special events.

Regular Season Schedule:

• Groups requesting additional time must demonstrate the need for the additional time.
• The effect on the overall schedule is considered before allocating additional time.
• Ice requesting to be returned to the City by any user group will be reviewed and determined by the Scheduling Coordinator based on schedule needs for better utilization of ice and ice allocation

New Requests:

• New requests for special events are considered after considering the number of pre-emptions in that facility as well as the users who are affected.
• Consideration is also given to the size of the organization and number of days or events that have been requested.

New requests for Sustaining Ice Users during regular season is considered before other ice users.

Additional Time:

Time required for additional space needs due to an increase in registration or program expansion in comparison to previous requests.

Annual Special Events:

Includes all special events that are reoccurring on an annual or biannual basis and that require a tentative hold of their consistent annual calendar dates into the future. To become an annual special event, customers must complete an “Annual Special Event” application and pay the deposits required by the applicable fee by-law. Annual dates will be held for up to three years in advance at any given time. Events cancelled will be subject to a non-refundable deposit.  Two consecutive cancellations will result in a loss of annual user status.

Consumer Shows (public events)

Exhibitions open to the public usually requiring an entrance fee.

Conventions/Conferences:

Assemblage of delegates, representatives and members of an organization convened for a common purpose.

1. Usually includes “conference or convention or symposium” in their title.
2. Are generally more than one day in length.
3. Generate economic benefit to the community because they include delegates from out of town that require hotel/bedrooms.

Food and Beverage Events:

Primarily social events (corporate, individual, fundraiser) involving food and beverage consumption.

General Scheduling Procedures:

The process used to schedule sustaining and single use rentals in all parks and facilities.

Meetings:

All one day or multi-day meetings. If the meeting includes a small trade show component it would still be classed as a meeting.

Pre-emption:

Sustaining or single time bookings that are cancelled due to the prioritization for use allocation. These bookings will be given notice which is no less than the cancellation period notice for that space except in the case of recreation bookings, which will require a minimum of 7 days’ notice of preemption.  

Recreation Events:

Includes a variety of participatory leisure pursuits such as sports, games, performing arts, and visual arts, outdoor nature-oriented skills and hobbies.

Reinstatement of Time:

A sustaining user’s regular time is given back due to the cancellation or rescheduling of a special event.

Rescheduling:

A sustaining, or single time is slotted in a different time and/or location due to a special event or major tenant agreement.

Single (or) Private Ice User:

An organization or individual that uses space on an occasional basis only.

Special Events:

Includes any single event that is not regularly scheduled; (i.e. tournaments/competitions; test days; concerts; major sporting events or exhibition games; banquets; dances; conferences; conventions; consumer shows; food and beverage events; seminars; fundraising, and tradeshows). This includes both major special events and recreation special events.

Special Events (CN Centre and Community Arenas)

Any single event that is not regularly scheduled at the CN Centre and Community Arenas; (i.e. WHL hockey games; concerts; exhibition hockey games; tournaments; trade shows; sporting events).

Sustaining Ice User (Arenas)

An organization (i.e.: PG Minor Hockey Association, PG Ringette, Blizzards Speed Skating Club) or individual adult recreation group that is scheduled on a regular weekly basis, throughout the regular season for a minimum of 3 hours per week.

Trade Shows (private events)

Exhibition of products or services that is not open to the public. An exhibition of products and/or services held for members of a common or related industry. Attendees register and wear a nametag with business affiliation.

Agreement to Rent City Property:

Rental agreement for a City facility signed by the City and the Renter and outlining terms and conditions for use over a term such as a season.

City:

The City of Prince George.

Event:

Booked use authorized through the Permit, which may also be referred to as a booking or rental.

Facility:

The named City Park, outdoor recreation facility, or SD57 School or sport field identified on the Facility Contract and Permit.

Facility Contract:

A contractual document that approves the use of a facility by a group under certain terms and conditions.

Hard Surface Court:

A hard court surface on which a sport is played, most usually in reference to tennis courts or basketball courts.

Organization:

A not for profit society, registered society, association, or other user group who can be issued a Facility Contract and Permit to use a Facility.

Permit:

Document that gives authorization for the use of a City park, outdoor recreation facility, or SD57 facility.

Permit Holder:

The signatory on the Facility Contract who is responsible for the Permit and who may also be referred to as the Permit Holder.

Renter:

A not for profit society who has signed an Agreement to Rent City Property.

Special Event:

A one-time annual or infrequently occurring and organized public event. 

Sport Field:

A sport field or ball diamond.

Tournament:

A series of games that make up a unit of competition over one or more days which is not part of the regular season of play and is open to teams in other organizations.