When Burnaby’s Flor Padilla signed up for an evening ukulele class at Edmonds Community Centre, she sensed trouble.
She had planned to bring her two young children to sit on the sidelines, since there was no child-minding beyond noon at Edmonds. But when she called to see if that was OK with the centre, the answer was no, and she had to drop the class.
That wasn’t the first time. There was also the “fitness fiasco,” when Padilla was told she could no longer attend a Wednesday evening class at Cameron with her kids because they were a liability.
“Yeah they were noisy, because they were chatting it up, but I didn’t see any liability issues, there was no heavy equipment. They were in my care,” Padilla told the NOW. “I was told nobody complained, it was strictly because of their policy, which is not written down, … that children are not allowed in a fitness class.”
Padilla left confused and angry. Padilla works in a government office during the day, and her husband works long hours, so she has taken her kids to classes, even though she knows it’s not ideal. Her kids are two and four years old, and they entertain themselves on the sideline with toys, and they are also enrolled in a host of their own activities.
In an email to Padilla, Cameron’s supervisor, Robin Juergensen, apologized for the fitness class situation and empathized with Padilla as a working mother, but she also explained Burnaby’s recreation centres don’t let children sit in on adult classes.
“To assist parents to participate in recreational activities for themselves, we do provide child-minding services at locations and times where there is sufficient demand for the service,” Juergensen wrote. “This is a consistent practice in City of Burnaby recreation facilities for the safety of the child and participants, because there is a risk of injury to the child in an adult activity and a risk the child may inadvertently cause injury to a participant. This practice is not because we don’t encourage families to recreate together, we actually offer a variety of activities for families to be together at Cameron Centre and other City of Burnaby recreation facilities.”
Most of the city’s rec centres offer child-minding for $4.60 per hour, but only from 9 a.m. to noon, which doesn’t really help working parents who want to attend evening classes, Padilla pointed out. In neighbouring New Westminster, Centennial Community Centre offers child-minding for the same price, seven days a week and as late as 6:30 p.m. on weekdays.
“There should be something available in the evening, especially for adults like myself,” she said.
Of course, Padilla could always call a sitter, but that can be costly.
“We live in the most expensive city. For me to have a private babysitter every time I want to do an activity would be costly,” she said.
What Padilla would really like to see is some child-minding available in the evenings.
“I’m not trying to be a bitch or anything but if you expect young families to move into Burnaby you have to help us a little bit,” she said.
The NOW contacted Juergensen and Dave Ellenwood, the city’s parks director, but did not hear back by deadline.
Child minding hours in Burnaby and New Westminster rec centres
Burnaby:
- Edmonds Community Centre: Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to noon.
- Bonsor Recreation Complex: Monday to Saturday, 9 to noon, except holidays.
- Eileen Dailly Pool: April 13 to June 25, Monday to Thursday, 9 a.m. to noon, and from June 29 to Aug. 14, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, from 9 a.m. to noon. $4.60/hour
- Cameron Rec Centre, no child-minding.
- CG Brown pool, no child-minding.
- Child-minding costs $4.60 per hour, but cards are available for $41.60 for 10 hours, can be used at all centres.
New Westminster:
- Centennial Community Centre: Weekdays, 9:15 to 11:30 a.m. and 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.; weekends, 8:15 a.m. to noon.
- Queensborough Community Centre, no child-minding
