“Everyone should know about this.” That’s the word on the street about the new Common Access Card. The card allows people with low income to access recreation and leisure services at a reduced cost in Trail, Warfield, Rossland, Beaver Valley and area.
Users of the Common Access Card program are telling us that it’s “long overdue”, “much needed” and “super exciting”.
The Common Access Card is the latest poverty reduction initiative from Thriving for All, the official poverty reduction plan for five local municipalities that the Skills Centre has been implementing for the past few years.
Getting the card means the person or family living with low income qualifies for the discounts, such as 50% off at the Trail Aquatic & Leisure Centre or 75% off at the Warfield swimming pool. In Rossland, the card allows you to access a recreation bursary to be used to enhance health and wellness to a maximum of $200 per person per year.
It’s a simple process to apply, and once you have the card, you just need to show it at the participating venues to get the discount.
“People applying are people who may not have applied through previous programs, so it is meeting a need,” says Heather Glenn-Dergousoff, poverty reduction project specialist at the Skills Centre.
“We asked questions such has how do we support people in our community living with low income? It has generated conversations that might not have happened otherwise. For instance, Warfield has never had a low income option for their swimming pool. Now they do, so it is opening doors for equitable access that weren’t there before,” she adds.
If you live in Trail, Warfield, Rossland, Beaver Valley and area you may be eligible for the Common Access Card. Learn more here.
