Recreation Programs

Spring 2023 Recreation Program registration opens Wednesday, March 8, 2023. 

Fuel your love for recreation, sport, and the outdoors with a wide range of programs offered by the Town of Penetanguishene.  The Town offers programs for individuals of all ages, skills, and abilities, we strive to deliver high-quality affordable recreation programming to the community.  

Registering for any Town of Penetanguishene Recreation & Community Services Department program constitutes acceptance of the Terms and Conditions contained herein and attached hereto.

LIMITED SPACE

Each class varies with the number of spaces available, please register early to avoid disappointment.  Submission of a registration form does not constitute immediate acceptance into the program.  Registrations will be processed in the order they are received and those who register in person on opening day will be served prior to forms submitted by email/fax.  Due to the high volume of registrations, you will only be contacted if there is a problem with your registration.  An email will be sent to all registered participants prior to the start of your program to confirm the program details. Once a class has been filled, interested registrants will be placed on a waiting list in order of the date registrations are received. 

Late registrations are welcome but are subject to availability. When space is available, the fee for late registrations will be the same as the original program cost. 

AGE OF PARTICIPANT

Activities and programs are designed for a specific age group, and are often based on specific skill levels.  Please respect the age guidelines.  For all programs, the participant must be the age stipulated in the program description prior to the program starting.  Programs have been developed to serve the best interest of all participants in our classes.  Please contact the Recreation & Community Services Department if you have any questions.

MISSED CLASSES

We try our best to not cancel any classes during our planned sessions, but unfortunately, some instances are out of our control that requires classes to be canceled and may include;

  • Instructor Illness/Availability
  • Poor Weather Conditions
  • Facility Closure/Not Available
  • Emergencies

If a class is cancelled during the session, we will attempt to provide a make-up class, but please note that in some instances, this may not be available and no refund will be provided.  Classes will be scheduled to operate in all types of weather conditions.  Certain School Boards (SCDSB/SMCDSB) cancel rentals when school buses are canceled, which is out of our control.  If a class is cancelled due to poor weather, an email will be sent out to all participants and a phone call to those with no email address on file to notify you of the cancellation.  If you do not here anything, then assume the class is running, or you may call Town Hall prior to 4:30 pm to verify 705-549-7453.

MODIFICATIONS/CANCELLED CLASSES

The Town of Penetanguishene reserves the right to modify/cancel classes, even after registrations have been processed, due to insufficient enrolment in a class, or for operational needs.  Refunds will be processed for any classes that get cancelled by the Town, prorated on the percentage of the course remaining.

LOST OR STOLEN ARTICLES

The Town is not responsible for any damage to, or loss of any property brought onto the premises.

PAYMENT

  • Payment will be accepted in the form cash or cheque payable to the Town of Penetanguishene, VISA, MasterCard or Debit.
  • The Town of Penetanguishene will charge an administrative fee of $40.00 for cheques that are returned to us by the bank. If this should occur, your registration will be null/void until you replace your original cheque with Cash/Debit/Visa/MasterCard, in the amount of the total program registration fee plus the $40.00 administration fee.
  • Approved refund requests/withdrawals will be refunded based on the program fees paid, minus a $10.00 administrative fee per person, per program. All refunds will be prorated on the percentage of the course remaining at the time of the withdrawal request, which must be submitted by email or in person.  Refund requests will not be approved if less than 50% of the session dates remain.  Please allow 2 to 3 weeks to process refunds.

WAIVER

In consideration of the acceptance of my application and the permission to participate in a program sponsored by the Recreation & Community Services Department, Town of Penetanguishene, I hereby waive and forever discharge the Corporation of the Town of Penetanguishene, its employees, agents, instructors, officers, and elected officials from all claims, damages, costs and expenses in respect to injury or damage to my person or property, however caused, which I may sustain as a result of my participation in the program, provided such claims are not caused by the negligence of the Town of Penetanguishene. The Town of Penetanguishene reserves the right to use photographs of recreation programs for promotional use.

Step 1. Find a program

The seasonal Recreation Guide provides times, locations, descriptions, activity codes and fees for registered programs.

More summer programs will be added. 

Step 2. Register and pay

Program registration and payment is available online through RecDesk. You must create an account to register and pay.

Our staff are always ready to help, if you require assistance pleases feel free to email or call us and we will guide you though the registration process. 

Swimming Program Details

*Note on prices – Swimming fees in the printed Winter Recreation Guide have not been approved for the Winter 2023 swimming session.

Winter prices are as follows:

Parent & Tot to Swimmer 2 $45

Swimmer 3 to Swimmer 6 $50

Rookie/Ranger/Star Patrol $50

Bronze Cross/Medallion Recert $35

Adult Lessons $52

Private Lessons $110

Endurance Swim Course $50

Bronze Star/Bronze Cross $90

Bronze Medallion $137

*Open Swim (Child) $2

*Open Swim (Adult) $3

Family Open Swim Family Pass... $9 Fees are subject to change

*Did you know? The Town of Penetanguishene offers program subsidies for all ages to those who qualify,

To learn more, contact recreation@penetanguishene.ca.

Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care, 500 Church St, Penetanguishene, ON L9M 1G3 

All Town of Penetanguishene swimming participants will receive a complimentary parking permit that is to be picked up at Town Hall, Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM, PRIOR to the start of swimming lessons.  The permit is valid for Parking Lot C and must be displayed on rear-view mirror at all times to avoid parking tickets under the By-Law, otherwise park in a Visitor parking space.  The Town will not be responsible for any parking tickets. 

Please note that this winter will be the first time the Town has used online registration in the past we have had a line-up prior to the doors opening at Town Hall for customers wanting to register, particularly for Private Swimming Lessons spots.   All programs have limited spaces available, and spots are reserved on a first-come, first-served basis, both online and in person, with no priority given to in-person registration, staff will process any registrations submitted by email/fax as soon as time permits that same day.  

Private lessons & wait lists- Private lessons and popular swimming levels fill up very quickly but you are encouraged to join the waitlist; in previous years, many swimmers on the waitlist have been able to join a class. If you are registering online, please join the waitlist for the type/level of class you would like. When a spot opens, you will be contacted based on the time and date you joined the waitlist. 

  • Registration for programs opens on Wednesday, December 7th at 8:30 AM online and in-person at Town Hall, first come first served. 
  • Please be advised that, in previous years, swimming programs have filled up very quickly. 
  • If you plan to register online, I suggest creating an account for all participants ahead of time here, https://top.recdesk.com/Community/Member/Login  
  • If you already have an account, I suggest you login ahead of time to ensure your account information is correct  

If you experience any difficulties while creating an account, please call Marla at 705-549-7453 ext. 223 or email mbailey@penetanguishene.ca. I am happy to assist you in any way I can! 

  1. Online through RecDesk https://top.recdesk.com/Community/Home  
  2. In person atTown Hall with Registration Form and payment (Monday to Friday, 8:30 am - 4:30 pm) 
  3. You will be registered for your first-choice class unless otherwise notified by staff 
  4. If you plan to register online, I suggest creating an account for all participants ahead of time here, https://top.recdesk.com/Community/Member/Login  
  5. If you already have an account, I suggest you login ahead of time to ensure your account information is correct 

Summer and March Break Day Camps

Our Penetangusihene Day Camp programs are run by the Boys and Girls Club of North Simcoe. Full-week programs from Kinder Camp (5-6) and Children's Camp (7-11) are available from the first week of July, to the end of August! 

The Recreation and Community Services Master Plan for the Town of Penetanguishene provides a comprehensive, multi-year framework of short (1-2 years), medium (3-6 years) and longer-term (7+ years) priorities for the development of recreation and leisure opportunities, services and facilities in the Town.

This Master Plan is a municipal guidance document designed to further effective planning, budgeting and implementation of stated goals and objectives for recreation and leisure in Penetanguishene until the year 2029.

The cycling context in Ontario has rapidly changed in the past decade, as municipalities and the Province address demographic, socio-economic and environmental changes. The Province recognized these changes and implemented #CycleON, a plan to look ahead and build more sustainable, healthy and vibrant communities through increased cycling activity. Furthermore, providing protection and increased safety measures for vulnerable road users such as cyclists is of increasing importance. These challenges are not exclusive to urban environments; communities like Penetanguishene have a significant role in creating safer transportation systems and more sustainable environments. The Town’s initiative to develop a Cycling Strategy is a demonstration of its commitment for a better, more equitable future.


Penetanguishene received funding from the Province’s “Ontario Municipal Commuter Cycling” (OMCC) Program in 2017. This funding was used to develop a long-term planning document to guide future planning, design, implementation and operations of cycling infrastructure, programming and policy – Penetanguishene’s first Cycling Strategy. The strategy was completed collaboratively with Town staff, local stakeholders, committee representatives, decision makers and input from local residents of Penetanguishene and North Simcoe.


The plan is meant to be action oriented, giving Town staff and its partners clear next steps to move forward with the implementation of cycling infrastructure, programs and initiatives. This strategy is meant to be a flexible and adaptable resource for staff and stakeholders and is intended to be a guide for future decision making for the planning, design and development of cycling infrastructure and supportive programs and policies.

The Town of Penetanguishene recognizes and promotes the full participation of all residents in recreational programs and services regardless of financial circumstances. Recreation Programs will be planned, delivered and evaluated to ensure they are affordable, inclusive and responsive to need.

For information on the subsidy program please contact the Recreation and Events Coordinator. 

North Simcoe Directory of Senior Services 2020-2022

Connecting seniors and their families with local resources is important to North Simcoe municipalities.  The North Simcoe resource guide serves as a phone and resource directory for seniors.  Note that the guide is published every two years and the information contained within is continually changing and not all encompassing. 

A hard copy of the directory can be picked up at Townhall by request.  

Ontario Seniors' Secretariat Seniors' Guide

Ontario Seniors' Secretariat seniors' guide is available online at http://www.ontario.ca/seniorsguide and may be ordered free of charge through ServiceOntario Publications or by calling 1-888-910-1999 (TTY: 1-800-387-5559).

 

Affiliated Organizations

Penetanguishene Minor Hockey

Visit Website

North Simcoe Girls Association

Visit Website

Midland/Penetanguishene Ball Hockey

Minor League Visit Website

Penetanguishene Skating Club

Visit Website
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