If you are a North Vancouver resident who is experiencing financial hardship that limits your ability to participate in recreation and culture activities, you may be eligible for financial support through NVRC's financial assistance program.

How to apply for yourself, your family, or on behalf of someone else:

Step One

Read the frequently asked questions and review the application form

Step Two

Complete the application form and collect the supporting documents

Step Three

Submit your application and supporting documents at the same time 

• By email financialassistance@nvrc.ca      
  or
• In person at the front desk of one of our community recreation centres

Step Four

Your application will be reviewed and you will be contacted by NVRC staff to discuss the next steps and to match you with the financial assistance options that best suit your needs and interests. Please allow up-to 3 weeks for the full process to be complete.  

If you have any questions or would like support with the application process, please contact financialassistance@nvrc.ca or speak with one of our customer service staff.

Referral letters

Referral letters can be submitted as proof of income for the financial assistance application. They are accepted from official government funded or registered non-profit service providers.  

Referral letters must be on official letterhead and include the referee’s official title and contact information. NVRC must be able to verify the referee and the agency. 

If you will be submitting a referral letter or you are completing a referral letter on behalf of someone, click here for the required template.

Please review the FAQ and application form linked above for more information and examples of qualifying referring organizations. 

Annual renewal

You will be required to renew your application each year by submitting a new application form and supporting documents for the most recent tax year. We recommend starting this process about three weeks before your annual renewal date so that you don’t experience a gap in service.

Here are some tips and information for using subsidy after you have been approved. 

Getting started!

• Check that your account is up to date with accurate contact information. You may be contacted if you are on a waitlist, if a class is cancelled, or if you submit a withdrawal request. 
• Take time to explore what you, your family member(s) or the person you are advocating for may be interested in participating in. The registration process is much faster and more effective when you have narrowed down the program options and have made a note of the desired course codes. For tips on how to search for programs and activities, please review this “how to” video.
• If you plan to use subsidy towards a registration, ensure that it has been assigned to your account or check your remaining balance. You can check this through your online account or ask one of our customer service staff members. Customer service staff cannot put subsidy on your account even if you have been approved for the financial assistance program, so it is important to plan ahead.   

Registration - online

1. On the payment page, select the applicable subsidy payment method.  You have to select the subsidy box in order for subsidy to be applied. Once you check the subsidy box, the system will automatically calculate what portion is covered by subsidy, what portion you will be required to pay.   
2. If the subsidy payment method doesn’t appear, this can mean that the program is not subsidy eligible, or that you do not have subsidy on your account. 
3. Enter your credit card information to pay the remaining balance. If you have any credit on account, you can select this as your payment option for the remaining balance.  
4. Online registration requires a credit card to pay your portion. Debit payments must be done in-person. Spots cannot be held so please plan ahead.

Registration – in person or by phone at 604-987-7529

1. Inform the customer service staff that you will be using subsidy before you start your registration.
2. Phone registration requires a credit card for payment. Debit payments must be done in-person. Spots cannot be held so please plan ahead. 

Withdrawals

If you need to withdraw from a registered series, our refund and withdrawal policy applies.

Withdrawals can be done in-person, online or by calling 604-987-7529.

You will receive the applicable refund amount based on the policy and the portion covered by subsidy is returned to your subsidy balance.

Memberships

When you are approved for financial assistance, your account is set up so that you can purchase Access 10 Visit Passes via the front desk of any of our community recreation centres. Access 10 Visit Passes are sold at a subsidized rate and no additional subsidy is required.

NVRC can support registered non-profit and government funded organizations who provide services to individuals who are living on low income or who face barriers to accessing recreation and culture activities in the following ways:

Group access passes

Your organization or program may be eligible for a group access pass. These passes are assigned to the organization rather than specific individuals. They allow for flexibility and provide an affordable way for participants of the organization to get involved.

If you would like to learn more about group access passes or to see if your organization might qualify, email financialassistance@nvrc.ca.

Working together with service providers

Recognizing that we are integral to the health and wellness solution, NVRC will work with other service providers to proactively and intentionally respond to indoor and outdoor recreation and culture needs, with a focus on those who would benefit most, including youth, those who are under-served, and those with barriers to accessing quality recreation and culture opportunities.

If your registered non-profit or government funded organization provides support to North Vancouver residents who live on low income and who face barriers to accessing recreation and culture activities, and you would like to discuss how to work collaboratively to deliver opportunities, please contact access.services@nvrc.ca to learn more.  

Group facility tours and website & registration orientations

If your organization supports individuals who are new to community recreation or who would like to get started, we can work with you to coordinate group tours of our facilities and information sessions. We can also provide group training sessions to learn how to navigate our website and registration system. For more information, please contact access.services@nvrc.ca.

NVRC welcomes and encourages support workers and caregivers. Support people are provided entry at no cost based on the information outlined below.  

Who qualifies as a support worker or caregiver?

Support workers and caregivers provide support when a person would otherwise not be able to participate in recreation and culture activities.  

A support person may provide direct, one-on-one support for the duration of an activity or provide supplementary support while a person participates semi-independently.  Examples of supplementary support include: assistance in the change room or being available nearby to respond should a medical, safety, or emotional support need arise.  

Therapists implementing programs or providing training (for example, physiotherapist, exercise therapist, occupational therapist, personal trainers, etc.) are not considered support workers or caregivers and are not permitted to provide services in NVRC facilities.

Those providing translation services qualify as a support person.

Family members providing support in a program or activity are considered a support person. 

Support people must be able to provide the appropriate level of care/support and must be 14 years and older for general programming or 16 years and older for aquatics programming. 

Drop-in visits

• Upon arrival, inform the customer service staff member that you have your support person with you or that you are there as a support person.
• Participants and support people must check-in at the same time.

Book-a-visit offerings

• Participants are required to book their spot and pay applicable admission costs.
• The support person is not required to book and pay for a spot unless they will be participating in the class or would like access to applicable equipment (example: spin bike).

In some aquatic fitness classes where space is limited, you may be informed that support people are required to book a spot in advance. This would be at no charge and can be processed with a customer service staff member or via our registration call centre. 

Registered series programs & camps

• Participants register for the program and pay the registration fee.
• The support person is not required to register unless they will be participating or would like access to applicable equipment or materials (example: spin bike, art classes) and would then be required to pay for their spot.

It is helpful for our instructors to know that there will be an extra person in their class or with their group. If a support person will be attending a registered series program or camp, please consider informing customer service staff who can then share that information with the program supervisor.  

Support workers attending camps are required to submit a letter of understanding at camp sign-in.  

Swimming lessons & aquatics 

In an aquatic environment there are additional safety considerations, risks and protocols. The priority of aquatic staff is to ensure the safety of the swimmer, their support person and all other pool users at the same time. With this in mind, the following guidelines are in place when providing support in an NVRC aquatic environment:

• The person providing support must be 16 years of age or older.
• The person providing support must have a minimum swimming level appropriate to the situation and be able to support the individual both in and out of the water without relying on aquatic staff.
• The aquatic staff establish pool safety expectations and lesson guidelines, while considering all pool users and pool operations.
• Those providing support should follow the safety directions or lesson instructions being provided by the aquatic staff at all times, as failing to do so may place themselves, the individual they are supporting, or the other pool users safety or experience at risk.
• Operational considerations and lesson dynamics can vary and therefore safety expectations may also vary and are at the discretion of the aquatic staff in individual situation and locations.  

NVRC expectations for support workers & caregivers

It is our expectation that those providing support are accessible and available at all times to the individual they are supporting and are not doing their own workout/activity or participating elsewhere in the building. Working alongside an individual as a way of motivating, role modeling or for safety reasons is considered acceptable.   

Support workers who would like to participate in an activity are welcome to register for their spot and pay the admission fee.

NVRC welcomes participants of all abilities to our camps. While we do not provide one-on-one or individualized support, we have inclusion spots available in some of our full-day summer camp locations. If your child would benefit from attending camp with a little extra supervision, you can apply for a week of inclusion support.

Details and applications for summer 2024 will be available here in early April, 2024. If you have questions in the meantime, please contact summersupport@nvrc.ca. 

Campers are also invited and encouraged to attend camps with their own private support worker. If your child will be attending with a support worker, please contact the camp location to inform the camp supervisor, or email summersupport@nvrc.ca. 

Support workers attending camps are required to provide the attached letter on the first day of camp. Hard copies are also available on site. 

If your child has a disability or support consideration that you would like to discuss, you can call the facility directly and ask to speak to the camp supervisor. If you have a general question regarding camp accessibility or choosing a camp that will be a good fit for your child, please contact access.services@nvrc.ca. 

Tips for choosing a good camp! 

Below are descriptions that highlight some of the features of camps that we hope will be helpful in selecting a camp for your child. These are general descriptions and camp formats can vary by location and week. Detailed camp descriptions and categories can be found here.

• Outdoor camps are full day and typically based in local parks or other outdoor locations. These camps are good for campers who like to keep busy, enjoy long walks, enjoy taking public transit, and are fully independent when using the washroom (public). Children who find transitions, especially quick or hurried ones to be challenging, who tire easily or need breaks or quiet time may find that these long, busy days are not their best fit. These camps operate rain or shine outdoors, unless there is an extreme weather or smoke advisory, in which case an alternate indoor location will be assigned. It can be expected that swimming will be part of the schedule. 
• Facility-based camps have an indoor home base with half-day outings to parks, etc. and usually one or two longer local outings per week via walking or public transit. These camps may be good fit for campers who like routine and opportunities for down time (within the parameters of the group and without requiring individual supervision). It can be expected that swimming will be part of the schedule. 
• 5-6 year old camps are designed for participants aged five to six years old and are six hours in length. They typically follow a preschool or kindergarten format and are centre based with trips to the local parks or forests. These camps are good for those who like a structured and inquisitive environment. 
• Early years camps are for campers aged three to four years old and are 2.5 hours in length. They typically follow a preschool format and are centre-based. These camps are good for those who like a structured and inquisitive environment and who are toilet trained.
• Part-day/specialty camps (2-6 hours in length) These camps are generally skill based, focusing on the arts, sport, tech and hobbies. They are fun, instructional and typically centre-based. These camps are a good fit for participants who would benefit from a shorter and more structured day, for those who have specific interests, and for those who enjoy a teaching or instructional environment.