Money shouldn't be the reason you sit out
Most GTA cities pay part or all of recreation fees for residents with lower incomes, and charities cover registration for kids' sports. Pick your city to see what applies.
City & regional programs
City of Toronto
Welcome Policy Recreation Fee Subsidy
Who: Toronto residents of all ages with after-tax family income below the Low Income Measure threshold
Covers: Annual financial credit toward City-operated registered recreation programs, swim and sports programs, camps, memberships and multi-use passes
Check eligibility & apply ↗City of Mississauga
ActiveAssist
Who: Mississauga residents in low-income households and newcomers with refugee status
Covers: $275 non-refundable credit per eligible family member for recreation and culture programs, valid for one year
Check eligibility & apply ↗City of Brampton
ActiveAssist
Who: Low-income Brampton families and individuals
Covers: $275 credit for each eligible family member toward most registered programs, drop-in programs and memberships; approval lasts two years
Check eligibility & apply ↗Town of Caledon
Subsidy and fee assistance
Who: Eligible Caledon recreation participants referred through community partner organizations
Covers: Subsidized rates for Town recreation programs and memberships through partners such as Region of Peel, Brampton Caledon Community Living and Caledon Community Services
Check eligibility & apply ↗City of Vaughan
RecAssist Fee Assistance Program
Who: Low-income Vaughan residents of all ages who meet program eligibility requirements
Covers: Subsidy toward City-run recreation programs and swim lessons; subsidy amount depends on available program funding
Check eligibility & apply ↗City of Markham
City of Markham Financial Assistance
Who: Markham residents who cannot afford City recreation programs
Covers: Help with the cost of City recreation programs; residents are directed to contact the City for assistance details
Check eligibility & apply ↗City of Richmond Hill
Fee Assistance Program
Who: Richmond Hill residents with individual or family income below the Low Income Cut-Off amounts
Covers: Up to $200 per eligible family member per year toward Recreation and Culture registered programs and memberships
Check eligibility & apply ↗Town of Aurora
F.A.I.R. Access
Who: Aurora residents of all ages whose after-tax family income is at or below the Low Income Measure threshold
Covers: Up to $250 per person per calendar year for Town recreation programs, memberships and eligible drop-in activities
Check eligibility & apply ↗Town of Newmarket
Creating Accessible Recreation for Everyone (CARE)
Who: Newmarket residents of all ages who can demonstrate financial need through proof of income
Covers: Up to 50% off Town recreation and culture program or membership registration each calendar year
Check eligibility & apply ↗Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville
Financial Assistance
Who: Stouffville residents and families seeking help with recreation costs
Covers: Official Town information and links for York Region recreation subsidies and Canadian Tire Jumpstart recreation and sport grants
Check eligibility & apply ↗Town of Oakville
Recreation Connection Subsidy
Who: Eligible Oakville residents facing financial barriers to recreation and culture programs
Covers: $400 per eligible participant applied to their Town of Oakville account for recreation and culture programs, valid for 12 months
Check eligibility & apply ↗City of Burlington
Recreation Fee Assistance
Who: Burlington residents and qualifying newcomers/refugees with income below the program threshold; eligible social-service non-profits may apply for participants
Covers: Financial assistance for registered recreation programs, passes and memberships
Check eligibility & apply ↗Town of Milton
Financial Assistance
Who: Milton residents with household income below the current Low Income Cut-Off before-tax threshold
Covers: Up to $300 annual subsidy per qualifying person for Town registered recreation programs and 10-visit or annual passes
Check eligibility & apply ↗Town of Halton Hills
Recreation Financial Assistance
Who: Halton Hills residents seeking assistance with recreation costs
Covers: Official Town forms and resources for recreation financial assistance, program registration and memberships
Check eligibility & apply ↗City of Pickering
Financial Assistance
Who: Qualifying low-income Pickering residents, including residents receiving ODSP or Ontario Works
Covers: Financial assistance toward City recreation programs and memberships under the Access to Recreation Policy
Check eligibility & apply ↗Town of Ajax
Recreation Financial Assistance
Who: Ajax residents facing financial difficulty who meet annual household-income requirements
Covers: 34% discount on eligible programs plus FAIR Pass access to designated free swims, skates and drop-in sports for one week every quarter
Check eligibility & apply ↗Town of Whitby
Access Program
Who: Whitby residents living within 25% of the Government of Canada low-income cut-offs
Covers: 50% or 100% coverage for eligible recreation fees: children 0-14 up to $125 per fall/winter/spring session or $225 per summer session; ages 14+ up to $150 per session
Check eligibility & apply ↗City of Oshawa
Recreation Fee Assistance Program
Who: Oshawa community members whose household income is below or within 25% of the Low Income Cut-Off threshold
Covers: 50% discount for households below LICO or 35% discount for households up to 25% above LICO, applied to one eligible program or membership up to $150 per person per session
Check eligibility & apply ↗Municipality of Clarington
Fee Assistance Program
Who: Clarington residents who meet Low Income Cut-Off criteria or certain emergency-travel/benefit-document criteria
Covers: $300 credit per person toward Community Services registered activities or memberships; residents within 25% of LICO receive $200 per person
Check eligibility & apply ↗York Region
Recreation Subsidies
Who: Low-income York Region families and children/youth who meet York Region subsidy eligibility requirements
Covers: Subsidies for municipal recreation programs, day camps and youth overnight camps; amounts and funding periods vary
Check eligibility & apply ↗Region of Durham
Recreation subsidy programs
Who: Durham Region Ontario Works clients and qualifying families seeking help with municipal recreation or camp costs
Covers: Recreation program cards for municipal recreation activities and child-care fee subsidy support for eligible camps
Check eligibility & apply ↗YMCA of Greater Toronto
Financial Assistance for Members
Who: Households that need help making YMCA membership more affordable
Covers: Reduced YMCA membership pricing and low- or no-cost access to supported YMCA programs and services after individual application review
Check eligibility & apply ↗KidSport Toronto
KidSport Toronto Grants
Who: Toronto children and youth 18 and under from families facing financial barriers to organized sport
Covers: Up to $250 per child per calendar year toward organized sport registration fees
Check eligibility & apply ↗KidSport Halton
KidSport Halton Grants
Who: Halton Region children and youth 18 and under facing financial barriers to organized sport
Covers: Up to $250 per eligible child per year toward sport registration fees; equipment referrals may be made to partner agencies
Check eligibility & apply ↗
Available across the GTA
Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities
Individual Child Grants
Who: Children from low-income families seeking to participate in sport-focused activities
Covers: Up to $300 per year per child for eligible registration and equipment costs
Check eligibility & apply ↗KidSport Ontario
Provincial Fund
Who: Ontario children and youth facing financial barriers to organized sport where no local KidSport chapter applies
Covers: Up to $250 per eligible child per year toward sport registration fees; equipment referrals may be made to partner agencies
Check eligibility & apply ↗Hockey Canada Foundation
Hockey Canada Foundation Assist Fund
Who: Canadian youth who need help with hockey registration fees
Covers: Subsidizes hockey registration fees for Canadian youth; the 2026-27 allocation was already processed and the fund was not accepting new applications on the verified date
Check eligibility & apply ↗Their Opportunity
Sports Subsidy
Who: Children from families that meet Revenue Canada Low Income Measure financial criteria
Covers: Sports subsidies that help remove financial barriers to grassroots sports and recreation participation
Check eligibility & apply ↗
Eligibility and amounts change — always confirm on the official page. Know a program we're missing? Tell us.