City council will discuss expanding the student Upass program to include access to the Two Rivers Gallery, The Exploration Place and the Outdoor Ice Oval.
Currently the Upass program provides UNBC and College of New Caledonia students with access to the public transit system, Four Seasons Leisure Pool and Prince George Aquatic Centre for $57.50 per semester.
"The Select Committee on Student Needs has been discussing and exploring ideas for strengthening student participation in Prince George and, in particular, the downtown," committee chairperson Coun. Jillian Merrick wrote in a report to council. "Based on conversation at the committee, we have reached out initially to the Two Rivers Gallery, The Exploration Place, and the Outdoor Ice Oval and confirmed their interest in participating in a program that would expose their facilities and services to post-secondary students. Adding these services to the UPass would require a fee increase and student referendum; this and other options would be discussed with the student societies."
City reports from 2016 show Upass users account for about five per cent of total pool visits - approximately 20,000 pool visits per year - and 29 per cent of bus riders, accounting for nearly 545,000 bus rides per year.
