Apply for fee assistance, a PAL card or Inclusion Support to take part in programs.
On this page
- Fee assistance leisure access program
- Personal assistant for leisure activities (PAL Card)
- Apply for Inclusion Support
- Other programs
Fee assistance leisure access program
We offer assistance to those who can't afford to pay fees for affiliated recreation, leisure, arts and culture programs:
- successful applicants get a one time $400 credit per person per year
- you can use it for city-run programs, affiliated minor sports, or arts and culture programs
- you can't transfer the credit to future years or refund it
- you need to re-apply every year
For complete program information, view the Fee Assistance Leisure Access Program Policy (PDF).
You can apply at any time. If you qualify, your credit will be active from December 1 to November 30 the following year. To qualify, you must:
- live in the City of Waterloo
- have a household income (before taxes) below the low-income cutoff amount, shown in the table below
| Members of household |
Annual income before taxes |
| 1 |
$25,303 |
| 2 |
$31,498 |
| 3 |
$38,723 |
| 4 |
$47,016 |
| 5 |
$53,323 |
| 6 |
$60,142 |
| 7+ |
$66,958
|
For everyone 18 and older in your household you need:
- proof of income, such as a tax return or government benefit statement
- proof of address in the City of Waterloo, if not included on proof of income
For refugees who have arrived in Canada within the past year:
- proof of permanent residency or refugee status for each family member
Required documents must be in a digital format, such as a PDF or image file. We accept clear smartphone photos. If your documents are missing information, it will take longer to process them. We will contact you if we need more information.
Our funding year
We accept applications all year, but our funding year runs from December 1 of one year until November 30 of the following year. If you apply for funding after the end of October, we will consider your application in the next funding year, starting December 1.
Apply online
To apply online, you need an email address and the required documents. We will send a confirmation email to successful applicants within two weeks of submission.
Apply for fee assistance
If you wish to fill out a hardcopy form or require in-person assistance, please email lynn.dicksegley@waterloo.ca to schedule an appointment.
Personal assistant for leisure (PAL) card
The personal assistant for leisure activities card (PAL Card) allows a person with a disability to bring a helper for support. This can be a friend or family member. In most cases there is no extra charge, so they can participate in municipal and partner programs.
Using your PAL card:
To use your PAL card, you present the card when paying for your program fees. You cannot use the card for ticketed events run by third party organizations, businesses or promoters.
You can use the card at city run programs and with our partners. These city run programs include:
- public swims
- public skates
- most recreation programs
- golf courses
Our partner programs are across Waterloo and Wellington Region. They range from municipal and private partnership. Please reach out if there are any programs or partners that accept the card but are not on our list.
Partners that participate in our program develop their own criteria for accepting the card at their programs and facilities. We outline the criteria for the card partner programs on the insert included when you get your card.
Municipal programs or facilities
Aquatics
Arenas
City run programs (most)
Community centres
Golf courses
Personal assistant and leisure activities partners
AR Kaufman YMCA
Bingemans
Chicopee Ski Club & Summer Resort (Monday to Friday, 2, 4, or all-day pass only)
Chicopee Tube Park
Conestoga Sailing Club
Driftwood Martial Arts
Funvilla
Games on Tap
Kiwanis Park
KW Symphony
Market Sports Inc.
Max's Golf Centre
Stork Family YMCA
THE MUSEUM
Waterloo Region Museum
Municipal programs or facilities
Aquatics
Arenas
City run programs (most)
Arts, culture and special events
Personal assistant and leisure activities partners
iBowl
YMCA of Cambridge
Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory
Cambridge Ice Centre
Wedges N' Wood Golf Academy
Municipal programs or facilities
Aquatics
Arenas
City run programs (most)
Arts, culture and special events
Personal assistant and leisure activities partners
YMCA-YWCA of Guelph
Guelph Transit
Municipal programs or facilities
Woolwich Memorial Centre
Municipal programs or facilities
Wilmot Recreation Complex
Access 2 Entertainment is a group that has support from Cineplex Entertainment Theatres and is managed by Easter Seals Canada. The Access 2 Entertainment card is accepted at entertainment venues and programs across Canada. View the list of venues accepted in Ontario.
To apply for a PAL card you must:
- be older than 4 years old
- have a disability that restricts you from performing activities, that lasts longer than 6 months and cannot be stopped with the use of an aid for example, eye glasses
To apply for a temporary PAL card you must:
- be older than 4 years old
- have a temporary disability, one where you're expected to make a full recovery, but only need assistance in the meantime
To be an eligible attendant you must be at least 15 years old. The attendant does not have to be the same person for each activity.
If the attendant is attending a program where there is a age requirement for supervision, such as swimming and the attendant has to participate in the program, the attendant would be expected to pay. In most other circumstances, the attendant would get into a program for free.
In order to apply for a PAL card you will need:
- name and contact information (phone, email and full address) of the person who will be the card holder
- 2 references, with contact information that can verify the disability of the card holder, this can be:
- an agency or service provider
- occupational or physiotherapist
- teacher
- doctor
- nurse etc.
Both references will be contacted to ensure eligibility.
Apply for Inclusion Support
We offer Inclusion Support to anyone with a disability or anyone who needs support to join City of Waterloo offered programs.
This service is provided at no extra cost by trained inclusion support workers or additional program staff. Support is based on availability and must be requested at least two weeks in advance of a program start date.
Examples of support could be program adaptations, 1:1 support or other means of assistance. You do not need to be a resident of Waterloo to apply for Inclusion Support. We also welcome support through personal support workers or our personal attendance for leisure (PAL) program.
Currently, this service is provided by the City of Kitchener. However, the City of Waterloo will begin offering Inclusion Support for its municipal recreation programs starting Monday, September 1, 2025.
If you currently get inclusion support through the City of Kitchener and need it for Waterloo programs, you’ll need to reapply through the City of Waterloo starting September 1, 2025.
Spring/Summer 2025 Inclusion Support Services will not change
To apply for Inclusion Support, use the online form below.
The form takes about 10 – 15 minutes to complete, and the information you share is confidential. We will only share this information with staff working directly with the individual. Once your form is reviewed, staff will follow up with you within two weeks.
Apply for Inclusion Support
If you need help applying or have any questions, please reach out to inclusion@waterloo.ca or 519-886-2310 x27249
Other programs
Canadian Tire Jumpstart Program
Canadian Tire’s Jumpstart program gives kids aged 4 to 18 a chance to participate in sports by providing financial aid to qualifying families for program registration costs. Find out more on the Jumpstart website.
