Recent visitors to the Canada Games Centre may have noticed a slight rise in fees at the till which began on Monday.

Art Manhire, manager of indoor facilities at the Games Centre says the slight rise has been done in line with the City of Whitehorse's 1.5 per cent fee increase proposed in this year's budget.

Manhire said the fees at the centre did not go up at the same time as other city facilities, to give users enough time to understand and be aware of the fees.

"That's why they did it now, as opposed to when the bylaw passed in February,” he said.

The fee increase was decided to help the city manage its budget more efficiently, Manhire said, and will mean only a 1.5 per cent rise in fees each year.

"1.5 is less than our operating cost,” Manhire said.

The Games Centre is coping with a five to 10 per cent increase in hydro fees, but the idea has always been to keep the facilities affordable for Whitehorse families.

"We're still trying to make sure that it's accessible to the community,” Manhire said.

The new fees will still take into account discount rates for students and families, and Manhire said the Centre strives to ensure families who cannot afford to attend are involved in programs which allow them to utilize the facilities.

"I think the fees are reasonable at this point and we do have the mechanisms in place if people can't afford the fees,” Manhire said.

The new fees are all rounded up or down to an easier price for users, so that change is not an issue when paying.

Last month the Games Centre welcomed 3,645 members, which is up significantly from 2009 when 1,972 people bought a monthly pass in March.

The average daily attendance was 2,332.

"That's actually pretty good considering the weather has been fairly good for people to get outside,” Manhire said.

The number of users at the Games Centre is steadily rising, and Manhire said that trend has continued since the centre opened in 2007.

"In the last seven to eight months we're seen a significant increase,” Manhire said.

A recent DataPath survey conducted in the fall of 2009 showed 86 per cent of the population have used the facility, and 98 per cent of families have attended.

The new prices are for a daily single admission: $7 for adults, $5.70 for youth, $3.60 for children, $5.70 for seniors and $16.40 for families. A monthly pass is now $48.10 for adults, $38.90 for youth, $24 for children and $38.90 for seniors. For an annual pass, the price is now $481.10 for adults, $388.40 for youth, $240 for children and $388.50 for seniors.

A punch-card is $62 for adults, $50 for youth, $31.20 for children, $50 for seniors and $147.90 for families.

Family monthly and annual passes vary. For updated prices, see the Canada Games Centre website at www.canadagamescentre.whitehorse.ca