Ontario Liberals propose tax credit for children's sports, extracurricular activities
The Ontario Liberals are set to introduce legislation that would provide families a $1,000 non-refundable tax credit in an effort to make children’s extracurricular activities more affordable.
If the Prioritizing Leisure Activities for Youth Act (the P.L.A.Y. Act) is passed, families can use the credit toward a variety of activities like sports, drama classes, piano lessons “and everything in between.” It would also likely cover summer camp.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday afternoon, Orleans MPP Stephen Blais and Ontario Liberal Party Leader Bonnie Crombie explained how it’s their goal to break down financial barriers for families to keep their children enlisted in these after-school programs, citing the health and social benefits for kids – especially in a post-pandemic world.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
“Many kids were stuck indoors and physical and mental health suffered. Now, coming out of the pandemic, families are facing an affordability crisis that we haven’t experienced in a generation. It’s like families of all shapes and sizes of all income levels that are looking for ways to save,” Blais said.
“For some, this means cutting out the little extras, for too many, that means cutting out essentials. So, we must do everything we can to ensure that our kids can benefit from the mental and physical benefits that play through sport and extracurricular activities provides.”
As for how much it would cost, if passed, Blais told reporters it’s difficult to provide a “firm figure” since it would depend on parents’ income levels and how many of Ontario’s four million children would participate.
However, Blais noted about one in four children from middle-class families do not participate in after-school activities – “and that number gets worse as income levels go down.”
“Let’s not forget that there’s a generation of kids that really lost out during the COVID pandemic and were kept in lockdown and didn’t have the ability to participate in sports or drama or art classes,” Crombie said. “It’s a real shame.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Suspect sought after fatal slashing in downtown Toronto
Police are searching for a suspect in a homicide investigation after a man was slashed in downtown Toronto on Sunday.
Edibles, armchairs and adapters: Here are the recalls for this week
Health Canada announced various product recalls this week, including electric adapters, armchairs, cannabis edibles and vehicle components.
Putin replaces Russian defence minister in rare cabinet shakeup
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin began a Cabinet shakeup on Sunday, proposing the replacement of Sergei Shoigu as defence minister as he begins his fifth term in office.
Wildfire near Fort McMurray more than triples overnight, several evacuation alerts remain in place
The fire burning near Fort McMurray grew from 25 hectares to 5,500 hectares over the weekend.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Mother's Day movies that pull at ALL the heartstrings
This Mother's Day Weekend, take a look at some of the most emotional movies inspired by moms.
WATCH Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
'It was violent': Police tear down U of A pro-Palestinian encampment Saturday morning
Multiple people at the protest camp torn down at the University of Alberta campus Saturday say police's actions against protesters were "violent" and "disproportionate."