Toronto charity that supplied hockey gear to kids in need says it's being stiffed by city

A Toronto charity that's provided skates, sticks and hockey helmets to hundreds of children in need says it's being stiffed by the city for the cost of the equipment. 

Skate to Great says it was promised that a portion of its costs — at least $50,000 — would be covered by the city within two months when former city councillor Glenn De Baeremaeker contacted its volunteer chair Evan Kosiner and asked the organization to round up the equipment in March 2018.

But the money never materialized, Kosiner says.

"This has done a ton of damage to us," Kosiner said. "We're kind of handcuffed at this point without these funds to be able to continue doing what we've always done as a charity."

But De Baeremaeker, city staff and the current councillor, Paul Ainslie, have a very different take on the situation. 

De Baeremaeker told CBC Toronto that although $50,000 was allocated to the group back in 2018, there were no guarantees issued about when it would be handed over. That requires a second motion to council — a motion that hasn't yet been drafted by Ainslie's office.

"I'm pretty sure I wouldn't tell any charity, 'You're getting 50,000 bucks next month,'" De Baeremaeker said Wednesday. "Maybe he misunderstood what I said."

Ainslie, who took over the ward from De Baeremaeker after the 2018 municipal election agrees.

"I can almost guarantee that (De Baeremaeker) didn't tell Skate to Great to go buy all this equipment because you're getting the money in eight weeks," he said. All that's in writing is the fact that that Skate to Great has been approved for funding — not when that funding would be doled out.

Kosiner says Skate to Great provided "two shipping containers filled to the brim" with about $120,000 worth of new or refurbished hockey equipment designated for kids in need at Scarborough schools, based on the city's request — a drive that, he estimates, helped 800-900 children suit up.

Skate to Great, which has since been folded into another charity called Philanthropolis, was approved to receive Section 37 funds in July 2018, according to city records.

That's money the city collects from developers in exchange for greater heights and densities on new building projects. The money is then used within individual wards to build amenities that benefit the community, like parks and playgrounds, at the councillor's suggestion.

No guarantees on timeline

But Ainslie points out that even after the funding is approved, no money is actually released until the developer has been issued a building permit — which often takes several years — and says Skate to Great's seven-year wait is not out of the ordinary.

"The city doesn't guarantee (a payment date) and Skate to Great would have known that," Ainslie said, adding he has a development property in his ward that has been sitting idle for 20 years.

City staff confirmed in an email to CBC Toronto that Section 37 money was approved for Skate to Great in relation to a development that's now underway at 1025-1031 Markham Rd.

That project has so far brought the city $832,500 in Section 37 funds, with the money handed over to the city in October 2024, according to city staff.

But Ainslie pointed out that even though the $50,000 was freed up for Skate to Great at that time, the money won't be released until council approves a motion from his office recommending the expenditure.

The councillor said that will happen "as soon as I can get it going," but he offered no timeline. 

Ainslie said there are many deserving projects in his ward that could benefit from Section 37 funding, and he has asked city staff to prioritize those projects for him, including Skate to Great's funding request.

Staff said in an email to CBC Toronto it will work with Ainslie's office to finalize a list of Section 37-worthy projects.

"It's extremely disappointing," Kosiner said. "As a charity, we acted in good faith based on the city reaching out to us, and then they don't follow through."