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

Michael Smee · CBC News

· Posted: May 09, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

A Toronto foundation that's provided skates, sticks and hockey helmets to hundreds of children successful request says it's being stiffed by the metropolis for the outgo of the equipment. 

Skate to Great says it was promised that a information of its costs — at slightest $50,000 — would beryllium covered by the metropolis wrong 2 months erstwhile erstwhile metropolis councillor Glenn De Baeremaeker contacted its unpaid seat Evan Kosiner and asked the enactment to circular up the instrumentality successful March 2018.

But the wealth ne'er materialized, Kosiner says.

"This has done a ton of harm to us," Kosiner said. "We're benignant of handcuffed astatine this constituent without these funds to beryllium capable to proceed doing what we've ever done arsenic a charity."

But De Baeremaeker, metropolis unit and the existent councillor, Paul Ainslie, person a precise antithetic instrumentality connected the situation. 

De Baeremaeker told CBC Toronto that though $50,000 was allocated to the radical backmost successful 2018, there were nary guarantees issued astir erstwhile it would beryllium handed over. That requires a 2nd question to council — a question that hasn't yet been drafted by Ainslie's office.

"I'm beauteous definite I wouldn't archer immoderate charity, 'You're getting 50,000 bucks adjacent month,'" De Baeremaeker said Wednesday. "Maybe helium misunderstood what I said."

Ainslie, who took implicit the ward from De Baeremaeker aft the 2018 municipal predetermination agrees.

"I tin astir warrant that (De Baeremaeker) didn't archer Skate to Great to spell bargain each this instrumentality due to the fact that you're getting the wealth successful 8 weeks," helium said. All that's successful penning is the information that that Skate to Great has been approved for funding — not erstwhile that backing would beryllium doled out.

Kosiner says Skate to Great provided "two shipping containers filled to the brim" with astir $120,000 worthy of caller oregon refurbished hockey instrumentality designated for kids successful request astatine Scarborough schools, based connected the city's request — a thrust that, helium estimates, helped 800-900 children suit up.

Skate to Great, which has since been folded into different foundation called Philanthropolis, was approved to person Section 37 funds successful July 2018, according to metropolis records.

That's wealth the metropolis collects from developers successful speech for greater heights and densities connected caller gathering projects. The wealth is past utilized wrong idiosyncratic wards to physique amenities that payment the community, similar parks and playgrounds, astatine the councillor's suggestion.

No guarantees connected timeline

But Ainslie points retired that adjacent aft the backing is approved, nary wealth is really released until the developer has been issued a gathering licence — which often takes respective years — and says Skate to Great's seven-year hold is not retired of the ordinary.

"The metropolis doesn't warrant (a outgo date) and Skate to Great would person known that," Ainslie said, adding helium has a improvement spot successful his ward that has been sitting idle for 20 years.

City unit confirmed successful an email to CBC Toronto that Section 37 wealth was approved for Skate to Great successful narration to a improvement that's present underway astatine 1025-1031 Markham Rd.

That task has truthful acold brought the metropolis $832,500 successful Section 37 funds, with the wealth handed implicit to the metropolis successful October 2024, according to metropolis staff.

But Ainslie pointed retired that adjacent though the $50,000 was freed up for Skate to Great astatine that time, the wealth won't beryllium released until assembly approves a question from his bureau recommending the expenditure.

The councillor said that volition hap "as soon arsenic I tin get it going," but helium offered nary timeline. 

Ainslie said determination are galore deserving projects successful his ward that could payment from Section 37 funding, and helium has asked metropolis unit to prioritize those projects for him, including Skate to Great's backing request.

Staff said successful an email to CBC Toronto it volition enactment with Ainslie's bureau to finalize a database of Section 37-worthy projects.

"It's highly disappointing," Kosiner said. "As a charity, we acted successful bully religion based connected the metropolis reaching retired to us, and past they don't travel through."