Alex Cullen, president of the Federation of Citizens' Associations of Ottawa, thinks the City of Ottawa could ensure community associations have insurance for their events. City staff want to cancel a program that covers insurance for 124 community associations but also has raised cries of unfairness from others stuck paying their own premiums.
"Everyone loses," said Cullen. "That's why we say it's a step backwards. It's the wrong way to deal with an inequitable situation."Community organizations need insurance to do just about anything, from running events in city parks to applying for grants. For the Champlain Park Community Association, insurance covers sleigh rides, winter carnivals and fun runs in the neighbourhood and it was lucky to receive city-paid premiums.
In 2001, council voted to lock in the status quo, creating a two-tiered system. As insurance costs shot up in recent years, some community groups were insulated while others, such as the Overbrook Community Association, were on the hook. "My position has always been, this is insanely inequitable and it blew my mind that it had gone on for 20 years," she said.
Staff say expanding the program could make costs skyrocket since there's no legal definition of a "community association," and potentially thousands of groups could qualify. "Insurance is expensive," he said. "It's hard to qualify for. And here's the city with a much larger capacity to absorb these costs. We're willing to do our part. We'd like to see the city's in our corner, and this is not helpful."