The Aporia
Schools are paid for by our tax dollars. The latest increases in community-use fees are outrageous. (2026, September 15). Toronto Star. https://www.thestar.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/schools-are-paid-for-by-our-tax-dollars-the-latest-increases-in-community-use-fees-are-outrageous/article_038b1617-661c-4806-a874-f5d7f2d77bf9.html
“Schools are paid for by our tax dollars. The latest increases in community-use fees are outrageous.” Toronto Star, 15 Sept. 2026, https://www.thestar.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/schools-are-paid-for-by-our-tax-dollars-the-latest-increases-in-community-use-fees-are-outrageous/article_038b1617-661c-4806-a874-f5d7f2d77bf9.html.
“Schools are paid for by our tax dollars. The latest increases in community-use fees are outrageous.” Toronto Star, September 15, 2026. https://www.thestar.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/schools-are-paid-for-by-our-tax-dollars-the-latest-increases-in-community-use-fees-are-outrageous/article_038b1617-661c-4806-a874-f5d7f2d77bf9.html.
Dated when The Aporia collected the article, usually within hours of publication. Check the original for its exact date and byline.
In Aurora, Ontario, Susan James criticizes the York Region District School Board (YRDSB) for imposing significant fee hikes on not-for-profit youth groups using school facilities. For the 2025-26 academic year, a weeknight gym permit cost $715; by 2026-27, it skyrocketed to over $5,400, representing an approximately 800% increase. The new fees include an exorbitant parking charge of more than $600.
Meanwhile, Edward Collis from Burlington highlights the issue of expensive life-saving drugs, specifically mentioning Merck & Co.'s Keytruda, priced at over $100,000 per patient annually. He argues that such high costs are not reflective of fair medical pricing but rather exploitative practices, noting that Merck collected more than $30 billion in 2025 alone from these sales.
Both critiques underscore the broader issue of affordability and accessibility within Canada's healthcare system, which struggles with rising costs for new technologies and drugs.