BRANTFORD -- The COVID-19 pandemic has put many summer sports on hold and some athletes and their parents say they won't be getting a refund on the fees they’ve already paid for sports this year.
"I paid the fee of $160," Brantford resident Mike Boucher said.
Brantford's Ball Hockey International (BHI) said the season was already well underway when it was shut down due to the virus.
Boucher said he won't be getting his deposit back from the league.
"My kid's not going out in 40 degree weather and playing ball hockey," he said. "The fall starts ice hockey."
BHI said its policy says there are no refunds once the season begins, adding it would be unfair for current and past members.
"The majority of the spring season fees that have been collected was used towards the preparation of the spring season, which includes designing and purchasing the youth custom team jerseys valued over $10,000," said a statement to CTV News Kitchener from a league representative.
The organization said other leagues have been forced to do the same thing.
A notice on BallHockey.com said refunds can't be issued because the COVID-19 pandemic means new investments will be needed to fund reopening the rinks.
Kyla Gallagher registered her four-year-old for gymnastics, but only got to a few classes before the gym had to close.
"We had already paid all of our fees in advance, which was well over $400," she said.
Parents who have been unable to get a refund said they may take their kids elsewhere to a new league in the future.
"We'll just go somewhere else for ball hockey," Boucher said. "It's the fact that they didn't even offer the refund, they just said too bad, use it as a credit of $160."
Brantford BHI said the credit can be used towards for rink rentals or birthday parties in 2020 or 2021.
Residents also said they've lost deposits for cancelled competitions. Some places have offered credits for next year, but parents said it depends on the organization.
