Like many parents in Toronto, Kim Robatsong has had a frustrating time navigating the city’s online registration process for recreational programs.
“There was a problem with the client number. It was first set up for my husband, myself and my son. Then when I got one for my daughter, they re-did the whole account for four new people, so the numbers weren’t working.”
READ MORE: Toronto to overhaul online registration process for camps, recreation programs
Long delays in the online cue are also a problem. Robatsong said she woke up at 7 a.m. and waited three hours before successfully securing a spot for one of her children.
Mayor John Tory acknowledged the issue he inherited and said the city is working on an immediate short-term fix that should improve the experience for the fall.
“In the short term we are trying to fix the existing system as best we can with more server capacity and different tweaks,” he told reporters at a Wednesday morning press conference.
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“It’s run by a software system that’s grossly out of date should have been replaced years ago and wasn’t.”
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While the Band-Aid solutions are in place, the city is working to completely replace the aging, inadequate software that’s leading to lengthy online bottlenecks and disappointment for parents.
“That will take another year to be fully implemented,” Tory said.
Councillor Paula Fetcher said the problem has been allowed to linger because of past priorities at city hall.
“I think we’re a little slow in the city to appreciate how important interface is in the digital age,” she said. “We’re busy moving the Gardiner – big, big things.”
In the past, registration for programs had to be done in person or by phone. Since migrating to the internet, the process has become more accessible and that has led to the surge in demand.
“Don’t give up,” said Fletcher, who sits on the city’s recreation committee.
“Always go on the wait list because there are people that don’t show up.”
Tory is expected to make another announcement next week related to improvements to the system.
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