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FAQ
To access athletics and recreation facilities at the University of Victoria all UVic students, staff and faculty, as well as community members need to register. For those who have UVic NetLink IDs this is your primary login and for those in the community it is an easy one-time process to create your account.
For assistance in setting up your account or registering online for a program, please e-mail vikesrec@uvic.ca or call 250-472-4000. You can also visit us in person at the CARSA Membership Services counter located on Gabriola Road between McKenzie Avenue and Ring Road in Victoria.
Click on the topic you need help with:
Didn’t find the answer to your question here? Feel free to contact us directly, we are always happy to help: vikesrec@uvic.ca or call 250-472-4000.
What is the mandatory Athletics and Recreation (ATRS) student fee and why do I have to pay it?
For: Students
UVic students pay a mandatory Athletics and Recreation (ATRS)
student fee as part of their tuition. This fee is essential support required to
operate and maintain high quality facilities and offer an extensive range of
programming related to inclusive, healthy active living and varsity sport on
campus.
This portion of the student fees allows UVic to provide access to
a range of facilities for all students, including free access to the McKinnon pool
and weight room, CARSA squash courts, drop-in activities, and regular-season
varsity home games. It also supports hundreds of students participating in
Vikes sport clubs, allowing UVic to provide subsidized rates for the CARSA
Fitness and Weight Centre, CARSA Climbing Centre and for registered programs.
Students must pay additional fees to access the Fitness Weight
Centre, fitness classes, personal training and intramurals.
Is my student status assessed or non-assessed?
For: Students
Assessed: Students who pay the Athletics and Recreation Mandatory Fee as part of their UVic tuition. All full-time and part-time students attending classes on campus pay this fee.
Non-assessed: Students who do not pay the Athletics and Recreation Mandatory Fee as part of their UVic tuition. This includes students who study by distance education.
Why has the price of a student membership changed?
For: Students
New in 2022/23 all assessed part-time UVic undergraduate and graduate students will pay the same Athletics and Recreation mandatory fee of $94.31/term.
In previous years, part-time students have paid a lower mandatory ATRS fee than full-time students - $46.23/term in 2021-22 vs $92.46/term for full-time students last year. On average, UVic part-time students use ATRS facilities and services more often than full-time students.
The revenue resulting from this fee alignment will be invested back into our programs, facilities and services to directly benefit students. One immediate benefit to students this fall is a 25% price reduction on our optional student memberships inclusive of Fit, Climb, Fit Plus and All In.
What does the ATRS fee go towards?
For: Students
The ATRS fee accounts for approximately one-third of the department’s annual operating revenue to support programs, facilities and operations. This portion of the student fees allow UVic to provide access to our facilities for our entire student population, including free access to the McKinnon pool and weight room, CARSA squash courts, drop-in activities and regular-season varsity home games. It also supports Vikes student sport clubs and provides reduced rates for all students at the CARSA Fitness and Weight Centre, climbing wall and for intramural leagues.
How does the alignment of mandatory fees benefit students?
For: Students
By aligning the mandatory fee, ATRS can provide a 25% price reduction on the Fit/Climb portion of our CARSA FWC student memberships, which include access to the CARSA Fitness Weight Centre and the CARSA climbing wall. This, in turn, decreases the fees for all other forms of optional CARSA student memberships as the Group and All In components are set add-ons to the Fit membership.
The new fee alignment will cost a part-time student an additional $20 per term if they purchase an optional membership, instead of $47. Full-time students will benefit from a $27/term savings on an optional student membership.
A 25% reduction doesn’t seem significant enough, how else will this benefit the student body?
For: Students
Whether you use the ATRS services or not, the mandatory fee provides a crucial role in supporting mental and physical health for all students at UVic enriching the university experience. The access to additional revenue will go back to the students by providing more equitable programing, inclusive offerings, services, and events for all students on campus.
Why do part-time students have to pay the same fee as full-time students?
For: Students
On average, UVic part-time students use ATRS facilities and services more often than full-time students.
Students have faced financial hardship through the pandemic, combined with inflation and the increased cost of living, why is this being added now?
For: Students
We’ve been looking at ways to eliminate barriers, improve access and reduce cost for students for a long time. We believe now is the time to do this, as the sooner we can implement this change, the more students can benefit.
The fee is mandatory to all students; however, there are some exemptions such as distance learners, regular continuing staff who are also students, and students who have a medical exemption through the Centre for Accessible Learning. Learn more about what is required for an exemption here.
I don’t use the gym, why do I have to pay this fee?
For: Students
The Athletics and Recreation (ATRS) fee is not a gym fee or a fee for service. It provides essential support for ATRS facilities and operations, including all programming related to inclusive, healthy active living and varsity sport on campus. It funds services that play a vital role in supporting mental and physical health for all students at UVic and enriching the UVic experience.
The mandatory tuition fee accounts for approximately one-third of the ATRS annual operating budget to support facilities and operations. It allows UVic to provide our diverse student population with free access to numerous services and reduced rates at CARSA Fitness and Weight Centre, climbing wall and other services.
Login for the first time
For: Staff & Faculty, Students
- Visit vikesrec.ca/register
- Scroll down and click on
Log In
under the Current UVic Student, Staff and Faculty
section on the left
- Click
NetLink ID
- Follow the steps to sign in using your UVic NetLink ID and password
- Once you are redirected back to the Vikes registration portal be sure to sign your waiver
- Start accessing all of your registration opportunities. When you are signed in your NetLink ID should appear in the top right-hand corner of your screen
Forgot your NetLink ID
For: Alumni, Staff & Faculty, Students
If you are unsure if you have a NetLink ID or you think you have one but forgot the username or password visit: https://www.uvic.ca/netlink/recover
If you try to create a new account within the Vikes Active Living Portal that has an e-mail address already associated with a NetLink ID, visit https://www.uvic.ca/netlink/recover to reset your password and login following the instructions above.
Create a new account for community members
For: Community
- Visit vikesrec.ca/register
- In the top right hand corner of your screen click
Sign Up
- Fill out all of the necessary fields including your name, desired username, desired password and email address
- You will receive a confirmation by email to verify your account
- Once verified, you can log in and agree to the Terms of Use
Note: Your contact information will only be used to inform you about programs and services that pertain to you. It will allow Vikes Athletics and Recreation to contact you with important information such as unexpected closures, cancellations or registration issues. You no longer need a Member ID number to access registration.
Add a family member to account
For: Everyone
- Visit vikesrec.ca/register and login
- Click on your username in the top right hand corner
- In the
Personal Information
tab, scroll down to the bottom of the screen and look for the header Family Members
- Click
Add Family Member
and be sure to complete the form, including birth date for children, and then click Save
.
- Your family members should now be visible on your Personal Information profile.
Note: To register a child or youth for summer camps or an activity with age restrictions, the child must be registered under 'Family' to the adult registering as per the above instructions. i.e. You can not register a parent for Vikes Summer Camps or a youth program.
Register for a program
For: Everyone
- Visit vikesrec.ca/register and login
- Click the
≡
icon at the top left corner of your browser window
- Click
Programs
- Use the
Classification
tab to filter by type of registrable program
- Use the
Semester
tab to filter by when the program will be offered
- Once you select a classification, use the
Category
tab to view the specific categories (eg. Ballet is a category of the Adults – Dance classification)
- Click on the program you want to register for to see the specific
offerings (Note: there may only be one offering or session per program)
- Click
Register
for the offering you want to register for. Above the button you will see how many spots are available.
- Choose who you want to register the program for. Your name or any registered family members should appear.
- Double check the right offering (dates, time, program) appear in your shopping cart and follow the steps to checkout.
Note: You no longer need a Member ID number to access registration.
Register a child for a program
For: Everyone
- Visit vikesrec.ca/register and login
- Click the
≡
icon at the top left corner of your browser window
- Click
Programs
and find the offering you want to register your child for
- Click
Register
for the offering you want to register for. Above the button you will see how many spots are available.
- Choose who you want to register the program for. Only eligible members will be able to register i.e. a child with a birth date that meets the restrictions of the program offering
- Double check the right offering (dates, time, program) appear in your shopping cart and follow the steps to checkout.
If no dependents appear you can add them in the registration process or follow these steps.
Reserve a spot in group fitness programs
For: Everyone
Note: Vikes Fit or Climb members can only access select included Group Fitness classes. Vikes Fit Plus, Vikes All-in, Group Fitness drop-in pass includes all Group Fitness classes.
- Visit Group Fitness section
- Select the program you wish to reserve your spot for and click
Register
- Find the instance of the program you want to reserve your spot for (specific day and time of session)
- Click
Register
- Review booking policies and check-in timing here.
Reserve a squash court
For: Everyone
- Visit vikesrec.ca/register and login
- Choose
COURT BOOKINGS
from the main menu or front page
- Click on
Reserve
and type in your name under Participants
- Click on
Reserve Now
- An email confirmation will be sent
Did not receive a confirmation email
For: Everyone
If you did not receive a confirmation email from us, please check your junk/spam folder.
Please be aware if you are using a .gov or .bc.ca email address, the security settings may prevent some emails from being delivered.
System says email address is already in use
For: Everyone
This means an account using this email address is already in our system.
You may be creating a duplicate account or you were once a student / staff / faculty on campus and you used this email address associated to your NetLink ID and password.
If you were a student / staff / faculty and have need to regain access visit uvic.ca/netlink/recover.
If you are a community member, go to vikesrec.ca/register click on Log In
at the top of the page. Enter your email address or username the field under Email or Username
and click Next
. On the next screen click the Trouble logging in?
link and follow the instructions.