If you tried to log in online on Aug. 28 to reserve your favourite District of Squamish recreation program, you likely got an exercise in frustration.
Plenty of folks took to their keyboard to complain online about not being able to register for this fall’s round of municipally offered activities.
The issues were primarily related to online payment processing, resulting in some customers being unable to complete payments and register for programs.
The District says the recreation registration software provider had scheduled a software update the evening before the District’s fall registration date.
"The software provider indicated there would be no anticipated impacts; however, unfortunately, the update caused issues for municipalities across the country," said District spokesperson Rachel Boguski.
"The District apologizes for any inconvenience the registration issues may have caused. We thank the community for their patience and understanding as we work with the software provider to resolve the issues and continually improve the registration process."
Boguski noted that since the adoption of the registration software in 2021, muni staff have worked with the software provider to “refine and improve” processes.
"There have been some prior registration day issues related to payment processing. However, they were unrelated to the technical issue last week."
A key area staff have focused on is building system capacity to meet community demand that has grown exponentially in recent years, Boguski added.
"This has included changing payment providers and ensuring the software provider can accommodate increased capacity at peak registration times."
Despite the technical issues and processing delays last week, the District did not see reduced registration for fall programs, Boguski said.
"We were able to register slightly more customers on day one of registration compared with day one last year.”
Swimming lessons and gymnastics continue to be among the most popular programs, according to Boguski.
In terms of future issues, Boguski said District staff have been in communication with the software provider to resolve the payment processing issues related to the software update and will work with the company on the timing of future updates to help prevent the same issues from reoccurring.
"Staff are also working closely with the software provider to explore increased support on registration day to troubleshoot any issues that should occur."
If customers are still experiencing payment processing issues, Boguski said to go to Brennan Park Recreation Centre or email [email protected] for customer support.
Residents can also find frequently asked questions and registration tips on the District website: Login or Create an Account - District of Squamish - Hardwired for Adventure.
