The Montreal Rapids Recreation Club, a non-profit organization that organizes sports for kids, says the borough of Lachine won't give it full access to its facilities.

The club’s soccer players practise on a hill at Grove Hill Park instead of on the actual soccer field.

“The soccer field is locked, there's nothing going on there and we're from the neighborhood. We've been doing this since 1992,” said Edwin George, who spoke on behalf of the club.

The club wants to hold tournaments and use the borough's facilities, but the costs are too high. George said they sent the borough a request for a basketball tournament they're planning for August. The request was for one booth, two scoring tables and some electricity, and Lachine asked them to pay $5,000.

“We can't afford it, some of the kids their parents are on social assistance,” he said, adding their parents can't afford to pay the fees for the teams recognized by the borough.

The group has about 50 children who play both soccer and basketball, and although many parents are happy they're getting exercise, they're frustrated that the team can't move forward.

“It's fun to do it off the cuff, and have little scrimmages like that, but it's good to have things organized for them,” said mother Tenkarra Makonnen.

The borough says the Montreal Rapids can use the fields but if the group needs extras like generators or chairs, it will have to pay.

Part of the reason for that is a limited budget and that the borough already has official teams for soccer and basketball.

“If we start recognizing two or three organizations, under the present policy we can wind up with three or four hockey associations, one or two basketball, three or four baseball and that's what we wanted to do, avoid having too many recognized in each,” said  borough spokesperson Denis Gaumond.

The team says it's applied for official status several times but has been denied.

Lachine says it's reviewing its protocol and that the Montreal Rapids can reapply in the fall, but George says that's not good enough.

“Why do we have to wait until the end of the year to be recognized? The summer is now, we need access to the playing ground,” he said.