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Coun. Shelley Carroll, the City of Toronto budget chief

View larger image Ann Dembinski, president of CUPE Local 79, speaks to media in Toronto, on Monday night, July 28, 2009.

The City of Toronto says it is considering leasing or renting the ski hill operations at Earl Bales and Centennial Parks, and has no plans to shut down the ski hills.

According to a news release issued Monday afternoon, the city may rent or lease the ski hills -- and Glen Rouge campground -- to be operated by a third party in order to achieve a $700,000 "budget reduction."

The city's release follows one issued by CUPE Local 79 earlier this afternoon, saying the hills were going to close.

The union's release said the city budget includes plans to cut costs in several city programs and that the two ski parks, as well as the Glen Rouge campground, are candidates for shutdown, sale or leasing.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees represents ski instructors and other parks workers and is calling for more transparency in council's decisions to cut services.

"The public needs to know that decisions are being made in secret about which facilities and programs will continue as city services," said Ann Dembinski, president of CUPE Local 79, in the release.

She said the budget plan shows cuts in nearly every department, although the city hasn't made clear which services in each department could face the axe.

Local 79, which mainly represents the city's inside workers, was part of the massive city strike last summer.