'The axe hasn't dropped': YMCA leadership says there is some hope
YMCA organizers faced an emotional crowd Wednesday afternoon, less than 24 hours after they announced that their Sault Ste. Marie recreation centre is up for sale and local operations will be shuttering on May 15.
To help clear the air following this surprise announcement, the YMCA hosted a public meeting at its indoor basketball court, which attracted dozens of members who got to express their disappointment and shock in person.
Interim CEO John Haddock led this meeting alongside board member Jake D'Agostini, who fielded questions from the crowd regarding why the organization is seemingly closing up shop after being active in the community since 1900.
One of the recurring questions that popped up during this meeting had to do with the suddenness of Tuesday's announcement and why the community wasn't given any advanced warning of the charity's dire financial circumstances.
Haddock and D'Agostini responded by saying that they couldn't disclose these ongoing challenges (including increased operational costs, inflation and a slow return to pre-COVID participation rates) due to “legal matters,” although they said they desperately wanted to go public much earlier.
This answer didn't satisfy many longtime members attending Wednesday's meeting, who said they would have rallied and organized any numbers of fundraisers to stop this sale and closure from happening.
"It would have been really nice if we had an opportunity to hear 'guess what, you're going to lose your Y unless we get some stuff going,'" member Mark Jenkins said.
"If we do have a chance, why didn't we hear about this six months ago, so we could have all gotten together and started a funding campaign?"
However, Haddock responded by saying that the costs associated with temporarily pulling the YMCA out of this hole are very steep, with around $3 million being needed as an immediate "Band Aid" solution.
"If there's an angel investor that is going to step forward in the next week, the next 10 days, then absolutely we can have those discussions," Haddock said.
While Wednesday's meeting didn't present any clear answers on how to generate these funds, D'Agostini said the board will be working over the coming days and weeks to explore all possible options.
"The axe hasn't dropped. This is kind of the 11th hour. But the information is out there and we'll have to just wait and see," D’Agostini said. "We will explore every possible option we have."
After Wednesday's meeting passed the one-hour mark, the crowd became less angry and adopted more of a productive tone, with members offering to volunteer their time to help the YMCA with whatever they need to keep its local operations afloat.
"There's so much income potential here," member Ali Dennie said.
"If everybody cares as much as they say they do about the programming ... it's still there. We can bring it back. We need this for our community."
Haddock also used Wednesday's meeting to provide some clarity on the status of the YMCA various programs as May 15 looms.
In terms of the YMCA's daycare program, with 140 spots located at its recreation centre alone, Haddock said the board is working with the District of Sault Ste. Marie Social Services Administration Board to ensure that this program continues in some form.
However, the fate of the YMCA's various other programs, such as gymnastics and summer day camps, remain up in the air.
Haddock also revealed that the local YMCA's membership currently sits at around 2,800 people, which is a far cry from the roughly 7,000 members it registered in decades past.
Due to these falling membership rates, coupled with the major operational costs associated with maintaining a 59-year-old facility, Haddock said the closure of the current recreation centre at 235 McNabb St. is an inevitability.
Moving forward, a new location will be required if the YMCA is expected to stay in this community in the long term.
"Our future isn't here," Haddock said of the recreation centre, which first opened its door in the fall of 1965.
kdarbyson@postmedia.com
The Local Journalism Initiative is made possible through funding from the federal government
Kyle Darbyson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Sault Star
