City offers YMCA supporters a sliver of hope

Mayor Matthew Shoemaker used Monday's council meeting to reveal that the city could be on the cusp of finding a way to save the Sault YMCA.

"This afternoon, and into this evening, the YMCA board met and approved exploring a proposal that could see their operations sustained," Shoemaker said to the dozens of YMCA supporters who packed the viewing gallery Monday night.

"We do not have a firm timeline at this point, but either the Y or the city will provide information as certain milestones are reached over the coming days and weeks."

Monday marked the first time Sault city council gathered for an official meeting since YMCA officials announced, on April 16, that they will be shutting down operations as of May 15 due to ongoing financial difficulties.

Since then, Shoemaker said the city has formed a working group, composed of YMCA members and other community partners, that has been meeting behind the scenes to find a way to avoid this grim outcome.

"Through the working group, the city is committed to continue to facilitate figuring out both short and long-term plans, and I have some cautious optimism we will have more news on the short-term plans by the next council meeting," the mayor said.

Monday's meeting also featured a presentation from members of the "Save Our YMCA" advocacy group, a grassroots organization that has been rallying public support for the local charity following the April 16 closure announcement.

After gathering outside the McNabb Street recreation centre for a demonstration on April 22, the group went on to host a town hall meeting at The Machine Shop on Saturday, with the hope of generating some solutions on how to keep the local YMCA, all its various services, alive.

Group organizer Kirsten Duke submitted their ideas to the council on Monday and used her time on the mic to highlight how "catastrophic" it would be for youth, seniors, families and the community at large if the local Y were to shut its doors.

"We now have the unfortunate experience of realizing the broader consequences of the proposed closure of a key part of our critical infrastructure that supports social services and mental health support across our community," Duke said.

"We would like you to take this unfortunate circumstance as an opportunity and to plan for it to never happen again."

Moving forward, Duke requested that a member of her advocacy group be added to the city's working group.

She also asks council to consider establishing a capital fund and related strategic plan to diversify social services here in the Sault.

While councillors didn't provide the advocacy group with any definitive answers Monday night, they uniformly praised the presenters for keeping this issue in the public eye throughout the past two weeks.

"The bottom line is we appreciate all of you being here and for those that are listening ... keep giving us those creative solutions and ideas," said Ward 1 Coun. Sandra Hollingsworth.

Meanwhile, Ward 3 Coun. Angela Caputo reminded the public that saving the YMCA will require long-term commitment, since the steep operating costs of maintaining the McNabb Street location is partly why the community is in this tough situation.

"It's clear to everyone in this room, over the course of the next number of years, we're going to need a new YMCA building," Caputo said of the recreation centre that first opened its doors in the fall of 1965.

"And so I hope to see this rally and this much heart and, if you have it in your pocketbooks, this much (financial) support for the YMCA when that does come about. "

Speaking to the media following her presentation, Duke said she is "heartened" by the response from mayor and council but was still left wanting more details.

"And I recognize that there are sensitivities around specifics and around finances," she said.

"However, I think it's really necessary at this point to be more transparent with the community at large. So I would like to see increased transparency from all participants in this process."

The YMCA has been operating in Sault Ste. Marie since 1990.

The organization currently employs approximately 140 staff and has a membership of around 3,300 people, according to a recent report that was submitted to city council for Monday's meeting.

In terms of day care services, the local YMCA offers 541 licensed spaces, with 140 of those spots being situated at the organization’s recreation centre on McNabb Street.

kdarbyson@postmedia.com

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Kyle Darbyson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Sault Star