Rally to save Sault YMCA draws energetic crowd
Dozens of Algoma residents worked up a decent sweat rallying outside the Sault Ste. Marie YMCA Monday, as the facility and all its services are at risk of being shut down in less than a month.
Despite this grim outlook, Monday's crowd remained energetic and upbeat, with rally attendees chanting "Save Our Y" and brandishing homemade signs that echoed this same sentiment.
This rally elicited a consistent cacophony of supportive honks from passing motorists for roughly an hour-and-a-half before festivities wrapped up around 6 p.m.
Rally organizer Ali Dennie told The Sault Star that she was very pleased with Monday's turnout, having put together this event through the "Save Our YMCA" Facebook page that she set up last Thursday.
While Monday's crowd was only a fraction of the group's 3,000 members, Dennie said this demonstration did its job in terms of showcasing the community's support for the YMCA, an institution that's been active in the Sault since 1900.
Dennie hopes to carry the momentum from Monday's rally into more public engagement and is looking to connect with Sault city officials during the next council meeting on April 29.
"We've made the application ... so hopefully next week we'll be speaking to council directly," Dennie said.
YMCA officials announced the impending closure of local operations on April 16, revealing that the local recreation centre at 235 McNabb Street is up for sale with services expected to shut down as of May 15.
YMCA officials wrote in a news release that the board came to this “extremely difficult decision” due to a number of factors, including increased operational costs, rising inflation and a slow return to pre-COVID membership rates.
This news came as a shock to many of Monday's rally attendees, including some active YMCA staff.
Marie Michaluk is an early childhood educator who works out of the YMCA's Tarentorus day care site, one of the eight YMCA day care centres scattered throughout the city.
Michaluk said losing the YMCA's day care services would be a devastating blow to the community, since the organization offers around 50 licensed day care spots at Tarentorus and 541 in total.
"There's no way that eight day cares can close," Michaluk said. "That's alot of families out of place, that's a lot of families that can't work. Some families don't have support of other family members here and they depend on us being open and their children being able to come to us when they need it."
YMCA officials are attempting to continue child care services through the District of Sault Ste. Marie Social Services Administration Board.
Michaluk hopes an agreement can be reached, especially since they just opened an expanded day care centre at Tarentorus several weeks ago.
"Our parents are trying their hardest to support us as much as they can," she said. "And we're just here for our families; the families we work for and the families that we've made between the staff and everyone."
Other rally attendees spoke about the importance of various YMCA programs that are on the chopping block if a new deal can't be reached by May 15.
Rob Breckenridge said his daughter Lily has been a member of the YMCA's competitive gymnastics team for two years now, which has highlighted how critical these group activities are to developing minds.
"I believe it's really important for children's mental health in our community and it has been for generations," Breckenridge said. "The snowball effect from this (closure) could be disastrous."
Meanwhile, Janette Lannigan said her family have been regulars at the YMCA's McNabb Street recreation centre for years and have utilized virtually every program and service offered on site.
"Family night out consists of coming here and going for a swim and getting in the hot tub. I've got two boys who are working their way towards getting their lifeguard (certification). My oldest works out after school. My daughter is just starting gymnastics, dance and everything," Lannigan said.
"I don't know what other place could replace it."
The recreation centre on McNabb originally opened its door in September 1965 and has undergone a number of renovations and expansions to accommodate the needs of a growing community.
However, YMCA officials say the operational costs of running such an old facility is part of the reason why they're in such dire financial straits.
Interim CEO John Haddock said during a public meeting last Wednesday that the local YMCA needs a $3 million "Band Aid" to keep everything afloat, with further investment required down the road to run local operations in the long term.
kdarbyson@postmedia.com
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Kyle Darbyson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Sault Star
