Brad Ambrosi plays a backhand shot against Mark Holtom during the Gas City Open squash tournament in this March 2019 file photo at the Downtown YMCA. Officials with both local facilities are saying they have no plans to close their doors and are looking to be a part of the decision making process for the city's rec plans.--NEWS FILE PHOTO
cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant
The YMCA of Medicine Hat is interested in a city report that states closing two of its facilities could make a new large rec centre and indoor pool a success, but is stressing that it intends to be part of the decision making process.
“It has the potential to solve a problem in the community,” Sharon Hayward, CEO the YMCA of Medicine Hat, said of the “Facilities for the Future” report brought to council this week.
“But it’s in very early stages, nothing’s been approved, and we want to make it clear that the YMCA is not closing.”
A long-term report on facility priorities for the city’s recreation department states that four large rec facilities, including two operated by the YMCA, are pulling users away from each other and making all operations less economically viable.
But it also talks about potential partnerships in operations, and the need for discussions with community groups in plans that would cover a five-year horizon.
“This could be years away, and in the meantime for the YMCA it’s status quo,” said Hayward. “We’re going to keep serving the community, our doors are still going to be open and at no point do we have any intention of getting out of the health, fitness or aquatics side of our operations.”
According to a general plan, the Crestwood Rec Centre, which administrators says is aging and underused, would be closed rather than receive critical upgrades worth $3.5 million to $7.5 million.
A new large fitness centre with indoor pool could be built for $55 million to $70 million but would require members from the Downtown YMCA and South Ridge Y to boost memberships and bring in enough revenue to justify the expense.
The final site has not been chosen, but would likely be in the south end, creating a catchment area of the whole south, to pair with the north-end Big Marble Go Centre.
Right now, according to parks director James Will, the facilities are competing with each other for patrons.
“There are facilities in this province that are self-sustaining,” he said, referring to cost recovery from operations. “We think it comes down to location.”
He further said Big Marble Go Centre could be cost neutral to taxpayers with 8,000 members, compared to about 2,300 at present.
Hayward said the city’s analysis seems to make sense, but her group would like to study it further.
“(The report) says there’s not enough people in the community to support the number of facilities that we have,” she said. “If we end up cannibalizing each other’s market share, that makes it challenging for any one of us to be successful.”
Last year the YMCA launched a capital campaign to undertake needed repair work and the group is not replacing boilers, piping and other critical pieces of operating equipment thanks to provincial grants.
“We’re not actively promoting a capital fund right now,” said Hayward, who said the work could be fully funded with a Community Facilities Improvement Program grants.
