Pathway in place to save Sault YMCA

The Sault Ste. Marie YMCA is no longer heading for closure, but it’s going to take a community effort to ensure the facility stays operational.

Details emerged Thursday surrounding the path to keep the Y going, with municipal involvement, partnership from a charitable group and public support all needed.

Poor finances saw the YMCA teetering on the edge of closure, but a new multi-pronged plan to save the institution is in the works.

It first hinges on the community, with a drive to increase membership from 3,000 to 4,500.

An anonymous charity is buying the building for $2 million will reduce costs, because lease payments will be less than its previous mortgage.

“Though it is undergoing significant financial difficulty,” said Mayor Matthew Shoemaker.

“It's never missed a mortgage payment. The hope is that with the new arrangement, the new building owner and more favorable lease terms that they will have more free cash available.”

Sault Ste. Marie is set to become a backstop for the YMCA on its lease, with the option to take responsibility if the current regime is unable to keep up with necessary payments.

“We will expect in order to enter into these arrangements oversight on the governance, oversight on the management, oversight on the finances,” Shoemaker said.

“Those are three areas that are critical to us being confident that if we enter into these leases with the owner and with the Y, that we aren't going to be left holding the bag.”

Another major component is a possible investment from the city. A funding request to the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corp. would see the province cover almost half of the $1 million in repairs that plague the current building.

The other half would need to come from the city.

“The fact that the systems were outdated there and needed to be upgraded but the money wasn't available to upgrade meant that more members were leaving them were coming in,” Shoemaker said.

“You were working on a facility that had outdated equipment, outdated, you know, HVAC system.”

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Council will vote Monday whether to support the other half of the NOHFC funding, with it likely to come from the 2023 surplus within the contingency reserve.

The Y is also expected to enter into an agreement with the YMCA of Northeastern Ontario at some point in the future.