Struggling Sudbury YMCA seeks new deal as annual losses near $750K

The future of the YMCA in Sudbury is uncertain, as annual operating losses at the Durham Street location approach $750,000.

Officials are meeting with the city to try and find options to make operations viable as the site loses money and operational changes are needed to keep it operating.

Officials with the YMCA of Northeastern Ontario said Monday that Ys in North Bay and Timmins are in good shape financially, but that is not the case in Sudbury.

"We are not prepared to put the entire association at risk by continuing to just lose money here,” said Helen Francis, CEO and president of the YMCA of Northeastern Ontario.

“So we would have to enter some form of restructuring post-March 31st if we couldn't guarantee its viability … Hoping we don't get there and we are working really hard and I would say the indicators today say that we will find a viable solution."

The YMCA building on Durham Street is a condominium. The Y owns 60,000 square feet and the city owns three units including the Parkside Centre, which the non-profit rents.

At the centre itself, there are 700 members who are 50 plus who take part in a variety of activities.

"Hopeful that there will be a positive long-term solution, a viable one that will allow the building to operate into the future in a very sustainable manner," said John Richer, manager of the Parkside Centre.

One change the Y in Sudbury would like to see is a new agreement with the city related to sharing utility costs for the building.

"We are in a condo that is shared ownership with the City of Greater Sudbury and they are one of the original partners in the Centre for Life,” Francis said.

“So we are having conversations with them as to how we might open up our condominiums definition document and redshift that utility split, recognizing the over 22 years the usage in each of our units has changed."

Francis confirmed talks with the city include other ideas such as ways of increasing memberships and making better use of the square footage the YMCA owns in the building.