City won’t take over YMCA but will help absorb loss of programs: mayor

Mayor Matthew Shoemaker says it is unlikely that the city will purchase and operate the soon-to-close Sault Ste. Marie YMCA on McNabb Street, but he expects some municipal services will take on more responsibilities to lessen the impact of losing those services the Y has provided for decades.

Reached by phone on Tuesday, Shoemaker told SooToday that like many local residents, he and his family have benefited from the programming provided at the local Y and the news of its impending closure and loss of all of its programs is difficult to hear.

"That's where I learned to swim," said Shoemaker. "I know what it means the people in the community."

On Tuesday, the Sault Ste. Marie YMCA confirmed its building is for sale and all programming will cease by May 15, with staff layoffs to match.

Shoemaker said he has met with local YMCA management a number of times since becoming mayor in 2022 and each time the situation became more and more challenging for its leadership.

"It was probably over the last three or four months that it became increasingly dire and over the last four weeks it's been: 'How can we avoid this?'" said Shoemaker. "I think they reached a point... that the stage they are at today is one of the best options for them, even though it's a terribly undesirable option."

In its letter to members, the Y said it was in a difficult financial position due to "increased operational costs coupled with inflation and a slow return to pre-COVID levels of participation."

"They certainly seem to have been negatively affected and never really recovered from the pandemic," Shoemaker said of the Y's challenges in signing up members. "They lost much of their stable revenue source, and it's hard to attract new members with an old building."

Shoemaker said as mayor, he is willing to point the Y's leadership to funding applications or facilitate meetings with higher levels of government to find a solution, but noted a city takeover of the facility is unlikely.

"In terms of operating, from the municipality's perspective, I don't think that is something council is willing to entertain at this point," he said.

There is an opportunity, Shoemaker said, for the city to take up some of the slack in providing some of the programming that will be lost with the closure.

"I think what you will see over the course of from now to May 15 is an effort to make sure that whatever can be maintained or reallocated to other service providers, because there isn't a scenario in my mind where everything that they're currently doing simply stops," said Shoemaker. "You might see a loss of some of the services but I think you will see others shifted around. We know that the city is likely going to be called upon to provide more swimming lessons, for example."

Of immediate concern is the 140 daycare spaces currently being provided out of the Y's childcare centre at the McNabb Street site. That number includes before school and after school programs.

"That [daycare] is a critical critical need in the community we certainly can't afford to lose," said Shoemaker.

The city will work with the District of Sault Ste. Marie Social Services Administration Board (DSSAB) to ensure those spaces continue to operate or are reallocated in the system, said Shoemaker.

During last month's meeting of the DSSAB, integrated program manager Tanya Ritter told the board more than 2,000 children are currently on the wait list for daycare in Sault Ste. Marie.

Stephanie Hopkin, chair of the DSSAB, told SooToday on Tuesday the news of the Y closing is devastating.

"We're doing everything humanly possible to work towards having those [140 daycare] spaces absorbed into this system," she said. "It's not something that we can necessarily guarantee to the parents right now, but really working hard on solutions to have continued service for the community."

"I understand that the parents are going to be very worried about this, and I can understand why, but I do know that the board is putting a big priority on trying to work with the Y to get it smoothed out," she added.

Hopkin said the DSSAB was made aware of the problems at the Y about a month ago and the board has been working ever since on a solution to the possible loss of those 140 spots at the McNabb location. She said to her knowledge, the seven other remote Y childcare sites are continuing to operate.

"The spots that we've been discussing are the ones that the main location because that's the infrastructure that is at risk," said Hopkin. "It's really been the spots at the main location that we've been discussing."

The city and Y leadership are creating a working group to explore the potential for future services to be provided by the organization. Shoemaker said he is optimistic a solution can be found.

"We will try everything we can to make sure that the disruption caused by the closure, if it ends up being the case, because I don't want to discount the possibility that someone could buy it and allow the Y to continue to operate as a tenant," he said.