The selling of the Orillia YMCA building is “offensive” to those who used and supported the facility, says a local resident.
Mike McMurter had been a member of the YMCA for about 10 years and was disappointed to learn this week the building had been sold to a private company.
“The YMCA was of vital importance to the physical and social well-being of the community. It’s offensive and devious of them to sell it,” he said.
The YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka announced the sale in a news release issued Monday. Details of the sale, including who bought the Peter Street facility, are not being released. When asked why, CEO Jill Tettmann said the new owner wasn’t ready to make that information public.
Last month, she told OrilliaMatters selling the property was not the goal of the organization and that it hadn’t been put on the market.
On Tuesday, she confirmed it was never put on the market, but said the organization received “a competitive offer from a reputable purchaser.” Given the YMCA’s financial situation, there was a sense of urgency to sell it and use the money — an amount that isn’t being disclosed — to “ultimately contribute to the financial stability of our charity.”
The money won’t necessarily be used specifically for the local programs and services the YMCA still offers, including child care, before- and after-school care, and day camps.
Many in the community have contributed to the local YMCA, including its expansion, and were upset that they and others weren’t consulted both prior to the decision to close the facility in August 2020 and prior to the sale.
“I am offended that the Y did not reach out to the membership and those who have contributed thousands and thousands of dollars to the capital projects,” McMurter said.
Tettmann said the YMCA is grateful for the community support over the years.
“These were generous donations and we need these donations for all of our facilities and as a charity to support our ongoing operations,” she said.
The YMCA will continue to offer programs and services in Orillia, Tettmann said, adding the organization is still involved with a committee that includes city councillors and other local groups looking to find additional opportunities in town.
Coun. Jay Fallis is on that committee. Members were hoping to see a youth transitional housing hub created at the site at 300 Peter St. N. To make that happen, the YMCA asked city council in December to support its request for a ministerial zoning order. The zoning change would have potentially made the project eligible for federal funding.
Council voted 5-4 against endorsing the MZO request.
“It did feel like a sting,” said Fallis, who voted in favour, “but you have to move forward.”
A youth transitional housing hub was among the main focuses of the committee, but council’s decision in December “did sort of change the direction,” he said.
The committee continues to meet to explore other opportunities, including youth services in town, but it’s unknown if any such facility will eventually be created.
“It’s premature to say what the result will be, but I certainly hope it heads in that direction,” Fallis said.
Some of the facilities at the Orillia YMCA have been rented out to various groups since its closure was announced. There are no permanent staff at the Peter Street building. Some staff were laid off, while others were “repurposed” to work at other YMCA operations, said Tettmann, who couldn’t say how many lost their jobs and how many remained with the organization.
The Orillia YMCA was named after Skid Watson. He was its secretary for more than 40 years. Tettmann said the YMCA has had conversations with Watson’s family about ways to preserve his legacy in town, but no decisions have been made yet.
She also said there will be an opportunity to preserve memorabilia inside the building. Anyone interested in learning more about that can contact the YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka. The organization has a few weeks to get its belongings out of the building.
It will leave a void that will be difficult to fill, said McMurter.
“The culture of the YMCA will never be duplicated at the new recreation centre,” he said. “It was a community of helping and sharing and camaraderie and social interaction that can never be duplicated. It was an incredibly important part of my life, and it’s all gone now.”
