YMCA of Sault Ste.Marie looking to save 500 child-care spots as it faces shutdown

As the YMCA of Sault Ste. Marie prepares to close its doors by May 15, it says it's working to find daycare spots for the 500 children enrolled in its programs.

In an update on Tuesday, the YMCA of Sault Ste. Marie said it would be selling its property on McNabb Street and closing all of its programs.

"In terms of our eight YMCA child-care sites, we can say that our funding partners are working on a plan for continuation of service. Parents and staff will receive frequent updates," the update said.

John Haddock, YMCA of Sault Ste. Marie's interim CEO, said they are in discussions with the Algoma District Services Administration Board to find a solution to keep offering daycare services at those locations.

The update said increased operational costs, combined with inflation and a slow return to pre-COVID membership levels put the organization in a difficult financial position.

Haddock said he wasn't privy to more specific details regarding the YMCA's finances.

He was the YMCA of Sault Ste. Marie's CEO in the 1990s but left in 1997 and went on to run YMCA locationsin other parts of Ontario. He returned as interim CEO only recently.

"I couldn't even name the people, let alone what the circumstances were," Haddock said.

In its 2023 annual report, the YMCA of Sault Ste. Marie said it had a deficit of $211,263 in 2023 and $61,723 the year before.

"This is the worst experience I've ever had as a YMCA professional," Haddock said about the imminent closure. "Very difficult."

Lorrie Turnbull, president and CEO of the YMCA of Northeastern Ontario, said the situation in Sault Ste. Marie as a "cautionary tale" of what can happen to similar organizations if they don't have their finances in order.

"It's particularly heartbreaking for us because we are neighbours in the north and, you know, we can appreciate what that would feel like," Turnbull said.

The YMCA of Northeastern Ontario runs YMCA services in Timmins, North Bay and Sudbury.

In Sudbury, Turnbull said they hope to work out a deal with the city for a cost-sharing agreement to run their centre downtown.

"The cost to own and operate a YMCA, of course, is ever increasing," she said.

Turnbull said their membership has started to recover after declining during the pandemic. But it remains a challenge to stay afloat financially without support from the municipality.