The YMCA of Medicine Hat would be significantly impacted the recommendations made in the City of Medicine Hat's Parks and Recreation Master Plan. (Photo Courtesy Bob Schneider)

By Chris Brown

YMCA working closely with city on future of recreation facilities

Aug 30, 2023 | 4:03 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – A local charity devoted to enhancing people’s personal wellness would be significantly impacted by the Parks and Recreation Master Plan final report presented this week to Medicine Hat City Council.

The report recommends a new large community recreation facility in the city’s south end that would include at least one pool, fitness facilities and other amenities.

As part of the overall plan, the Downtown and South Ridge YMCAs would be closed.

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CEO Sharon Hayward says the city and YMCA of Medicine Hat worked closely as the report was created and it’s an appealing plan for the future.

“We were pleased to see that the city’s planning in advance, we’re happy to participate with them in that process,” she says. “But we want to be very clear we’re not closing. So rest assured, to our members in the community, we are here, we’re going to continue to be here. But we will also continue to be good partners with the city and work with them throughout this process.”

The report is clear that facilities won’t be closed before replacements are built.

Among the report’s findings were that the current facilities compete for users due to overlapping catchment areas and facilities are small and outdated.

Neither is a surprise to Hayward.

“What we heard loud and clear and what we experience is that there’s just not enough people in our community to support the facilities that we have,” she says.

On the state of the YMCA’s downtown location, Hayward says anyone that’s been there can see it needs capital improvements.

“We’re putting well over a million dollars into that building right now we have to do that just to get through the next five years. We don’t want to be in the business of maintaining capital facilities. We want to be in the business of providing services to the citizens in the community.”

She says the YMCA will do its best to get through the next several years and will continue to work with the city on looking at better options to serve the community in the future.”