Pelham treading carefully concerning YMCA funding
Pelham town council wants to take some time before entering into a partnership with YMCA of Niagara.
Instead, politicians, after hearing a presentation led by Christian Wulff, the organization’s chief executive officer, asked staff to look at options available to the town to help the Y make its Niagara Centre site at Niagara College in Welland financially sustainable.
In a presentation to council, YMCA has asked the town for about $100,000 annually. The ask is for $111,018 in 2023 to be gradually reduced to $96,972 by 2027.
“We’re looking for a five-year — potentially renewable — agreement where there will be an opportunity for the council to inject some funds to ensure that we can make them remain in the community and keep delivering services,” Wulff said.
As part of its sustainability plan, YMCA now offers flexible membership options, including for fitness only and aquatics only. Also in the forecast is a $629,871 shortfall in 2023, which will be cut to $378,519 by 2027.
Funding, Wulff said, doesn’t need to be strictly cash. It could come in the form of capital infrastructure investments or through shared services.
During the presentation, Ben McDermott, the Y’s general manager of health and wellness, outlined services provided by the Y, but also illustrated its current difficult situation.
“We provide vital services such as health, fitness clinics, licensed child care, EarlyON education day camp, immigrant services, employment, leadership development and volunteer opportunities,” he said.
It is becoming more of a challenge to keep going, however, he said. Membership has been steadily declining, down from 5,101 members in 2016-17 to 1,272 in 2021-22. Competition and the COVID-19 pandemic were both contributing factors to the decline, McDermott said.
Over the past decade, YMCA has closed three Niagara locations — Fort Erie, St. Catharines and Niagara Falls.
Besides Niagara Centre, remaining branches are in Port Colborne at Vale Health and Wellness Centre and in Grimsby.
“We experienced a decline in overall membership due to an increase in the number of for-profit fitness businesses that entered the marketplace,” he said. “And shortly after that, the pandemic hit, and our YMCA was forced to close for a significant amount of time due to the pandemic.”
Ward 1 Coun. Wayne Olson said part of the problem the Y faces boils down to cost. For-profit gyms offer services cheaper and some of those new gyms are in Pelham. He didn’t like the idea of the town choosing one over the other.
“I can’t see taking tax dollars from the people that pay taxes here for our gyms and giving it to a competitor in another business,” he said.
Ward 3 Coun. Shellee Niznik said she is generally supportive of YMCA.
“I think it is important that we try to come up with some way to support the Y moving forward,” she said. “They are the only indoor pool facility. We will never, in the near future, anyway, have an indoor pool.”
With the town growing to the south, that area of Pelham and Welland are becoming a “close-knit community” that is served by the Y.
“I would hope council wouldn’t shut the door completely,” she said.
Council approved a motion put forward by Niznik that asked staff to look at what financial options are available to the town and bring back a report in April.
‘‘ I think it is important that we try to come up with some way to support the Y moving forward.
SHELLEE NIZNIK WARD 3 COUNCILLOR