`Hypocritical' motion on YMCA
Mayoral candidate's call for city to save facility dismissed as political posturing
Coun. Jeromy Farkas says he wants the city to talk with YMCA Calgary about keeping the Eau Claire recreation centre open, but a YMCA statement says conversations are already happening.
Farkas, who is running for mayor, announced through his campaign Wednesday he is bringing a notice of motion to council suggesting options to save the facility. Because the motion would have to be added to next week's city council meeting as urgent business, council will have to agree to discuss it before it gets a hearing.
The councillor said the Eau Claire YMCA closure is a “body blow” for those who live and work downtown, and options for maintaining the facility could include parking-fee relaxations, profit sharing or joint operations.
The building opened in 1988 and needs about $10 million in repairs and maintenance, according to YMCA Calgary president and CEO Shannon Doram.
“Council must act and make clear to residents and businesses that they have not been abandoned,” Farkas said.
News that the Gray Family Eau Claire YMCA would permanently close came last week. YMCA Calgary cited “financial pressures” and “challenges in the downtown environment” leading to a steep drop in membership over the past decade.
On Wednesday, the organization said in a statement it continues to discuss the Eau Claire facility's closure with city officials.
“YMCA Calgary reserves any comment until such time that there is something to report regarding those conversations.”
Some councillors criticized Farkas's suggestion as a “political stunt” that doesn't address the bigger
You provide no unique solutions of your own and are now warning about downtown's `death spiral.'
picture of downtown recovery.
Coun. Jeff Davison called Farkas's motion “hypocritical,” since the Ward 11 councillor has advocated in the past for things such as taking money out of the Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund (OCIF). That program offers grants to companies and entrepreneurs to create jobs and help diversify Calgary's economy.
“You provide no unique solutions of your own and are now warning about downtown's `death spiral,'” Davison wrote to Farkas on Twitter.
Farkas said he also wants to emphasize a “big-picture strategy” to restore downtown Calgary.
A city memo last week makes clear that the city doesn't have plans to take over the Eau Claire centre, which is wholly owned and operated by YMCA Calgary.
City staff are expected to detail recommendations for two struggling city-owned recreation centres in the Beltline and Inglewood next month.
This year's municipal election is still eight months away, on Oct. 18.
Besides Farkas, six other candidates are registered in the race for mayor: Ian Chiang, Brad Field, Jyoti Gondek, Larry Heather, Zane Novak and Grace Yan.