Stacey Baker, Senior Development Officer with the YMCA of Greater Toronto gave our club a 20 minute breakfast presentation and update on several new facilities planned to open in Toronto over the next 10 years as part of their capital expansion plans and their Strong Start, Great Future Campaign. Read more for the details of her talk and a brief but impressive video of the YMCA's exciting expansion plans.
Stacey Baker, a fundraiser for the YMCA of Greater Toronto, began by thanking the members for their ongoing support of the Y Summer Camp ($2,000 support last year), which was double-matched. She said last year the camp had 42,000 children and youth, of which over 50% got financial assistance. This year there will be 9 new locations, one at ECI, and more kids. She emphasized that the Y and our Rotary club are aligned in our aims and objectives for the community, namely building healthy and successful children and youth.
Stacey then detailed for the members the exciting expansion plans of the Y in the next few years, including the proposed new Kipling/Dundas facility. There will be 2 phases of expansion. Phase 1 would include the building or renovation of 5 new facilities in Toronto. These include the Vanauley Street Y, just opened at Queen and Spadina, Cooper-Koo Family Centre at Front and Cherry Street (to be turned over from the Pan Am Games in 2016), Kingston Road and Bridletown Circle Y’s in Scarborough (opening in 2017 and 2019 respectively) and the Kipling/Dundas site, scheduled to open in 2018. Phase 2 would include facilities in the 905 area.
The Kipling/Dundas site will be a 60,000 square foot facility built to LEED green building standards. The Y believes there are at least 8,000 people in the local community who could use it, but further research on demand is being done. Building is somewhat dependant on the City’s reconfiguration of the Six Points road system. The Y staff will be meeting with City staff in late June for further information. The Y currently anticipates it will own a free-standing building, but arrangements for air rights with a developer might be in the cards, as part of a multi-use facility. Donations from our Rotary club to the Y would be allocated to all of the projects, not just the Kipling/Dundas location, but various sponsorship, recognition and naming rights may be available for the club.
Brian Spencer thanked Stacey and presented a cheque for $2,000 for this year’s Summer Camp, and notification of a donation made to the Rotary International Foundation.