YMCA Re-opening Information Important Information

Dear Members:

Following the provincial government’s announcement of the move to Phase III of its re-openings plan, I am writing to you with the announcement of our re-opening date of September 1, 2021.

I realize that many of you will be disappointed that we are not re-opening on day one.

At this time, we are evaluating and charting what our re-opening will look like. As I'm sure you are aware, re-opening an operation like the YMCA is a complex undertaking. Not only must we get our facilities and systems re-approved by public health units, but staff call-backs, re-hiring and retraining is also something that needs to be carried out.

Finally, and to be completely transparent, we can only open when it makes financial sense to do so, as we cannot risk re-opening with fewer returning members than facilities like ours needs to operate. Summers are traditionally slower months and projections indicate that our membership level would not be sufficient until the fall. As a charity, it is particularly important that we are mindful of our fiscal responsibility. Our re-opening date on September 1 will help to ensure the long-term viability of our programs in service to our communities.

Now the plan for re-opening truly begins. I know that I speak on behalf of our staff when I tell you how excited we are to welcome you back. As part of our preparations, we are reaching out to you to help us!

We have prepared a survey asking for your feedback on such topics as programs of interest, preferred hours of access and our current online classes. Your feedback will help us plan more effectively to meet your preferences as we are able. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey; the deadline is July 20. We will share the results of the survey with you later this summer. Information on programming, schedules and registration will be available following the survey in August.

On a practical note, you will see your fees, which have been suspended, being processed as of September 1^st. Your fees will continue to be drawn on the first of each month unless you submit a request through member services to move the payment date to the 15^th of each month. Please note that the deadline to change your payment date or to place your membership on hold prior to the September 1^st payment is August 20, 2021.

I commit to keeping you informed by providing updates on re-opening plans. For questions about membership, people can contact: Brockville: brk.membership@eo.ymca.ca and Kingston: kng.membership@eo.ymca.ca.

Sincerely,

Rob Adams
CEO, YMCA of Eastern Ontario