Wyatt wants city to help get new YMCA facilities started

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This article was published 06/05/2015 (3789 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

With no word from the Selinger government on proposed funding for three new YMCA-YWCA facilities, a local city councillor is pushing for the city to take the lead on the project.

Transcona Coun. Russ Wyatt arrived at city hall Wednesday to plead with Mayor Brian Bowman and his executive police committee to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the YMCA, to revive the project.

“I am optimistic the province will come to the table,” Wyatt said. “The city should take the lead, this is about leadership coming from the city, coming from the mayor, to make sure that we get this done.”

The city set aside $1.75 million in the 2014 operating budget to help fund the YMCA’s ambitious $140 million plan to build three facilities in the southeast, northeast and northwest areas of the city over 11 years.

The plan was contingent on a cost sharing agreement with the province and the YMCA, making the city on the hook for $46.7 million for the three facilities.

However, the province did not come to the table that year and the decision was made to use the $1.75 million to balance the 2014 budget.

EPC endorsed Wyatt’s motion, which directed the public service to come back in 180 days with a memorandum of understanding with the YMCA.

After the meeting, Bowman said the city will have to wait and see whether the province will come through with funding.

“Right now, all we are doing is making sure the previous council’s motion is given life and the public service be directed to work on the MOU, this has to be worked on in consultation with a variety of partners,” he said. “At the end of the day we are looking for increased options for Winnipeggers for their recreational needs.”

Kent Paterson, CEO of the YMCA, said Wednesday afternoon the hope is to build the first facility, at an undetermined location in the southeast area of the city, within five or six years.

Paterson said they will “cross that bridge when we come it,” when asked about the facilities’ future if the province doesn’t come to the table.

“We haven’t really gotten to the point yet where we have had something formal to present to the province, so I don’t want it to be seen as the province has made a decision to support, or not support the project,” he said. “We need to get an MOU with the city done first, in my perspective.”

A spokeswoman for the province’s City of Winnipeg department did not comment on the status of the funding, but listed off a number of previous recreational projects they have partnered with the city on.

“When the City of Winnipeg has prioritized projects in the past, we have been there with matching funding,” she stated.

The motion will go to council for final approval on May 27.