The announcement that the YMCA of Moose Jaw was closing its doors caught Salina Marceau by surprise, since she learned about the shut down on social media instead of official channels.
The organization announced on May 28 that it was closing its doors after 114 years of service in the community. Both YMCA locations will close by June 30, while the Regina YMCA will take over the organization’s child-care services by July 2. Nearly 200 people packed into the Cosmo Seniors Centre hall for the announcement.
“(I was) shocked and concerned for my front desk staff,” said Marceau, the membership services supervisor and a fitness instructor. “When you see that sort of thing, our front desk staff are the face of the Y and they’re going to get it (from members).”
Marceau has been with the organization for three years. She wasn’t shocked by what she heard from the board chair, interim CEO, and board members during the meeting, while she thought people in attendance asked good questions.
Marceau will lose her job once the doors close at both locations.
“That’s a pretty big deal,” she laughed.
While the board decided to close both locations because of financial problems, Marceau thought not enough consideration was given to supporting services that weren’t necessarily money-related. For example, she thought more thought should have gone into at-risk youths, sponsored members, and other issues facing the community.
The YMCA is supposed to be a hub, she continued. Even if someone took over the Athabasca Street gym, that wouldn’t be the same vision anymore since it would likely focus less on families.
The Athabasca gym has a child-minding service, where members can bring their children and then workout.
“Even for new moms, moms that maybe have post-partum depression, like, ‘Release me for an hour and let me feed myself and my body and my mental health,’” Marceau said. “It’s a beautiful service.”
Marceau singled out Tracy Marta, a volunteer with the YMCA of Moose Jaw for 26 years, and her efforts with the organization. Marta is the lead child-minder at the Athabasca location.
“I think (the announcement is) terrible,” said Marta. “I don’t think everything was done to prevent it. As staff, we were kept in the dark until (the day before the meeting). And I think it’s disrespectful.”
The board and upper management never came to staff or members — or kept them informed — at any point to ask for suggestions or recommendations on how to keep the organization going, Marta asserted. Whenever she asked why they weren’t included, she was told the board didn’t know what was going to happen.
She also thought the answers the board and management gave during the meeting were insufficient.
“It was skating around (the issue) and no concrete answers. So people are leaving more confused than when they came in,” Marta continued.
She doesn’t think the board did enough to keep the YMCA solvent. She said she wouldn’t be satisfied until she is told the board and management made every effort to ensure the Y’s survival.
“Maybe if we were just included in the process, the sting would be a little bit easier to take,” she added. “But we weren’t included in the process. We found out through a leak on Facebook.”
