HRM joins with YMCA

HRM signs Memorandum of Understanding with the YMCA

On February 21, 2006, Halifax Regional Council approved a motion for the HRM to enter into an agreement with a community based group to raise money to build the Mainland Common Recreation Centre (MCRC). The motion was tabled in a February 13 staff report.

During the Council meeting, District 3 (Preston) Councillor David Hendsbee suggested the Commonwealth Games Aquatic Centre should be relocated to Clayton Park from the planned location at Shannon Park (see February 23 news article). Unfortunately, other Councillors did not express concerns and the motion was rubber-stamped.

Build it Right offers to assume fund-raising role but are refused

Following Council's approval for HRM to partner with a community based fund-raising group, the Build it Right group made repeated offers to local Councillors Mary Wile, Russell Walker and Debbie Hum to assume a fund-raising role. Disappointingly, the offers were not responded to.

During this time, the Build it Right group learned local Councillors Wile, Walker, and Hum were in closed-door negotiations with the YMCA. The intent of the negotiations were for HRM to enter into a partnership with the YMCA on design, construction and management of the MCRC. Upon learning this news, the Build it Right group questioned Councillors about the possible partnership and what it could mean for the community. Councillors Wile, Walker and Hum declined giving information on the partnership citing confidentiality reasons but agreed to provide the Build it Right with an update on the facility plans that were taking shape as a result of partnership talks. Plans were never shared.

Councillors take a rain check

Amid concern for what a deal with the YMCA could mean to residents of Clayton Park, the Build it Right group worked diligently to schedule a promised follow up meeting with local Councillors to get more information. Despite repeated calls and email requests to schedule a meeting, Councillors informed the Build it Right group they were unable to clear their schedules.

Memorandum of Understanding signed

On July 4, 2006, HRM Staff tabled a report to Halifax Regional Council recommending the approval of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between HRM and the YMCA of Greater Halifax Dartmouth. The MOU was intended to provide a groundwork for future partnership agreements with respect to the design, construction, fund-raising, and management of the MCRC.

Meeting finally scheduled

With the MOU between HRM and the YMCA signed and out of the way, HRM responded to the Build it Right group's request for a meeting and requested the YMCA also attend. The three groups met on July 13, 2006 at Alderney Landing in Dartmouth. During the meeting, the Build it Right group presented its concerns with the MOU including the listed size of the facility.

Bette Watson-Borg, CEO of the YMCA, revealed the YMCA planned on conducting a telephone survey with the community to determine the feasibility of selling YMCA memberships to residents. At this time, the Build it Right group suggested the survey would be a great opportunity to acquire some objective data the public's needs in a recreation facility. Watson-Borg took acknowledged the suggestion as a possibility and agreed to discuss it further.

Ongoing discussion with HRM and the YMCA

Following the initial joint meeting on July 13, the Build it Right group continued discussion with the YMCA and HRM staff. On August 9, 2006, the Build it Right Co-Chairs presented the Build it Right group's vision for a facility including potential strategies for positioning and fund development. Concerns with the size of the facility were also expressed and the two sides agreed to continue discussion. The Build it Right group also once again requested to participate in telephone survey development.

Following the August 9 meeting, the Build it Right group met with the YMCA and HRM on a few more occasions to share ideas. During this time, the HRM and YMCA also organized small focus groups in the community to present their plans and get feedback from the general public. Few people attended.

Following focus group meetings and in spite of repeated requests to assist in developing the telephone survey questions to place some emphasis on collecting information on the public's need, the YMCA proceeded with a survey that exclusively focused on membership feasibility.

Concerns expressed in an open letter

On November 17, 2006, the Build it Right group submitted an open letter to the Clayton Park Weekly News and Parkview News expressing concerns with the MOU and possible future partnership between the HRM and YMCA.