Province commits $29 million to Barrie YMCA
The Ontario government announced a $29-million investment in the construction of a community hub in Barrie on June 28.
The funding will be used to construct a 77,000-square foot, $40-million facility that will be operated by the YMCA of Simcoe Muskoka, and will include licensed childcare spaces, a youth centre with transitional housing and outreach support, a rehabilitation space for cardiac and cancer post care patients, and various recreation areas for fitness programs.
“Our government is leading the way in building a new place for residents to come together in downtown Barrie,” said Infrastructure Minister Kinga Surma. “This project will enhance the lives of local residents by providing access to health care services, childcare and employment supports. It will continue the YMCA’s proud tradition of empowering youth and serve as a recreational hub and centre of community.”
The YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka announced last August that it would close its Barrie, Orillia and Parry Sound facilities as a result of a dramatic drop in revenue resulting from forced closures during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Barrie facility in particular suffered from being housed in a very old building on Grove Street.
“The importance of this facility in our downtown cannot be understated,” said Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte MP and Attorney General Doug Downey. “This new YMCA Hub will help reclaim the downtown core as a space dedicated to families and children. It also features an innovative partnership with Youth Haven, allowing for deserving teens to access transitional housing, which will have lasting, positive impacts on their lives.”
The YMCA building will be part of a broader project on the seven-acre site in downtown Barrie. Also planned for the site are two 20-storey towers, one 10-storey residential building, a small urban park and a five-storey parking structure.
Construction is anticipated to begin next spring.
Featured image: Conceptual drawing of a new YMCA in Barrie. (YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka)