Significant upgrades to the gymnasium at the Sarnia-Lambton YMCA Jerry McCaw Family Centre have been completed, thanks to a $62,900 investment from the province.
The funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) was celebrated during a media conference at the Finch Drive facility in Sarnia on Wednesday.
It covers the entire cost of renovations.
The improvements include a refinished gym floor for the participants of many different sports and activities to enjoy; and new mounting systems, backboards, rims, and nets, creating six brand-new backboard systems for basketball.
General Manager Paul Skuza said the facility is used for basketball, pickleball, badminton, group fitness classes, and “open gym” time.
"We did have to close down for a few weeks, but it was worth the wait," said Skuza. "We use this gym pretty much early in the morning, through the morning, through the afternoon, into the evening. And we're open seven days a week and the gym is always one of the big draws for why people come in. We have six nets and backboards now, luckily, due to the upgrades. But we only had three in working condition before."
Skuza said the space is also a hub for community activities such as blood donor clinics and election polling.
He said they're continuously looking at ways to improve the 30-year-old building.
"We've had a good year," he said. "We've done a lot of bigger upgrades. The new entrances were totally upgraded and there are automatic doors. We're going to continue to keep doing more upgrades as we go. Some of it's stuff that won't be quite as noticeable from the members. Some of the changes are behind the scenes, rooftop upgrades and things like that."
YMCA Regional Manager of Health, Fitness and Aquatics Joe Cebulski is pleased.
"It's really exciting," said Cebulski. "Some may say it took some time coming, but with the help of OTF and that support, we're incredibly grateful to be able to provide an upgrade to this facility to keep it going and keeping it fresh and looking great for our members here in this community."
In a news release, Sarnia-Lambton MPP Bob Bailey passed along his congratulations. "I’m extremely pleased that the Sarnia-Lambton YMCA is able to make these terrific upgrades to its gymnasium and basketball hoops thanks to this important grant from the Ontario Government’s Ontario Trillium Foundation," said Bailey. "The Sarnia-Lambton YMCA Jerry McCaw Family Centre is an incredible recreation hub in the Sarnia community; the modernized gymnasium will provide unlimited opportunities for visitors to enjoy sport and recreation in a modern, welcoming environment."
More than 3,000 people are members at the Sarnia-Lambton YMCA throughout the year.
Over 800 members are experiencing financial challenges and receive YMCA financial assistance in order to participate.
