On June 20, Medhat Mahdy, CEO and president of the YMCA of greater Toronto, announced that a new YMCA has opened in downtown Vaughan. The YMCA is part of the David Braley Vaughan Metropolitan Centre of Community, which is already home to Vaughan’s first university and first subway station.

“We’re extremely excited to be opening our doors to this vibrant community. It’s only possible thanks to the generosity of donors, like The David Braley Charitable Foundation, and funding partners, like the City of Vaughan and Ministry of Education, that we’re able to provide Vaughan with the healthy infrastructure needed to rebuild in the pandemic’s wake. As Vaughan’s new downtown develops, we’re thrilled that the new YMCA will offer this community safe, inclusive spaces where neighbours can gather once again and shine, just as we have seen in the many other communities that we serve across the GTA.”

The new facility intends to offer a plethora of top-notch programs for the entire family, which includes children’s swimming lessons, basketball, soccer, a variety of group fitness classes, such as yoga, Arriba and YMCA TotalFit. Adults will have the luxury of choosing a personal trainer for workouts and adult swim lessons.

The 77,000-square-foot YMCA offers a full-sized gymnasium, two pools — including a 25-metre lap pool and program pool with a hydraulic floor —   whirlpools and steam rooms, a multi-purpose fitness room and a state-of-the-art conditioning floor. The centre will also host summer camps and provide employment and volunteer opportunities.

The YMCA is co-located within the broader complex operated by the City of Vaughan, which will also include a 19,000-square-foot recreation venue and rooftop terrace, professional music-recording studio and teaching kitchen, as well as two new VPL locations, including a 9,000-square-foot modern and innovative VMC Library and a 400-square-foot self-serve storefront, called VMC Express. 

The facility will also launch a licenced YMCA child-care centre. This is all thanks to $2.5 million in Community-Based Early Years and Child Care Capital Program (CBCP) funding from the Ontario Ministry of Education.

The YMCA at The David Braley Vaughan Centre is part of the YMCA of Greater Toronto’s Strong Start, Great Future Capital Campaign to provide the charity’s vital programs and services to more people in additional neighbourhoods. The campaign focuses on rapidly growing cities, like Vaughan, where residents need places where they can rebuild community and belonging after two years of lockdowns and accompanying isolation, job losses, disruptions to schooling and many other setbacks. Fundraising to bring the new centre to life was led in Vaughan by Campaign Cabinet co-chairs Andrea DeGasperis-Ronco and Peter Cortellucci.

“Today, we officially opened the David Braley Vaughan Metropolitan Centre of Community to the public — marking the arrival of Vaughan’s newest state-of-the-art facility in the heart of our downtown core. This recreational centre is the manifestation of what can be achieved when committed partners come together to create a place where everyone is welcome to participate, interact and thrive,” says Maurizio Bevilacqua, mayor of the City of Vaughan. “It is a world-class space that encourages active play, healthy lifestyles and continuous learning. I want to express my warmest and sincerest gratitude and appreciation to Vaughan Public Libraries, the YMCA of Greater Toronto and City of Vaughan staff for making this vision a reality. Together, we remain dedicated to building public spaces that enhance our community’s exceptional quality of life and standard of living.”

“Every community deserves a library, and we’re proud to introduce the VMC Library and VMC Express to Vaughan’s new downtown,” says Margie Singleton, chief executive officer of Vaughan Public Libraries. “They will offer access to a world-class collection, programming for all ages and multipurpose spaces where customers can work, study, play and discover something new. Alongside our partners — the YMCA of Greater Toronto and the City of Vaughan — we are excited to be part of this remarkable building.”

 ymcagta.org