The YMCA of Saskatoon held their Annual General meeting virtually, last week, and CEO Dean Dodge says he can report that there are “stable legs on the table.”

Dodge says the “Y” of Saskatoon is in a stable financial position, despite the pandemic. He also wanted to reassure the community after the Regina YMCA announced the closures of two health and fitness centres, last week.

Dodge explains every YMCA is unique to it’s own community and over the past 6 or 7 years, the Saskatoon “Y”, has had multiple, stable sources of operation. This allowed the “Y” to grow over that time, and he says a big difference was that they weren’t carrying debt like Regina had been. Dodge says school partnerships and a larger focus on child care at the Saskatoon YMCA, have also provided stability.

Dodge suggests while 95% of YMCA funding is from participants needs, like child care, school programs, and people paying for YMCA services, the Federal government’s wage subsidy has helped during the pandemic.
He states that the subsidy allowed the YMCA to return about 140 staff to employment, adding, typically they receive very little funding, and besides the wage subsidy the “Y” has received no additional government funding.

Dodge says in Saskatoon, child care is a strong community need and he believes that the province has been a little slow on with support across the province. He points to other provinces that are doubling or tripling the subsidies provided to child care groups. Dodge says with the hesitation of support from the province, he knows of child care centres that will close, which he says is very unfortunate.