Mayor Jeff Genung addressed the YMCA proposal with staff at the Spray Lake Sawmills (SLS) Centre during a meeting last week but was unable to provide much insight into what would happen during the transition if YMCA Calgary were to take over operations of the facility.
“I know this has been difficult. It’s emotional,” he said in his opening remarks. “And when people don’t have all the answers and information, it’s natural to fill in the blanks with assumptions, rumours, and worst-case scenarios.”
He said more answers would become available if the town and Rocky View County agree to move forward with the proposal.
What he did assure staff is that the YMCA would operate the facility with the interests of the community at heart, calling them a people-focused organization.
“They would not operate this facility to take something away from our community,” he said. “They want to have a big presence in our community through programming and community interaction — and they do a lot of that through volunteers.”
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Genung said town council has made it clear they aren’t interested in having a Calgary-style facility in Cochrane; they want a facility that serves Cochrane residents.
“The last thing I want in my inbox is 10,000 Cochranites saying, ‘I can’t get into swim lessons because they’re full of Calgary residents,’ or ‘I can’t get my kid into hockey anymore because all of Calgary is out there.’ They aren’t interested in that either. They know they need our community to be behind this discussion, should it move forward.
“There’s a lot to happen in the next couple of weeks. I hope to be standing in front of you on the 4th with all the answers to those questions.”
He said that of the three proposals received through the RFP process, only one appeared to exceed the existing operation overseen by the SLS Recreation Park Society for the past 25 years.
“Our residents will continue to come and use this facility, and have all the things they have now available to them,” he said. “It would just be a different governance and financial model.”
A question was raised about why the current management was not allowed to submit a proposal. Genung said the board decided it already knew what the current operator had to offer.
Should town council reject the proposal, the centre will continue to be managed similarly, he said. More members of the public will be recruited to the society’s board, and he will step aside as president — a role he has held only on an interim basis. The centre’s management will also continue to develop its future planning.
The mayor commended staff for their service to the community.
“You are the heart of this community — the heart of this place — and your work continues to matter: to me, to the board, and to the thousands of people who rely on you every day to access this facility.
“No matter what happens next, we’re going to get through this together, with honesty, compassion, and respect. Thank you for everything you do, from the bottom of my heart.”