An estimated 400 people overflowed Cochrane’s council chambers on June 11 as speaker after speaker voiced concerns over YMCA Calgary’s proposed operational takeover of the SLS Centre.
The crowd heard a call from former town councillor Miles Chester to put the decision to a plebiscite during the upcoming October municipal election.
“This is an important decision that’s being made,” said Chester. “Let’s hand it over as a plebiscite, ask the whole community if they want to do this—do you want to move forward?”
While many spoke about the threat to the Cochrane Curling Club and the On the Rocks lounge, other organizations and individuals condemned the idea of putting the operation of a community-built facility into the hands of a Calgary-based organization.
“We don’t need Calgary to hold our hands in Cochrane,” said Don Teece. “The fact that YMCA is here to make Cochrane a better place is absolutely gut-wrenching.”
Teece criticized what he sees as a growing trend of residents having to spend time and hundreds of thousands of dollars forming associations just to be heard by town council.
"We need Cochrane to maintain the sports centre and solve any problems we have. Is it perfect? No. Can we solve the problems? There are geniuses here who have not been talked to. There are geniuses here—we can solve our own problems."
"Let me be clear--this is not a partnership," Teece emphasized. "This is a full handover of control and takeover without any financial contribution from YMCA. Once they have the contract, they'll do whatever they want, whenever they want, how they want and to whomever they want, and as Mr. Derrciott said on April 20, non-negotiable."
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Valerie McCracken, representing the Cochrane Environmental Committee and the town’s highly successful farmers’ market, emphasized the centre’s importance beyond just recreation.
“There’s no other facility like Spray Lake in Cochrane that can provide the space and amenities available at the centre,” said McCracken. “If users get turned away from this facility because they can’t afford the price of entry, because they are no longer allowed to participate, they have nowhere else to go. There are no other options in the community.”
“It pulls at our hearts that this facility may be put in the hands of an organization that is not Cochrane-based,” she said. “We take pride in the fact—real pride in the fact—that we endeavour to build our community and solve problems with solutions that are made in Cochrane.”
Rick Evren, founding chair of the Spray Lake Sawmills Recreation Park Society and author of its governing bylaw, questioned limited financial data suggesting the facility could be in the black by as much as $1.84 million within five years.
He wants clarity on how much the YMCA would charge the town to operate the centre, noting the current board costs nothing.
“YMCA Calgary is proud of its volunteer involvement,” said Evren, “but Cochrane already has that in abundance.”
He also pointed out the centre operated in the black and built up a significant surplus before the aquatic and curling centres were added.
“It’s fairly common knowledge that swimming pools simply cannot charge enough user fees to cover their costs, thereby becoming a liability for the municipality,” he said. “So the $1.2 million operating cost wouldn’t go away with the Y taking over.”
Bruce Kendall, who led the construction of the original centre, recounted how the shovel hit the ground in 2000 after the Cochrane Minor Hockey Association purchased the land for $1,060,000—with $60,000 donated back by the Griffin family.
He said the centre was driven by user groups who volunteered “endless hours” to make it a reality.
“I’m very disappointed in myself for believing at that point in time it was prudent to put the land title in the hands of the town and Rocky View County, because we were worried that a user group would screw it up,” said Kendall. “But no, it looks like the elected officials in two municipalities are the ones that are going to mess it up.”
He said the facility operates on a 92 per cent cost recovery model—exceeding the target set by its own board.
“The Y is not the answer; the community is the answer,” said Kendall. “It should be for the people, by the people, and if they don’t get to keep their facility and the programs they are used to, then I suspect in the fall they should vote with their hearts, because I haven’t talked to anyone who is in favour of a change in management. If there is a problem with management, address it, but I keep hearing they’re doing a great job.”
Curling Alberta has also backed the Cochrane Curling Club’s position.
The Cochrane curling community has worked together to become a success story, said Gord Copithorne, president of Curling Alberta.
“There are 188 curling clubs in the province, and Cochrane is within the top 10 per cent for growth. Most clubs aspire to be more like Cochrane.”
A representative of the Cochrane Water Ninjas, the reigning Canadian Pool Lifesaving champions, warned the club’s future would be threatened under YMCA management. The Y operates its own lifesaving program called the Guardians.
“If the YMCA became the operator and rebranded as the YMCA, this club would have to cease to exist,” said the representative. “It’s very devastating because the Water Ninjas have created something very special and very unique in this community.”
Town administration will prepare a summary of the non-statutory public hearing and bring back answers to questions raised to council. Next steps are expected to be discussed at the committee-of-the-whole meeting on June 16.
