Kyle Darbyson

Public gathering takes place six days after Y officials announced closure of local operations.

Advertisement 1 Share this Story : Rally to save Sault YMCA draws energetic crowd Rally to save Sault YMCA draws energetic crowd Public gathering takes place six days after Y officials announced closure of local operations Author of the article: Article content Dozens of Algoma residents worked up a decent sweat rallying outside the Sault Ste. Marie YMCA Monday, as the facility and all its services are at risk of being shut down in less than a month. Advertisement 2 Article content Rally to save Sault YMCA draws energetic crowd Back to video Despite this grim outlook, Monday's crowd remained energetic and upbeat, with rally attendees chanting “Save Our Y” and brandishing homemade signs that echoed this same sentiment. Article content This rally elicited a consistent cacophony of supportive honks from passing motorists for roughly an hour-and-a-half before festivities wrapped up around 6 p.m. Rally organizer Ali Dennie told The Sault Star that she was very pleased with Monday's turnout, having put together this event through the “ Save Our YMCA ” Facebook page that she set up last Thursday. While Monday's crowd was only a fraction of the group's 3,000 members, Dennie said this demonstration did its job in terms of showcasing the community's support for the YMCA, an institution that's been active in the Sault since 1900. Advertisement 3 Article content Dennie hopes to carry the momentum from Monday's rally into more public engagement and is looking to connect with Sault city officials during the next council meeting on April 29. “We've made the application … so hopefully next week we'll be speaking to council directly,” Dennie said. YMCA officials announced the impending closure of local operations on April 16 , revealing that the local recreation centre at 235 McNabb Street is up for sale with services expected to shut down as of May 15. YMCA officials wrote in a news release that the board came to this “extremely difficult decision” due to a number of factors, including increased operational costs, rising inflation and a slow return to pre-COVID membership. Advertisement 4 Article content This news came as a shock to many of Monday's rally attendees, including some active YMCA staff. Marie Michaluk is an early childhood educator who works out of the YMCA's Tarentorus day care site, one of the eight YMCA day care centres scattered throughout the city. Michaluk said losing the YMCA's day care services would be a devastating blow to the community, since the organization offers around 50 licensed day care spots at Tarentorus and 541 in total. “There's no way that eight day cares can close,” Michaluk said. “That's alot of families out of place, that's a lot of families that can't work. Some families don't have support of other family members here and they depend on us being open and their children being able to come to us when they need it.” Advertisement 5 Article content YMCA officials are attempting to continue child care services through the District of Sault Ste. Marie Social Services Administration Board. Michaluk hopes an agreement can be reached, especially since they just opened an expanded day care centre at Tarentorus several weeks ago. “Our parents are trying their hardest to support us as much as they can,” she said. “And we're just here for our families; the families we work for and the families that we've made between the staff and everyone.” Other rally attendees spoke about the importance of various YMCA programs that are on the chopping block if a new deal can't be reached by May 15. Rob Breckenridge said his daughter Lily has been a member of the YMCA's competitive gymnastics team for two years now, which has highlighted how critical these group activities are to developing minds. Advertisement 6 Article content “I believe it's really important for children's mental health in our community and it has been for generations,” Breckenridge said. “The snowball effect from this (closure) could be disastrous.” Meanwhile, Janette Lannigan said her family have been regulars at the YMCA's McNabb Street recreation centre for years and have utilized virtually every program and service offered on site. “Family night out consists of coming here and going for a swim and getting in the hot tub. I've got two boys who are working their way towards getting their lifeguard (certification). My oldest works out after school. My daughter is just starting gymnastics, dance and everything,” Lannigan said. “I don't know what other place could replace it.” The recreation centre on McNabb originally opened its door in September 1965 and has undergone a number of renovations and expansions to accommodate the needs of a growing community. However, YMCA officials say the operational costs of running such an old facility is part of the reason why they're in such dire financial straits. Interim CEO John Haddock said during a public meeting last Wednesday that the local YMCA needs a $3 million “Band Aid” to keep everything afloat, with further investment required down the road to run local operations in the long term. Advertisement 7 Article content of 6 All 6 Photos for Gallery Function Not Available Full Screen is not supported on this browser version. You may use a different browser or device to view this in full screen. [email protected] The Local Journalism Initiative is made possible through funding from the federal government Article content Share this article in your social network Share this Story : Rally to save Sault YMCA draws energetic crowd Comments Join the Conversation Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. 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Article content A long-time employee of Thessalon First Nation (TFN) is suing the community's leadership for wrongful termination ($750,000) and punitive damages ($100,000) in the wake of last November's election

Lead contractor provides update on 108-unit housing facility during tour with Minister of International Development

Advertisement 1 Share this Story : Thessalon closing regional EV infrastructure gap with new charging stations Author of the article: Article content Advertisement 2 Article content Thessalon closing regional EV infrastructure gap with new charging stations Back to video Article content Advertisement 3 Article content Article content Share this article in your social network Share this Story : Thessalon closing regional EV infrastructure gap with new charging stations Latest National Stories News Near Timmins This Week in Flyers

Advertisement 1 Share this Story : Thessalon closing regional EV infrastructure gap with new charging stations Thessalon closing regional EV infrastructure gap with new charging stations Author of the article: Article content The Town of Thessalon celebrated Earth Day by hosting a grand opening ceremony for its new electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, which have been active in the community for several weeks now. Advertisement 2 Article content Thessalon closing regional EV infrastructure gap with new charging stations Back to video Monday's event was hosted by Mayor Bill Rosenberg, who took part in a ribbon cutting at the Thessalon Marina alongside representatives from Maitland Ford and environmental groups like The Kensington Conservancy. Article content In addition to the two dual-head charging stations located at the marina, the town also has two single units installed at its municipal office and one additional dual-head station at the Thessalon Medical Centre. These Level 2 charging stations were made possible thanks to a grant from Earth Day Canada and Aviva Canada Inc., which provided this funding to the town last year. “We are thrilled to have been able to support the Town of Thessalon with this project to bring EV infrastructure to residents and visitors alike!” Earth Day Canada and Aviva representatives wrote in a supplied statement. Advertisement 3 Article content “It's always inspiring to be able to work with and support communities across Canada who share the same vision, like Thessalon. Congratulations again and we wish you a very successful event today!'” Town officials also noted that these new charging stations help close a roughly 140-kilometre gap in the Algoma District's growing EV infrastructure. “Before Thessalon's stations, there were no EV charging stations available between Blind River and Sault Ste Marie,” Thessalon officials wrote in a Thursday news release. “One of the hopes behind the installation of these EV charging stations is that it will attract users into the community, and in turn, they would explore Thessalon and its businesses while their vehicle is charging.” Rosenberg used Monday's ceremony to highlight how these new charging stations are a product of the town's Sustainability Through Environmental Practices (STEP) committee, a group that's been working since 2019 to “implement new technologies that will assist the Town in becoming a greener community and reduce our environmental footprint.” [email protected] The Local Journalism Initiative is made possible through funding from the federal government Article content Share this article in your social network Share this Story : Thessalon closing regional EV infrastructure gap with new charging stations Comments Join the Conversation Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information. Loading... Latest National Stories News Near Elliot Lake This Week in Flyers

YMCA officials first informed the city of their dire financial circumstances back in February

Article content Due to expected heavy rainfall over the weekend, the Sault Ste. Marie Region Conservation Authority has issued a flood watch statement that will remain in place until the end of the month.

Advertisement 1 Share this Story : Sault flood watch in effect until May 1 Sault flood watch in effect until May 1 Author of the article: Article content Due to expected heavy rainfall over the weekend, the Sault Ste. Marie Region Conservation Authority has issued a flood watch statement that will remain in place until the end of the month. Advertisement 2 Article content Sault flood watch in effect until May 1 Back to video Conservation officials sent out this warning on Friday morning, stating the local watershed is expected to receive anywhere from 65 mm to 85 mm of rain between Saturday and Wednesday. Article content Most of this heavy precipitation is expected to fall throughout Saturday, with occasional breaks from the wet weather potentially taking place on Sunday and Tuesday. While Sault-area creeks, rivers and streams are flowing at normal levels as of Friday morning, officials say the surface runoff due to heavy downpours could cause water to rise across the district, especially in low-lying areas. “Flows can be especially dangerous and stream banks can be slippery. Please keep children and pets away from waterways during this time,” conservation officials wrote in Friday's news release. To report severe weather during this five-day period, Sault-area residents are encouraged to send an email to [email protected] or Tweet reports using #ONStorm. [email protected] The Local Journalism Initiative is made possible through funding from the federal government Article content Share this article in your social network Share this Story : Sault flood watch in effect until May 1 Comments Join the Conversation Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information. Latest National Stories News Near Elliot Lake This Week in Flyers

Sault-based school the only public university in Ontario receiving fewer international student permits for 2024-25