It was well worth the wait.
That was the general consensus among staff, volunteers, long-time members and new ones at the soft opening of the brand-new Chilliwack YMCA on Saturday.
Hundreds of people, of all ages and backgrounds, filed through the doors for public tours, to work out, and to sign up for memberships. Everyone was eager to see the major changes to the 40-year-old fitness facility, which had been closed since July 2017.
“We’ve been in here getting ready, but to see people in here now is really rewarding,” said Sheri Josephson, as she watched visitors take in every aspect of the building.
Now at 36,700 square feet, the Chilliwack YMCA can serve 50 per cent more people, with a wider variety of programs. The atmosphere is light and airy, with skylights and windows letting in both the sunshine and views of the surrounding mountains.
From the open lobby area in the centre of the action, visitors can see into the many multipurpose rooms on the main floor, and up to the main conditioning floor. The building is fully accessible, with rooms, room layout, accessible equipment, and facilities like water bottle filling stations that are all wheelchair friendly.
Much of the previous YMCA building was demolished to make way for the new main portion of the facility. However, the portion left behind (pool, group fitness studio, the entrance lobby and more) has been entirely updated as well.
What the casual visitor may not realize, is that the building’s massive upgrade would not have been possible without generous donations from community partners, members who gave generously, local businesses and families. Each room has a story behind it, and Karen Price, general manager of the Chilliwack YMCA, knows them all.
The breezy CycleFit studio, for example, wouldn’t have been possible without a local family who enjoys cycling. Like all of the other donors, their name is displayed on the wall at the front entrance, but also on signage within the room. The fact that families and businesses chose to donate so happily to the renovations, is part of what makes the YMCA a community unto itself, Price said.
The Schroeder family agrees. Marv and Adele have been coming to the Y for longer than they can recall. On opening day, their granddaughter Carli brought her own children in to play in the fresh new multipurpose areas.
“This was worth waiting for,” Adele said.
“When they closed, we missed it,” Marv added. But they kept busy and active, stretching and walking every day to stay active. In the new centre, they can sit in the lounge area and watch their great grandchildren play in the multipurpose area, while watching the action in the gymnasium as well.
There are not just new spaces to get used to, but new equipment. The YMCA now has a Queenax machine, which is a full body workout station that includes ladders, swings, pulleys and more to incorporate into your workout.
The Y isn’t fully complete yet. But it will open officially to the public on Monday, Feb. 18 (Family Day). Still to come are the opening of the pool, a special welcoming of a house pole by First Nations artist Terry Horne, and even some greenery being brought in by Brian Minter.
A facility like the YMCA needs to change over the years to meet the needs of the community, Price said. And with this space being open, flexible, and state of the art, they can envision it growing and changing as their membership does.
READ MORE: Chilliwack YMCA celebrates rebuild with groundbreaking
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