Owen Sound, ON – The YMCA of Owen Sound Grey Bruce proudly marked the grand opening of its new location, 290 9th Street East, formerly The Sun Times, on Wednesday, September 25, 2024. Over 80 people attended the celebration, including donors, community partners, local charitable organizations, funders, YMCA employees, and members. The event highlighted the YMCA’s 147-year legacy in Grey Bruce and its ongoing commitment to igniting the potential in people of all ages and backgrounds.
The newly renovated space, brought to life by Awsman Group, reflects the YMCA’s mission to brighten the lives of families, individuals, and youth across the community. Andy Smit of Awsman Group, Inc., the owner, and landlord, generously invested in the renovation to support the YMCA’s charitable mission, ensuring that the new space will continue to inspire growth and empowerment for community members.
Sarah Cowley, CEO of the YMCA of Owen Sound Grey Bruce, shared, “This new location is more than just a facility—it is a space where we can ignite the potential within each individual who walks through our doors. For 147 years, we have been part of this community, and this new chapter allows us to continue helping people shine in every aspect of their lives. We could not have achieved this without the extraordinary generosity of our donors, funders, and partners like Awsman Group.”
Evelyn Dean, Chair of the YMCA Board, added, “The grand opening of this incredible new space is a celebration of the community’s collective strength. This new location creates a greater number of opportunities to serve more within our community. Thanks to the unwavering support of donors, funders, volunteers, and our dedicated staff, we are ready to bring light to even more lives, sparking opportunities for health, connection, and personal growth.”
Scott Greig, Deputy Mayor brought greetings on behalf of the City of Owen Sound and presented the YMCA with a Certificate of Recognition, thanking the charity for their dedication to bringing out the potential of everyone in the community. He also thanked Andy Smit for strengthening the downtown core by investing in this beautiful renovation.
Alex Ruff, Member of Parliament for Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound, extended his congratulations: “As the Member of Parliament for Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound, it is my pleasure to congratulate the YMCA of Owen Sound Grey Bruce on the open house event showcasing their new space. The YMCA does great work in our region, and I am certain that this new space will allow them to continue providing services to our community including physical recreation, employment assistance for youth and community members, childcare, assistance to youth in conflict/transition, and settlement services for new members of our community. Thank you to all those that contribute to the YMCA including the staff, Board, donors, and volunteers.”
The new YMCA location is designed to support enhanced programs in health and wellness, child care, employment, settlement and language services, community initiatives and serves as the head office for Association Services staff. For the first time, all these departments are under one roof, strengthening their collaborative work.
Looking to the future, the YMCA sees opportunities to expand its footprint across Grey Bruce. New sites will require fresh partnerships and additional donors to sustain the organization’s growth and impact.
Thank you to everyone for attending!
