Remember This? About the YMCA and how it all began

From the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library archive:

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Many of us have grown up visiting the Sault Ste. Marie YMCA located on McNabb Street, but many of our grandparents and great grandparents probably remember the YMCA located in a different area of the city.

The first Canadian YMCA opened its doors in 1851 but it was not until December 17 of 1900, that the first locally organized meeting of the Young Men’s Christian Association was held at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church on Wellington Street East and was chaired by Rev W.A. Duncan.

At that time, the work of the Association was to minister to the spiritual, intellectual, physical and social needs of men and boys.

The YMCA planned to do aggressive work among the men and boys who worked in the local industries.

On New Year’s Day in 1901, a public meeting held and the first fundraising began, generating $85 to equip the boarding rooms in a building on the south side of Queen Street near Spring Street.

In 1911, the Association purchased two pieces of property on March Street, where the Soo Centre is located today.

The following year, in 1912, a campaign was launched to raise the $50,000 needed for the construction of a new building on March Street which began in May of that year by McPhail and Wright Construction Company.

In 1914 the newly built YMCA was opened which included the following amenities:  a swimming pool, gymnasium, meeting rooms and later an outdoor tennis court. 

Women were still excluded from the facility until November of that year when they gained limited access. 

They had to wait another year to be allowed full use of the facilities.

In 1920, due to financial difficulties, the March Street building was leased to the Algoma Steel Corporation and became known as the Steel Plant Club for the next 3 years.

In 1924, a piece of property was purchased at Island Lake for day and overnight camping and was known as Camp Pauwating.

To accommodate a growing population the YMCA purchased the current McNabb Street property from the city for $35,000 in 1963. 

Construction began the following year and the new location opened its doors in September of 1965.

A number of large additions and renovations to the YMCA occurred over the years, in 1973 squash courts were added, in 1981 the indoor track was added, in 1991 the William M. Hogg Family Centre was built and in 2010 the current facility was upgraded utilizing the Recreational Infrastructure Canada funding program.

The local YMCA has grown significantly from 84 members in 1908.  

In 2013-2014 they generated $1,728,712 in revenue from memberships and it continues to be a popular facility for all ages in our community.