Well, it ‘was’ fun to play at the St. Catharines YMCA now set to close

To paraphrase the Village People, “Young man, there used to be a place you can go.” Unfortunately, as of May 31, the Walker Family YMCA in St. Catharines won’t be around as a destination.

Back in March 2021,  the YMCA, located at 25 YMCA Dr., went up for sale and was eventually bought by Atria Development Corporation.

Build in the mid-1990s, the YMCA of Niagara said it has to close that branch, noting they couldn’t keep up with increasing financial pressure, shrinking membership and ongoing maintenance costs.

However, the Niagara group added they would be holding onto their other locations in Grimsby, Welland, and Port Colborne. They added anyone who bought membership at the Walker Family Y was eligible for a financial credit for unused time by e-mailing: [email protected]

However, they also emphasized that while they had to close the Walker Family location, “We are not vacating our Health and Fitness programming in St. Catharines for the long haul. We are actively pursuing options that will allow us to launch a revitalized program mix of group and individual conditioning, and child and youth recreational programs.”