The YMCA of Wood Buffalo will operate the new Eagle Ridge community centre which is expected to open this spring.
“This announcement speaks to the impressive partnerships that exist in our region,” said Mayor Melissa Blake. “On behalf of Council, I commend our school districts, YMCA of Wood Buffalo and our administration for collaborating to deliver for residents what will be a great addition to this growing and vibrant neighbourhood.”
The community centre will sit between the two new schools in Eagle Ridge: the public schoolboard’s Walter and Gladys Hill School and the catholic schoolboard’s Saint-Kateri Elementary School.
“There’s going to be a childcare centre, which will focus on infants through age six, there’s going to be before and after school programs, and we’re going to have probably one of the most amazing youth rooms in Fort McMurray,” said Jim Weller, Vice President of the YMCA of Wood Buffalo. Weller adds that he expects the facility to employ anywhere between 15-25 people.
“This unique partnership creates financial efficiencies and leverage of resources such that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts for both schoolboards and the municipality,” said Director of Community Services Carole Bouchard. “It will provide improved access to facilities and increased services for residents than if they were built separately; it will also encourage maximized facility usage through shared space and resources.”
Construction delays have set the project back a few times as the schools were a priority, a soft launch is expected for April 1. 2015, and it’s the facility should be fully functional in May of 2015 according to Weller.
The 2,493 square-metre community centre will provide community meeting space and programming, youth activities, after-school programming and a full-time licensed childcare facility.
