The City of Barrie and The YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka are pleased to announce that the Y has signed a lease for their new, future location at 535 Bayview Drive. This exciting milestone brings the Y one step closer to building their new Barrie location.

“The YMCA is foundational in our community, and I’m proud that we’re able to provide them the opportunity to build their new Barrie location,” said Alex Nuttall, Mayor of the City of Barrie. “The value the YMCA brings is crucial to fostering healthy, vibrant and connected communities. I can’t wait to see the positive impact the new Barrie YMCA will make in our city.”

The first designs for the new building were unveiled at the Blueprints of Our Future fundraising gala in support of the new Barrie YMCA. The Barrie YMCA will be a modern centre of community featuring best-in-class facilities and programs. The new facility will provide the community with YMCA health and fitness services while also incorporating specialized programming, including a cardiac and cancer rehabilitation program in partnership with Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre and a 12-room housing program in partnership with Youth Haven - Simcoe County’s first standalone transitional housing unit for youth.

“Signing this lease is a significant and exciting milestone as we work to create a safe, vibrant and welcoming centre of community that we know is so important to so many people in Barrie and the surrounding area. We want to thank the City of Barrie for helping make this vision a reality,” said Jill Tettmann, CEO of the YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka. “We’re confident that this is the best possible site for us to serve our members and community, meet the needs of our partners, and steward the generous contributions of our donors and government partners.”

With the lease now signed, the YMCA will develop the full site plan for 535 Bayview Drive, which will include architecture design and engineering work, along with consultation with the City of Barrie Planning department to ensure the new building will meet all of the City’s planning requirements, with a goal to begin construction in fall 2024.

The YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka wishes to thank all donors for their support as well as their community supporters, including the Province of Ontario, for their generous contributions of over $29 million toward the construction of the new facility. They would also like to express their thanks to the community as they fulfill this promise to evolve their presence in Barrie, which includes using proceeds from the sale of the former Grove Street Y to support this initiative.

To learn more about the Barrie YMCA and its fundraising campaign, visit 100reasonsy.ca.