We are thrilled to share that we have volunteered to take on the roles of Campaign Co-chairs for the “100 Reasons Y” Capital Campaign for a new Barrie Y.

I am Anna Cheaney, and I have spent over 26 years in the financial sector, previously with RBC Royal Bank, now with The Madison Group of RBC Dominion Securities; I am also a past member of the YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka’s Board of Directors. I am Brian Tamblyn, and I am the past President and CEO of Georgian College and current President of Brian Tamblyn and Associates International Inc.; I am also a current board member of the YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka. Between both of us, we have been volunteering with the YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka for over 14 years. We are privileged to be joined by Janice Laking as our Honorary Co-Chair.

We have had an exciting few weeks with the launch of the “100 Reasons Y” Capital Campaign! On Friday, October 25th at the Y’s Spotlight Gala, we announced that our community has already committed $5,406,573 million towards this campaign, including lead commitments of $500,000 or more from Napoleon and Barbara Sinton. The following Monday, at an event held at the Barrie Y, Janice Skot, President and CEO of Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre and Lucy Gowers, Executive Director of Youth Haven, announced that both of their organizations would be permanently relocating programs into our new downtown YMCA facility.

Our Reason Y

We joined this project because we believe a new downtown Y is critical to support the type of growth that Barrie will experience in the not so distant future. With a population anticipated to reach 210,000 by 2031, this is the Y we need today for the Barrie we want tomorrow.

Here are a few other “Reasons Y” to support this exciting community project:

1. The City of Barrie is committed to creating a vibrant and healthy city centre. The Y shares this vision, and as a community hub, we will be instrumental to the redevelopment of our downtown core.
2. Heart disease is the #1 cause of premature death in Canada. In partnership with RVH, a new Y will house Barrie’s cardiac rehab centre.
3. 1 in 3 youth would like to talk to someone about their mental health. At the Y, we are creating a true social network by connecting young people face to face with adult mentors who are committed to their health and well-being.
4. Isolation can be as dangerous as smoking, drinking alcohol and obesity. A new Y will create a safe place for everyone in our community to belong and thrive.
5. Early education plays a significant role in a child’s development. The Y delivers a nationally recognized child care curriculum to thousands of children in our community .

Want to know more about the amenities and services the new Y will bring, check out 100 Reasons Y website to learn more.

We need your help

This project is so important – for those who benefit from Y programs, for our partners and for the development of our downtown.

If you also feel strongly about this project, please consider donating to help us reach our goal and create the Y we need for the Barrie we want!

Sincerely,

Anna Cheaney and Brian Tamblyn

100 Reasons Y Capital Campaign Co-Chairs

YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka