It may take a bit more than just COVID to convince North Simcoe municipalities to find the money to support the YMCA.
All four mayors have instructed their chief administrative officers to gather more information from the non-profit before a decision can be made.
"A couple of the municipalities have indicated that they didn't have complete information," said Penetanguishene's Mayor Doug Leroux. "Specifically their financials, where they derive their income from, and where else do they get funding."
Penetanguishene, he said, is about 14% of their entire membership.
"We've never in the past given any funding to the YMCA," said Leroux. "Now they say they've never received funding from the municipalities, their memberships are way down and other sources may also be down, that's why they're approaching municipalities for funding to continue to operate."
However, he added, lots of thought needs to go onto it before a decision can be made.
"Municipalities are getting so many demands for assistance from other organizations because of COVID, we have to draw a line somewhere," said Leroux.
Stewart Strathearn, mayor of Midland, said each municipality received independent funding requests from the Y.
All mayors, he said, thought the matter should be approached systematically, instead of going about it piecemeal.
"(We want to) work with the Y to understand what's required," said Strathearn. "And through that we can come up with a recommendation about how to proceed so it's presumably a more sustainable approach than handing just a cheque over."
Everybody on council, he said, has had some sort of experience and memory associated with the Y.
"They're all very supportive of helping them, but the question is what's the best way of helping them," said Strathearn, adding he couldn't say right now what that would look like.
"It depends on sitting down and putting on a piece of paper all sources of funds," he said. "It's crucial we understand their business model."
In a statement provided to MidlandToday, Rob Armstrong, chief executive officer, of the YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka, said, "We are moving forward with capital improvements to the Midland Y and remain optimistic as we work with local municipalities to safely reopen our health, fitness and aquatics centre.
"In the meantime, the YMCA continues to serve the people of North Simcoe through online fitness classes, licensed child care, employment services, before/after school care and planning for the reopening of Camp Kitchikewana next summer.”
