Officials with the YMCA plan to meet with the City of Coquitlam next month to look at ways to boost its onsite branding.
David Woollven, vice president of health, fitness and aquatics for the YMCA BC, told the Tri-City News that it heard local politicians’ comments at their committee meeting on Monday, May 27, and expect to increase signage — visible from the Burquitlam SkyTrain station — to build awareness about the rec hub that opened last year.
“We were pleased to hear the positive comments from council members on the success of the partnership between the City of Coquitlam and the YMCA to date,” Woollven said.
Coun. Matt Djonlic, the committee chair, called the venue’s branding “a challenge” as the Y sign can’t be seen clearly and the Y’s official sponsorship name for the Coquitlam facility is the “Bettie Allard YMCA” — a name not associated with Coquitlam, Mayor Richard Stewart said (the name comes from a Vancouver donor whose mother was a teacher in Burnaby).
Djonlic suggested that as Coquitlam is the largest investor in the building, the centre should be referred to in marketing materials as the Coquitlam YMCA for consistency and to get membership numbers up.
Stewart added that having the community police station sign more prominent on the Y building is “confusing” for residents and visitors.
According to a report from Lanny Englund, Coquitlam’s general manager of parks, recreation, culture and facilities, and as noted by Coun. Craig Hodge, the Coquitlam Y took in 8,500 members last year — more than 5,100 of them Coquitlam residents, or 60 per cent.
An operating agreement with the city provides Coquitlam residents with 30 hours per week of swimming time and 13 hours per week of fitness.
But, on average, about 300 Coquitlam residents use the centre monthly during the Coquitlam Resident Access times, which Hodge called "disappointing."
This year, the Coquitlam Y is giving the city 300 free one-day guest passes to hand out to residents at civic rec hubs to encourage them to try out the Y.
Jennifer Keefe, Coquitlam’s director of community recreation, said the Y this year will focus on membership numbers, as well as introducing camps, improving youth programs and promoting its financial assistance program to help families in need.
The organization plans to add 3,500 more members over the next three years.
Maillardville Community Centre
As for the Maillardville Community Centre’s first year of operations in its new building, its net operating budget for 2023 was $454,000 — with $1.194 million in expenditures and $740,000 in revenues.
The new 22,000 sq. ft. community centre in Laval Square is double the size of Place Maillardville, which it replaced on the same site.
The rec complex has the city’s first dedicated gymnasium, plus a children’s program areas, a teaching kitchen and lounge, which last year drew nearly 8,000 visits for registered programs and more than 22,500 visits for drop-in sessions.
Since it opened in late 2022, participation has gone up by 35 per cent season-over-season, Englund said in his report.
