The Kamloops YMCA-YWCA is looking at merging together with the YMCAs of Greater Vancouver and Northern BC to to become the YMCA of British Columbia.
Y Unification Chair, Karl de Bruijn, told city council it comes after a five-year study on amalgamating the organizations.
“We didn’t do this on our own, you know, just the board members and things like that. We’ve engaged legal assistance, we’ve engaged financial assistance through accounting firms,” he said.
“We did a very thorough process of due diligence and strengths of the various Y’s involved in the discussions, the risks that might be associated. Obviously, we believe that it is a good move to make.”
de Bruijn says there is a special meeting of Y members next Tuesday, May 10, to decide whether or not to move forward, noting the merger is also awaiting approval from the Canada Revenue Agency.
“We’re not doing this as a result of a crises. We’re coming to this unification with a position of strength. It is also not a result of the pandemic, and its not being undertaken as a way to save money,” he added.
“It is about doing things more efficiently, more effectively, and we’re having greater expertise to guide us through that stuff.”
Also speaking at council, Kamloops YMCA-YWCA CEO, Colin Reid, noted the merger is also not being done with the intent of cutting jobs.
“We know that we need every employee, every volunteer, every leader to help keep what we do in Kamloops going and also to chase our aspirations of what we want to do in the future,” Reid said.
“All employees will merge into this unified Y, recognizing when you join three organizations together, there are three different structures and eventually over time, those structures have to be melded together.”
Reid is not expecting there to be many changes for users of the Kamloops Y, if the merger is approved.
“We’re hoping it doesn’t mean a lot that one day there will be walking in under the name that is governed by the Kamloops YMCA-YWCA and tomorrow they’re walking in and enjoying the same experience, enjoying the same friendships, the same relationships, the same quality of activity under the name of Y BC,” Reid said.
“The names of our buildings, the names of branches, the names of our programs are not going to change.”
In Kamloops, there are two YMCA-YWCA locations – downtown on Battle Street, and The John Tod Centre Y on Wood Street on the North Shore.
“We are hopeful that all our donors will stay with us,” Reid added.
“Donors that donate to a particular program or a particular community or a particular project will stay where they want their gift designated to. So money raised in Kamloops will stay in Kamloops for Kamloops Y activities under the Y BC banner.”
The amalgamation process, Reid noted, started out with five Y’s. Vancouver Island YMCA-YWCA and the Okanagan YMCA opted out of the process, noting the YMCA of British Columbia will allow other Y’s to join in the future.
“We’ve respected that decision. We’ve structured Y BC to allow for other Y’s to join in the future,” he said. “We’ll continue to work with those two associations on provincial efforts and activities. Should in the future those associations wish to join Y BC, they’ll be welcomed in at that time.”
Added, de Bruijn, “our vision really is to meet the needs of British Columbians and Kamloopsians in particular. We want to increase our capacity to innovate and scale programs and we think we can do that as a collective group,” he said.
“Frankly, we want to enhance the quality and the relevance and the effectiveness of the Y systems not just here but throughout the province.”