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For Immediate Release
Print | PDFBrantford – At 5:30 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 14, the doors to the Laurier Brantford YMCA will officially open, providing members – including students from the Brantford campuses of Wilfrid Laurier University and Conestoga College – with access to the newly built facility. Recognizing the great community interest in the project, Laurier and the YMCA will host open house events on Friday, Sept. 14 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., and on Saturday, Sept. 15 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. to showcase the four-level structure’s amenities. Guests can enter via either the Colborne St. or Water St. entrances.
“We know that there is a lot of excitement and curiosity around this building, so we want to make sure everyone has a chance to take a look,” said Pat Kitchen, general manager of the new facility. “Throughout the construction process, people in the community have literally watched this building come out of the ground. We look forward to welcoming everyone to see the finished product.”
Kitchen describes the weekend’s open house as a “soft” opening.
“An official grand opening celebration is being planned for later this year, but we are thrilled to finally open the doors and welcome the community.”
“Opening the doors on Friday is just the beginning,” said Jim Commerford, President and CEO of the YMCA of Hamilton I Burlington I Brantford. “This is truly a game-changing addition to Brantford and its surrounding communities, and will usher in a slate of new possibilities for health, wellness and social connectivity.”
An atrium wall in the Water St. entrance to the new Laurier Brantford YMCA recognizes major donors to the project.
“That wall says so much about this initiative,” said Commerford. “It’s a facility for the community, that was made possible in huge part by the community. Individual and corporate donors – including those named on the wall and countless others – all believed in this partnership, and along with all three levels of government, invested alongside the YMCA and Wilfrid Laurier University to make this vision a reality.”
This partnership between the YMCA and a post-secondary institution is believed to be the first of its kind in North America.
“The value of this facility for our students can not be overstated,” said Heidi Northwood, interim senior executive officer at Laurier’s Brantford campus. “The need for enhanced athletic and recreation opportunities is something our students have been requesting for some time now. The students have been counting down the hours for the opening since they returned this September.”
Among the features open house guests will have the chance to see are:
Members enjoy two hours of free parking at the parkade, which is linked to the Colborne St. entrance via a pedestrian walkway. Information regarding membership, aquatics lessons, fitness class schedules and more can be found online.
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Media Contacts:
Beth Gurney, Associate Director: Communications and Public Affairs
Wilfrid Laurier University - Brantford Campus
Kyla Kumar, Regional Vice President, Marketing and Communications
YMCAs of Hamilton I Burlington I Brantford, Niagara and Oakville
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