YMCA in Port Hawkesbury to close in February

After years of losing money, Port Hawkesbury's YMCA will close permanently Feb. 22.

The branch opened in the town's civic centre in 2004and has about 500 members.

But Andre Gallant, the CEO of the YMCA of Cape Breton, said the board of directors has decided theorganization can no longer afford to keep the facility open.

"We've been struggling in this branch for many years," Gallant told CBC Cape Breton's Mainstreet. "We've made efforts to try things different ways and we've simply not been able to shift the balance to where we'd be able to bring enough revenue in to cover the expenses."

The closure was announced via social media post Friday.

Gallant, based in Sydney, was in Port Hawkesburyto break the news to members as they arrived.

He said while some were shocked, others who knew about the financial situationwere not surprised.

"It's just a tough environment overall," he said, noting that fitness memberships aren't essential spending for some people.

In 2013, the YMCA of Cape Breton made a number of changes at its branches in both Sydney and Port Hawkesbury to cope with a financial shortfall.

"I don't think Port Hawkesbury is much different from Cape Breton as a whole, in terms of struggling economy, declining population, aging population, chronic disease issues," Gallant said.

"There certainly is a role for the Y to play in that, but against all those other circumstances, the revenue piece just wasn't there to support the expenses."

Locations in Sydney, Membertou not affected

He also said the facility had trouble attracting instructors in the largely rural areato conduct group fitness classes.

Members who have purchased long-term memberships will be offered refunds.

Nine part-time employees will lose their jobs. One full-time employee had already resigned.

YMCA facilities in Sydney and the newest in Membertou, which opened in 2017, are not affected.

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