A loud round of applause filled the council chambers during the May 20 Committee of the Whole meeting, after roughly 100 public attendees heard the overwhelming sentiment from council: the proposal to hand over operational responsibilities of Spray Lake Sawmills Centre (SLSC) to YMCA Calgary should not proceed without a public hearing.
“I think really what it comes down to is the feeling of losing autonomy,” said Mayor Jeff Genung. “Small-town Cochrane feeling like it’s losing ownership and control of the rec centre.”
With Cochrane’s significant population growth, the demand for recreational amenities has increased. In response, the town launched a comprehensive 18-month growth study to assess current service levels and future needs. Contracting YMCA Calgary to operate Cochrane and Rocky View County’s shared recreation facilities emerged as the most cost-effective solution, according to the study. On October 2024, council approved administration to enter formal negotiations with YMCA Calgary.
“I don’t see a better way to create the overall financial capacity to meet the growing and changing demand for recreation in our community—or a better value for tax dollars in providing these services,” said Mike Derricott, the town’s chief administrative officer.
YMCA Calgary operates six health and fitness facilities in the region, including two of the largest YMCAs in the world. The organization is recognized as a leader in promoting active lifestyles and community engagement.
The proposed partnership includes:
- A three-year capital planning cycle
- A 25-year development plan
- An Association Master Plan to guide long-term decision-making
The town says the agreement would improve operational efficiency, align services with community needs, and significantly boost the centre’s operating margin—projecting an increase of nearly 130 per cent in the first year, 185 per cent in the second, and close to 20 per cent annually thereafter.
“I think it’s no secret Cochrane needs an entirely new rec centre, and these days those cost between $60 million and $120 million,” said Coun. Morgan Nagel. “To my knowledge, we don’t know how we’re going to be able to provide that, so when a creative solution like this comes forward and we’re told we might find multiple millions more per year in our budget by finding operational efficiencies at the rec centre—it has my attention.”
Though supportive of the concept, Nagel said there isn’t enough information available yet to support moving forward.
“I just know the devil is in the details with these things,” he said. “What is it that Cochrane is going to gain from this, and what are we going to be asked to give in return? Until I actually have a draft contract or an offer to review, I have a hard time understanding those specifics.”
That sentiment was first brought up by Coun. Marni Fedeyko, who was outspoken in her opposition to advancing the deal at this time.
“I’m actually annoyed that this is coming up and I’m being asked to make a decision within 13 days,” she said. “The financials are fuzzy. I don’t understand what the membership benefits are going to be. I don’t understand how this impacts the groups, and I don’t understand how it impacts the current staff. It’s not clear enough for me to make a formal decision—especially when it’s about entering a 25-year agreement.”
Although most of council expressed hesitation, Coun. Susan Flowers offered a different perspective. She noted that the conversation around operational efficiencies at Spray Lake had been ongoing for years. Concerns about high costs and management had prompted council to ask staff to explore alternatives, and this proposal was the result of that work.
“We’ve been having meetings with the Y, we’ve met with Rocky View County time and time again and gone over this, so it’s not anything new,” she said. “I just think opening it up to more scrutiny is going to open a can of worms, and it’s not really going to change anything. We’ve done our due diligence. We’ve got lawyers involved. So let’s just make a decision and get on with it.”
Following the discussion, council made it clear that bringing the matter to a public hearing is the best next step. A vote to initiate that process is expected at the next council meeting.
