Pool and fitness area will open soon, YMCA says
The YMCA Northumberland has a message for impatient swimmers keen to get in the water at the Sunny Life Recreation & Wellness Centre: Don’t get your trunks in a knot, the new pool and fitness centre will open soon, we just can’t say how soon.
“We are working with the municipality on all the finishing touches and making sure everything's good to go,” said Kathryn Harrison, Manager, Marketing Communications & Media Relations at YMCA Northumberland. “We will be announcing the date as soon as we have a confirmed date. We don't want to announce the date and have to backtrack.”
There is obviously a lot of interest about the new facility. Harrison says more than 500 of us have signed up to get email updates on the status.
While she doesn’t have an opening date, Harrison is ready to talk about some of the programming plans for the new centre.
“We've got some classes already lined up to begin as soon as we open. We'll be running aquafit, yoga, and pilates classes. And some of our old favourites, such as strong bodies and muscle fit. So, we’ll have a wide range of fitness classes coming out of the gate.
“Our swim lessons for children will begin in the new year,” she said.
The Y also has some job opportunities. It has lined up lifeguards for evening shifts but is looking for staff to fill some daytime slots.
“We're looking for anyone who would be interested in being a lifeguard during the daytime, so possibly a part-time retired role,” she says. “We are going to be offering some training for people that are interested over the holiday.”
You’ve no doubt seen and heard the criticism that the fees are too high, and many people won’t be able to afford to join.
The fee schedule is identical to that of the Cobourg YMCA. The annual adult fee is $830 and for seniors it is $711. There are price breaks for couples, or a family/group of five.
As well, the price has been lowered for the first month. Representatives from the Y will be at the rec centre on Wednesday, Nov. 13 from 5-8 p.m. to sign people up for that deal, or a full membership.
In addition, there is a program for people who simply can’t afford the full cost.
“We have a charity portion of the YMCA as an operating nonprofit that offers subsidies to people that have financial needs, Harrison says.
People can apply for financial assistance. “We do try and get access to everyone and give fair access, so that it's something that everyone can enjoy in our community.”
Under the contract with the Y, the municipality will pay an annual fee for operating expenses that are not covered by the fees charged by the YMCA. It’s expected to take some time for membership to grow enough to sustain the centre.
Last month council approved a plan to borrow to fill a $6.4 million funding gap for the $25 million centre, built by Taskforce Engineering Inc.
Home sales jumped in October, prices up 30 per cent
Last month was a booming one for real estate sales in Trent Hills, according to the Central Lakes Association of Realtors.
In October, 24 properties sold in our municipality, 23 detached and one condo, up from 13 in September and 18 in August.
The median price for the detached homes was $630,000, up more than 30 per cent from $480,000 in September. So far this year, 183 homes have sold with a median price of $590,000.
In October 2023 there were only 13 sales, but the average price was $720,646, according to Century 21 United Realty Inc. This year there were 143 active listings at the end of October, compared to just 80 a year ago.
Another indication that the market was hot, the homes that sold were only on the market an average of 28 days, compared to the average so far this year of 41 days.
In all of Northumberland there were 117 sales at an average price of $691,000, up from 98 sales a year earlier, when the average price was $728,600.
A cut in interest rates in late October should spur the market even more, says Vicki Sweeney, president of the Central Lake Association of Realtors.
“On October 23, 2024, the Bank of Canada announced a half-percent reduction in the interest rate, bringing it down to 3.75%—the lowest rate since the pandemic,” she said. “This reduction is anticipated to encourage buyers who have been waiting on the sidelines to re-enter the market and provide some relief to those with upcoming mortgage renewals.”
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