Our History
The Young Men's Christian Association was founded by a young man named George Williams in 1844 in London, England during the Industrial Revolution. The organization was aimed at providing young men with wholesome leisure activities such as bible study, lectures, and social activities.
The first YMCA in Canada was founded in Montreal in 1851 with the goal of putting religious teachings into practice and leading by example. Today, there are more than 200 YMCAs in Canadian communities and countless others worldwide in more than 130 countries on every continent.
The YMCA is an independent charitable organization affiliated with YMCA Canada and YMCA International. Founded in 1917, it now comprises five program and membership centres:
Collectively, we serve over 50,000 people per year - both through memberships and through community members who use our programs or services.
Many people associate YMCA with summer camps or swimming lessons. But we are also an employment resource centre, a place for alternative education, a child care provider, a leadership developer, a fitness centre and more.
Through all these activities, we aim to build strong kids, strong families, strong communities.
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