Back in the summer Zenning with Zay & I got word from our friend Static Spaces about the Abandoned YMCA Barrie Ontario being demolished! So we decided to give it a go when we were in the area!
Originally I thought that this place was constructed in 1994 however that was when new additions & extensive renovations took place. The original building was built in 1964 & 30 years later a time capsule was put in place behind the corner stone. Now the time capsule was not like the ones we explore! Due to the current covid concerns there has not yet been a date set to open it as far as I know. Seeing as it was less than 30 years ago there likely won't be any real antiques aside from a CD!
The facility was aging despite having renovations done in the mid 90's. That, coupled with covid & dwingling membership, the decision was made to shut down the facility, sell the land to a developer & build a new facility downtown. There are plans to redevelop the land into threee towers zoned for housing. Hopfully there will be affordable housing & not just overpriced condos but we shall see.
Although a lot of the Abandoned YMCA Barrie Ontario was gone, there were still many interesting areas that remained! The amount of locker rooms was quite surprising! But I guess when there was at a time over 6,000 members, you would need to have the space! Those lockers would be cool to have in a shop!
Although it may have seemed just like a fitness centre, it was actually a community hub! There were many programs offered at the old YMCA such as after school programs, daycare, immigrant services, youth counselling, outreach programs & employment programs. Fortunately all these programs will still be offered in the city however not until the new YMCA is built.
While we were exploring the YMCA it was brutally hot & humid. Shortly after getting inside a violent storm passed over us & I wasn't sure if we'd be able to leave anytime soon! The sound of the heavy rains echoed throughout the massive shell of a building. After finding the gymnasium, complete with a running deck & the some racquet ball courts, I figured there still had to be a pool I mean, all those locker rooms couldn't be just for that alone. But then I ventured to the end of a locker room & my jam dropped!
There it was in all its glory! The Olympic sized pool! Having come in from the back we had no idea where it was. Crews had filled in the pool with rubble but the room itself was still so cool! A massive room with windows that once held glass blocks to allow natural light but still provide privacy! It was a great way to end the explore! As we were leaving, a sleeping security guard saw us & asked what we were doing. It was a little to late for him as we were headed back to the car!