Settling in Canada was so much easier after joining the Y
My family and I emigrated from the United Kingdom to Canada in 1998. Starting a new chapter in our lives and settling down in a new county with a very young family was challenging, but it became so much easier after being introduced to the YMCA of Oakville.
It was just a very small building at that time; there was no pool or gymnasium. There were potholes in the parking lot, and staff were spilling out onto trailers in the back yard. It was so far removed from the beautiful building we have today—but despite this, the sense of belonging and community was as strong as ever.
My family and I had found our place to belong—the Y was a huge part of our family life and family journey.
It was the place where I got a temporary, part-time job, and where my kids learnt to swim, learnt how to volunteer, got their first jobs, learnt how to lifeguard, taught swimming lessons, became camp counsellors, had role models, made friendships, and became leaders.
It was the place where my husband became a black belt in Jiu Jitsu and volunteered every Saturday morning helping youth achieve the same.
And the Y was also where my daughter first met her husband!
Now, almost a quarter-century later, as we celebrate the 20th anniversary of our building, that sense of belonging and community is still as strong—I cannot imagine how different life would have been and what our story would have been like if my family and I had not had the opportunities, relationships, support, experiences, teamwork, colleagues and friends that the Y brought us.
I have met so many people throughout my Y journey—staff, members, program participants, worked with so many amazing and supportive colleagues and I have an amazing staff team.
I am so thankful that I found the Y so many years ago.
Life is constantly changing; we do not know what is ahead of us, but we know that the one constant we can always rely on is the Y.