YMCA Petition #1
Ms. Lesley Davidson
Dear Lesley, As YMCA patrons (past and present), we the undersigned wish to register our strong dissatisfaction over:
In 1997, former Y member Ed Dewar presented you and Greg with a petition signed by fifty Y members, opposing the conversion of one of the five squash courts of that time to “Cycle Fit.” Ed discussed the issue with both of you, to no avail, and the conversion went ahead. Ed particularly remembers Greg insisting that his “data” on member usage of facilities justified the change. Then as now, it was plain to see that there were two racquetball courts which were generally empty, while squash courts were seeing high demand. Like many other squash players since then, faced with unresponsive Y management, Ed opted to leave the Y and join a different club. A second squash court was subsequently taken out of commission as well, this time for golf. This reduced available squash courts to three and produced the present situation, in which we frequently cannot pursue our activity of choice at the Y as all three courts are in use. The two racquetball courts are still there, and are still idle most of the time. It is clear from the booking sheets that they are virtually never both in use. But the golf court is particularly outrageous. It is as plain as day to each of us, and to anyone who frequents the area, that despite Greg’s assertions about his “data,” the golf facility is almost never used. Consider what this communicates to members. Again and again, we are turned away from squash because the three available courts are all in active use. And there, in plain view, stands a fully constructed squash court, empty and idle because Greg Miller’s “data” shows it to be in active use by members. Following the court eliminations, many members who used to play squash at the Y, perhaps as many as 75, have responded by leaving for alternate clubs. This exodus of our friends and fellow squash players has further eroded the benefit of Y membership for those of us who still remain. Last May a second petition, signed by a dozen members, was sent to Greg by Uriel Wittenberg. The courteously worded submission proposed that consideration be given to converting the golf court back to squash. No acknowledgement was forthcoming. When Uriel sought him out, Greg said the petition had been unwelcome because, with its list of signatures, it looked like a “demand.” Greg insisted again that the golf court was being used by members as much as the squash courts, but agreed to monitor usage. Two weeks ago, Uriel revisited the issue in a lengthy discussion with Greg. Greg was adamant that the golf court was being used as much as squash. He said he had discarded the statistics he’d compiled to show this. At one point Greg turned to the staff working at the booking desk for confirmation of his position. Instead, they told him: “No, hardly anyone ever uses the golf. Maybe once a day.” Greg was unswayed, even after having the reality communicated to him by Y employees at the booking desk. Besides the two petitions, members have also communicated the problem to management individually. Vezi Tayyeb wrote out a detailed suggestion last Spring, filling three of the green comment cards. His input was never even acknowledged. YMCA Canada’s literature states that it is “grounded in time-honoured principles” including “the values of equality, honesty, justice, love, peace and service.” Members and staff are pledged “to treat one another with respect and dignity.” We submit that Greg Miller’s responses to our concerns are inconsistent with these principles. Furthermore, the repudiation of repeated appeals, suggestions and input from members demonstrates disrespect for all of us. We do not believe that the people in the community who support the Y would approve such a style of management. We also believe the Y’s financial supporters would be dismayed that two squash courts, representing expensive infrastructure, are being wasted despite high member demand. We would like you to recognize the wishes of your membership by restoring the two squash courts we have lost. If no other location is more suitable, Cycle Fit can be moved to one of the racquetball courts. The scarcity of squash courts is a constant aggravation for us. This matter has been presented to Y management many times, by many members. Our input has been rebuffed or ignored for years. We feel entitled at this point to request that you give this matter serious and urgent consideration. We would like to have our two missing courts back by the end of March. You can conveniently reply to most of the undersigned together via the email addresses provided below. Alternatively, please respond in writing to Uriel Wittenberg, who will convey your response to the rest of us. Sincerely,
[SIGNERS: Provide name; email address if available; your signature; and indicate either membership #, “former member”, or “occasional patron”.]
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