President & CEO's Message

Pleasures great and small

How can we start this 160th year of operation without first thanking our partners, our staff, our dedicated volunteers and our generous donors who have been contributing to the strength of our expertise and credibility for 160 years? Without you, the Y would certainly not be what it is today. Happy anniversary YMCA!

The opening of the Cartierville Y centre was without a doubt the highlight of the year, if not of the last decade. The new centre is a success on all fronts. As such, the Y has established itself as a unifying leader and partner of choice capable of creating a positive force for growth in the most diverse of neighbourhoods. Our impact on the development and well-being of youth and families, seniors and communities is undeniable. We are working hard to replicate this in Québec City.

Our day-to-day activities in 2010 were also a source of pride both great and small. Anniversaries we celebrated: the 25th year of La Boussole and the 35th year of Diversion; two excellent social integration programs. Programs we created in response to emerging needs: the Youth Integration Program (YIP) and the Post Secondary Youth Eco Internship Program. Those we continued to develop: the Intergenerational Reading and Writing Program as well as programs for seniors. We are also proud of our new points of service across the province, as well as our many well kept secrets such as Playing to Learn, our educational approach. There are countless reasons to celebrate!

Finally, The YMCAs of Québec was not impervious to the tragedy that struck our friends in Haiti. We took part in numerous actions in order to lend support to our colleagues, both employees and volunteers, as well as participants of the local YMCA. 200 Canadian citizens who were victims of the earthquake were housed in our Residence for two months. The quick reconstruction of the YMCA of Haiti, the first public building rebuilt in Port-au-Prince since the earthquake, would not have been possible without your expression of solidarity for the people of Haiti and we would like to give you our sincere thanks.

Stéphane Vaillancourt
President and Chief Executive Officer