General Information

Phase 1 of our reopening began Monday, June 29, 2020 – with our health and fitness facilities. Pools will reopen on August 10.

YMCA child care and community programs have continued throughout this pandemic with modified service offerings.

• Health and Fitness Spaces,
• Group Fitness Classes (virtual and in-person)
• Health promotions programs (Healthy Hips and Knees, Healthy Hearts etc.)
• Children’s camps and drop-in recreation programs
• Open pool time
• Lane swimming
• Aquafit classes

Swim lessons will be phased in at a later date; we are hoping for the fall.

Child Minding and Zoned In will also remain on hold at this time as we work to determine effective physical distancing and safety protocols for these services. We are assessing options for these programs and hope to offer this service again in the fall.

The YMCA of Okanagan is also offering a variety of child care programs, career development programs and more.

One-on-one Health Coaching and personal training (with options for both virtual and in-person) will also launch during this phase once the protocols are approved.

Upon opening on June 29, the Y will operate under modified hours as follows:

Facility Hours

Monday to Friday from 5:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Statutory Holidays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Pool hours*

(Starting August 10)

Monday to Friday from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Statutory Holidays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

*Please note that our open swim times, lane swimming and aqua classes will vary. A detailed pool schedule will be provided soon. There will be periods of time daily where these services are not available to the public.

Due to the financial impact your YMCA and H2O centres have experienced due to COVID-19, we have had to adapt our service offering in order to ensure health and safety guidelines are in place, and also to save on expenses as we work to gradually reopen our facilities. Along with many organizations we are seeing a lower volume of member and drop-in visits and are also working with a reduction of available staff. At this time we do not have a projected date to increase these hours, and we will continue to monitor this pandemic in our local community to determine whether an increase in hours is feasible in the near future.

We currently have limited access to changerooms, lockers and showers at all three centres. At the Kelowna Family Y, showers and changerooms are limited to Member Plus. Lockers and showers are available at the Downtown YMCA. As of August 10 (when our pools reopen), we will have increased access to changerooms, lockers and showers at H2O and Kelowna Family YMCA. Stay tuned for more details coming soon. We still encourage all guests to come ready to use the facility and avoid having to use the changerooms unless absolutely necessary.

We’ve closely reviewed past usage volumes for July and August which have consistently been well below the capacity we’ve established for adhering to physical distancing guidelines. We will have a staff member at the door ensuring we’re not exceeding capacity. If for some reason we have a sudden influx of members all at once, you may need to wait. We will continue to monitor usage and update our procedures as needed.

We are currently experiencing higher than normal call volumes and are working to respond to all inquiries as soon as we are able. This is a temporary issue due to our recent reopening and payment date reactivation. We appreciate your patience and understanding during this time, and apologize for any inconvenience that this may cause. If you cannot get through via phone, you could also try to email us at membership@ymcaokanagan.ca (for membership inquiries), or hello@ymcaokanagan.ca (for general YMCA inquiries). Our team is also working to respond to inquiries through social media. Please reach out in the way you feel most comfortable and we will do our best to respond as soon as we are able.

The YMCA of Okanagan continues to respond to the needs of our community, providing programs and financial assistance to vulnerable populations and those most impacted by this pandemic. Your donation will help the YMCA with our highest priority needs as we move through the pandemic and into recovery. All funds raised will stay in our community and you will receive a tax receipt for your generous gift.