YMCA Impact Event Shines a Light on Brantford Community

09-05-2025

dozens of people sit and watch a presentation by the YMCA

Nearly 100 community members gathered in Brantford on Wednesday, May 7 for an inspiring morning highlighting the YMCA impact in the community.

The event, which took place at the Rope Factory Event Hall in Brantford, brought together YMCA staff and members of the community, including, Member of Parliament, Larry Brock; His Worship, David Bailey, the Mayor of Brant County; Christi Garneau, Councillor from Brant County; Dean Hill, Councillor, Six Nations of the Grand River; Fawn Sault, Councillor, Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation; Trustee, Carol Ann Sloat, Grand Erie District School Board; and Kevin Davis, the Mayor of Brantford.

Mayor Davis shared his own Y story, reflecting on how the YMCA helped him build leadership skills he still uses to this day. Mayor Davis also thanked the YMCA for the positive impact they’ve had in Brantford and the surrounding communities. He presented Manny Figueiredo, the President and CEO of the YMCA of Hamilton|Burlington|Brantford with a symbolic ‘marriage certificate,’ reinforcing the importance of this partnership.

“Over the last several years, our footprint in Brantford and Brant County, as well as in Six Nations of the Grand River, and Mississaugas of the Credit First Nations has been growing. We’re lucky to have such wonderful partners in the community and we want to continue to expand our programs to help create positive outcomes for everyone,” says Figueiredo.

Figueiredo also received a certificate of recognition from Mayor David Bailey, further solidifying the YMCA’s impact in the Brant County community.

“Receiving these certificates from Mayor Davis and Mayor Bailey not only strengthens our bond, but also shows that we truly belong.”

The morning focused on several programs having a significant impact in Brantford, including a Youth Engagement Series made possible thanks to the Building Stronger Communities Grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation. Built in partnership with the YMCA, Brantford Police Service, and the City of Brantford, the six-week program teaches young people about a variety of topics including internet safety, mental health, healthy relationships, and drugs, guns and gangs, while also fostering positive relationships with police officers.

YMCA Beyond the Bell™ was also given the spotlight, with a focus on the impact the program partnership is having in Six Nations of the Grand River and expansion into Mississauguas of the Credit First Nation. While Beyond the Bell™ is only offered in some schools, all members of these communities are invited to the program so that everyone has the opportunity to learn, grow, and belong.

YMCA Child Care programs in Brantford are also doing work to increase inclusivity and accessibility. The event brought attention to the accessibility renovations done at the Blueridge Child Care Centre, it shined a light on a program called 'Visiting the Grand Pals' that brings elderly residents together with the children at St. Joseph’s Child Care Centre, and it showed how inclusion and understanding were at the forefront of RISE events at Three Bears and Bellview Child Care Centres.

From there , YMCA staff spoke about Health, Fitness, and Aquatics (HFA) programming in Brantford. One highlight is a program that brings local schools into the Laurier Brantford Family YMCA to access equipment and programs that wouldn’t be available to them otherwise. The second is the Brian Torelli Cardiac Rehab Healthy Hearts Program which helps individuals reignite their health and well-being after a significant cardiac event. Finally, the Y showed their appreciation to Pickleball Brantford for their partnership in hosting a charity Pickleball tournament at the Laurier Brantford Family YMCA this past January.

The event wouldn’t have been complete without an awards presentation. Two YMCA staff, Shannon Davis and Shawna MacLellan received the Torchbearer Award for the dedication to fulfilling the YMCA’s mission, while SC Johnson received the Ignitor Award for their longstanding and continuous support of the Y.

Finally, local businessman William Verity was on hand to receive the Visionary Award, given to a donor who has shown they believe in the work the YMCA does and want to help that work continue well into the future.

Verity shared some of his own Y story, saying how he and his brother went for a walk in Brantford one day, ended up at the Y, and never left. He says the YMCA taught him how to work as a team to reach his goals, lessons that still guide him today.

#ShineOn #IgnitePotential #CommunityImpact #YMCA

Ignitor Award
SC Johnson