Building Community, One Class at a Time: Ron MacVinnie’s YMCA Story

For Ron MacVinnie, the YMCA has never been just a place to work out. It’s been a constant in his life for more than 70 years—shaping his childhood, guiding his volunteer work and connecting him to a community that continues to give back.

“The Y started for me when I was seven years old,” Ron said. “I’d take the bus to downtown Hamilton and do tumbling and gymnastics on Saturday mornings.” 

Those early experiences were about more than activity. After class, Ron would meet his mother, share lunch and spend time together. Even then, the YMCA was a place where health, family and connection came together.

Years later, as a teenager in Burlington, Ron’s relationship with the Y took a new direction. He remembers in 1963, Ron Edwards and Sylvia Bailey were running Y programs out of an upstairs office on Brant Street, and they encouraged him to step into a leadership role.

“[Sylvia] said, ‘You like doing all that tumbling…did you ever think you could teach it?’” he recalled. “I was probably in Grade 11.” 

That encouragement sparked a lifelong commitment to giving back. Ron began leading a gymnastics program for young girls, his first step in what would lead to nearly three decades of volunteering at the YMCA.

Ron kicked off his 27 consecutive years of volunteering with the Y when the Ron Edwards Family YMCA opened in 1970. Over the years, he led fitness classes and supported people at every stage of their wellness journey.

“It was satisfying,” he said. “You’d meet people new to fitness…then six months later you’d see the difference…it was a lot of fun.” 

Through this work, Ron helped others build confidence and improve their health, living the YMCA’s commitment to helping people reach their full potential.

The YMCA also gave back to Ron during challenging times. As a single parent, he brought his children with him while he volunteered.

“I’d bring the kids down…and I think some of the women took more interest in helping babysit them than doing the fitness,” he said with a laugh. “It takes a village.”

That sense of community became a defining part of his experience. After classes, members would gather for pickup volleyball, forming friendships that lasted decades.

“On the court, everybody was equal,” Ron said. “That’s what I liked.”

The games turned into teams, and the teams led to competitions across Ontario, including a trip to the former Four Seasons Family Naturist Resort that was featured in a YMCA newsletter. Some of his high school friends reconnected through those games, and together, they built a new routine of volleyball and community at the YMCA.

The Y also shaped his life in unexpected ways. It’s where he met his wife. It’s where their social circle grew. It’s where “Dinner at Eight” became a tradition—eight friends, all connected through the YMCA, gathering regularly to share meals and life.

Ron also gave back through leadership, serving nearly 10 years on the YMCA board and contributing to the growth that would become YMCA Hamilton | Burlington | Brantford. His journey also included time at YMCA Wanakita as a child, where his love for the outdoors began.

Looking back, Ron describes the YMCA in one word:

“Fulfilling,” he said. “It gave me what I needed…and then it gave me stuff I hadn’t realized I was going to get.” 

For Ron, and for so many others, the YMCA is more than a gym. “Most other gyms are fitness,” he said. “This one is fitness plus community.”

His story is a reflection of the YMCA at its best—a place that ignites potential, where people connect, grow, and create lasting impact, together.