The Cor Van Raay YMCA is a 250,000 square foot recreational leisure centre located in a growing neighbourhood on the West Side of Lethbridge, Alberta. The facility is open, warm and welcoming and strengthens linkages to adjacent community spaces, including the connecting ice complex and the greater Lethbridge Park system.

A result of community demand for more local recreation facilities and programming, the new centre offers diverse programming and features a leisure aquatic centre, fitness centre, field house, and a variety of shared community spaces.

On entering the facility, the Cor Van Raay YMCA is united by a two-storey main street, which provides immediate visual comprehension of the amenities. This galleria links the aquatics, fieldhouse, childcare and the multipurpose venue in a comprehensive public space. Additionally, this space provides casual amenity for viewing, lounging on two levels and performance, with a tiered casual theatre space at the north end.

The comprehensive aquatic centre includes a 25 metre 6 lane pool, a leisure pool with disturbed water’ wave generation and a lazy river, two giant water slides, a climbing wall, surfing simulator, whirlpool, a public viewing area and change room facilities.

The multi-sport/multi-purpose field house contains a triple gymnasium on one side and a multi-sport surface opposite that can also be used for court play in a tournament situation. The fieldhouse is surrounded above by a 250 metre 4 lane running track. Adjacent to the fieldhouse is a fitness centre, including strength training areas, aerobic areas, and multiple fitness studios.

Along the east side of the galleria are children’s amenities including a 2,000 square foot two storey indoor children’s playground. Multi-purpose rooms and a childcare facility line the north side of the fieldhouse, with additional multi-purpose rooms and lease space for a physiotherapy clinic at the second level.

The Cor Van Raay YMCA is a new gathering place for activity and interaction for the citizens of Lethbridge.