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Downtown YMCA

The YMCA and downtown Montréal have a long history. Our impact here has taken on different forms over the last 170 years, and we have shown resilience and the ability to adapt to the times and community needs. Because our goal has always been to have a positive long-term impact—for the people who participate in our programs and for the community. Our aim is to pursue our mission for many years to come.

Discover our TeenZones and our community programs! 

Consult the programming

Opening hours

    Community programs

    Opened

    Fitness and aquatic activities

    Temporarily suspended

Our address

1435 Drummond St,
Montreal, H3G 1W4

Phone number(s)

Email

sac.cv@ymcaquebec.org

End of Physical Activities for Kids at the Downtown YMCA in December 2025

We would like to inform you that we made the difficult decision to stop offering physical activities for kids at the Downtown YMCA on December 7, 2025, when the fall session comes to an end.

This decision is part of a process we started to simplify our service offering to ensure the organization’s long-term viability.

We recognize the huge value of the program for participants and families. We would therefore like you to join us in thanking the downtown team, who got thousands of kids moving over the years. 

A necessary transformation

Downtown Montréal is reinventing itself, and so are we. We have analyzed how the situation is evolving in light of certain substantial challenges: 

  • Fewer people coming into the downtown Montréal
  • Changes in workers’ habits
  • Changes in fitness and workout habits

One thing is clear: downtown Montréal has changed and this affects how our charitable organization delivers its services at several levels. The Y can no longer cover the costs of its large fitness facilities, such as the pool, gym, and conditioning room, on its own as it did in the past. This is why we are taking action.

The future is taking shape

We have completed an important step. We are currently preparing to put the Downtown YMCA building up for sale. Our goal is to create a new community hub in the same neighbourhood but one that better suits our programming.

The revenues from the sale will be invested in our mission-driven investment fundallowing us to focus on our programming to the advantage of the community rather than on managing our building. Especially as the current programming at the Downtown YMCA, which includes the TeenZone, community programs, and the YMCA International Language School, only requires a third of the building’s area.

We have already chosen a real estate broker to guide us in the process, and we are currently looking for a new space in which to move our services. This is a long-term project that will take several years to become a reality.

For more details, consult our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Committed to the future

Thanks to program-specific funding and our donors, we continue to offer youth and community programs, both in-person and online, to the downtown community, specifically:

  • Social inclusion and reintegration services for people who were incarcerated and people experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness
  • Two TeenZones with sports, recreational, and leadership activities, homework help, and a program geared to students suspended from school.
    • One TeenZone for 12-to-17-year-olds
    • On TeenZone for 16-to-24-year-olds

In-classroom and online language courses

The YMCA International Language School offers a wide range of in-person and online language courses for youth and adults with a choice of nine languages.

Discover our language courses

Call for temporary tenants


From now until the building is sold, we want to optimize the use of space to serve the needs of the community. The concept: offer community organizations struggling to keep operating in downtown Montréal special rates adapted to their ability to pay.

There are various multipurpose spaces available. Interested parties can communicate their needs by emailing installations.sa@ymcaquebec.org.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)