Save the Old Y: Let Arusha have the lease for The Old Y!

The City of Calgary: Council, Administration, and Mayor

What’s happening with The Old Y?

The Old Y (aka Historic YWCA) is owned by The City of Calgary. The current tenant CommunityWise Resource Centre (CWRC) responsible for the building has chosen to end their lease with the city.

The non-profit, grassroots, and community-service organizations that work out of The Old Y are being forced to vacate the building by September 30, 2025!

The Save the Old Y Coalition is calling on the city to:

Prevent building vacancy AND enable the non-profit, grassroots, and community-service organizations to continue their critical work in the community.

This can be done easily by: Transferring the lease to The Arusha Centre!

There’s numerous vacancy-related risks that will have serious unintended consequences for the community and for the building. If the Old Y is left vacant for any period of time, it will become an eyesore in the area and diminish any semblance of public-life on the block. A vacant, and unoccupied site is unmanaged, vulnerable, and not a good short-term solution for anyone involved.

The wide range of support and resources available, in a centralized location is unique and incredibly beneficial for Calgarians who need support – I don’t know of any other place like this in the city, or in the country for that matter. This is an opportunity for the City of Calgary to invest in its people, and be a national leader in supporting the non-profit and community service sector.

With no long-term plan in place, when the building closes its doors to tenants on Sept 30, it will be a huge loss to the community, and the city more broadly. The City of Calgary can prevent this by transferring the Old Y's lease to The Arusha Centre.


The Arusha Centre has been a tenant of The Old Y for 40 years. They are a partner organization of The Save the Old Y Coalition, and are committed to maintaining The Old Y as a community hub/non-profit co-location by continuing stewardship of the building while a long-term plan is made via the city's OREOI process.

Sign this petition to co-sign the coalitions call for the City of Calgary to: Transfer the lease for The Old Y to The Arusha Centre.

Petition by
Tara Laverdure
Save The Old Y Coalition
Sponsored by
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Save The Old Y

To: The City of Calgary: Council, Administration, and Mayor
From: [Your Name]

Dear City of Calgary: Council, Administration, and Mayor

I am a resident of Calgary, who you are committed to serving, calling on you to prevent vacancy of The Old Y and enable the non-profit, grassroots, and community-service organizations to continue their critical work in the community.

Please provide the funding and necessary resources to bring back The Old Y as affordable community gathering & social service facility!

Sincerely and in Solidarity with the Save The Old Y Coalition,