Proudly one of the top three largest YMCAs in North America, the Cor Van Raay YMCA at Cavendish Farms Centre is committed to serving our community.

Your Community Recreation Facility

Aquatic Centre
  • 50,000 square feet
  • Surf rider, lazy river and beach-entry wave pool
  • 40-person hot tub, 25m pool with 6 lanes, and teaching pool
  • 2 waterslides, on-deck steam room and large viewing area
  • Swim lessons, fitness classes, and certification courses
  • YMCA aquatics programming, lane swim, and family swim
Fitness Centre
  • Updated cardio, strength, and sport conditioning equipment
  • 240m indoor running track
  • Yoga, spin, and TRX studios
  • Personal Training and drop-in fitness classes
Fieldhouse 
  • 1 large Fieldhouse divided into 3 Gymnasiums/ 6 Courts
  • Courts reserved to accommodate drop-ins
  • Children, youth, and adult sport programming
  • Fitness classes
Indoor Playspace
  • Indoor playground for children aged 11 years and under.
  • Climb the rope ladder to access the 30ft winding slide, practice your bouldering skills, or crawl through tunnels.

Licensed Child Care 
  • Open to children aged 12 months to kindergarten 
  • Full and part time spaces available
  • Before and After school programming
Youth Programming
  • Child Minding available while you enjoy the facility
  • Rec Room equipped with pool table and gaming spaces
  • PD Day and Summer Camps
  • Child and youth sports programming
  • Party rentals and family drop-in opportunities
Rental Opportunities
  • Fully-equipped formal meeting rooms
  • 6 multipurpose rooms of various size
  • Birthday/group party packages
Changeroom Spaces
  • Adult-only Men’s and Women’s, all-ages Men’s and Women’s, and Universal changerooms. 
  • Equipped with various accessibility features, such as handrails, automatic doors, wide clearance, and lift/adult change-table.
  • Day-use lockers available. You are encouraged to bring your own locks. Locks may be purchased at the Membership Services desk. Free access to small valuables lockers.

Take the tour!

Join the folks at Tourism Lethbridge as they show off the amenities of the recreation centre.

Accessibility Features
Email us at [email protected] with accessibility feedback

Parking Lot
  • Accessible parking stalls near entrances clearly labelled
  • Sidewalk ramps designed without twists or turns
  • Additional spaces designated for drop-off and pick-up near doors
  • Wide sidewalks
Entrances
  • Clear wayfinding instructions
  • Automatic doors with extended timing
  • Non-slip mats and entrance grates
Elevators
  • Main-floor elevator located at North entrance gives access to all public-spaces
  • Main floor elevator in Fieldhouse hallway gives access to upper fitness floor/track
  • Maintenance elevator available under special circumstances
  • Clear emergency instructions posted at lower height
Membership Services Desk
  • Designed with higher and lower counter height
  • Wireless debit machines 
  • paper copies of electronic communications available upon request
  • Access to CanTalk translation services
  • Several employees speak at least 2 languages. ASL sometimes available on-site
  • Primary phone number may be texted
  • Various complimentary items available
  • Employees are trained to support patrons with communication and visual differences
  • Fee Assistance options are available
Water Fountains
  • Both ‘sipping’ and water bottle fillers are available on site
  • Sipping fountains come in two different standard heights and are controlled by a push-bar
Public Washrooms
  • 58 bathroom stalls available to patrons throughout the facility
  • Large single-toilet stalls available on each floor are equipped with button-push automatic door open and lock
  • Gendered washrooms have doorless entry
  • Sharps disposal available in every washroom
  • Baby change tables and diaper pails in each washroom, even men’s!
  • Stepstools available
Wayfinding Signage
  • Wayfinding signage has character pictograms and Braille
Fitness Centre
  • Equipment with White tags are adaptable for accessibility modifications, including wheelchair use. 
  • Lowered reception desk
  • Personal trainers available to answer questions
  • High-visibility contrast vinyl separating lanes on the Track
Child Care and Child Minding 
  • Lowered toilets, counters, and sinks
  • Inclusive play spaces with additional room to support gross-motor development
  • Child and Youth workers trained to support a variety of developmental and sensory needs
Fieldhouse
  • Level and padded floor surface
  • High-visibility colours used to mark walls and floors
  • Push button access on all entrance/exit doors
  • Gendered, and single-toilet washrooms available with accessible stalls.
  • Variety of activities available supporting all levels and abilities
  • Basketball nets can be raised and lowered
  • court-separating curtains can be raised and lowered upon request
Changerooms
  • Push button door access
  • Private changing in large private stalls that can accommodate support workers
  • Accessible toilet stalls
  • Barrier free shower stalls
  • All Gender public change room
  • Fully equipped barrier free room that has an overhead lift (600 pound lifting capacity), wall mounted change table (330 pound capacity), toilet, sink and two flexible hose shower heads
Aquatics Area
  • Zero depth entry wave pool for ease of access
  • Wheelchair lift with a weight capacity of 600 pounds, with direct access to teaching pool and the lazy river
  • Wheelchair lift with a weight capacity of 550 pounds, with direct access to lap pool
  • Mobile lift with a weight capacity of 300 pounds for hot tub entry/exit
  • Public steam room located right off the pool deck with electronic buttons to allow easy access and exiting
  • Stairs leading into the lap pool, hot tub, teaching pool and lazy river
  • Aquatic wheelchairs available, which have a weight capacity of 220 pounds
  • Fully accessible spectator viewing area
 
General Facility
  • Breastfeeding is always welcome 
  • Service Animals are always welcome
  • We make our best efforts to minimize scent. While certain cleaning products may have a faint odor, we do not use air fresheners or essential oil diffusers whenever possible. Employees are encouraged to avoid heavily scented perfumes.
  • We celebrate our diverse community, and welcome people of all backgrounds, across age, ethnicity, race, colour, disability, learning styles, religion, faith, socioeconomic status, culture, marital status, languages spoken, sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity and expression as well as differences in ideas, thoughts, and beliefs. 
Photo by Tijana Martin, Lethbridge Herald

Cor Van Raay

While Cor Van Raay is well known in Southern Alberta for his decades of innovation in agriculture, it is incredibly difficult to speak about the success of the YMCA of Lethbridge without mentioning him.  

YMCA staff, volunteers, and members came to know Cor as an advocate for community health and a passionate financial supporter of the YMCA of Lethbridge. He allowed hundreds of families to experience barrier-free access to health and wellness programs at our previous location on Stafford Drive South.

In 2017, Cor gifted the YMCA of Lethbridge $3,750,000, which was used to purchase equipment needed to open the new Westside location. Because of his generosity, we very proudly refer to this centre of community as the Cor Van Raay YMCA. 

In 2021, just a few weeks before his passing, Cor learned that he was to be officially recognized as a member of the Alberta Order of Excellence, the highest honour the Province of Alberta can bestow on a citizen, an accolade well deserved.

The YMCA of Lethbridge extends its sincerest gratitude and appreciation for the generosity of Cor Van Raay and his family.

Location