early childhood teacher

attendant

swim instructor

caretaker

youth worker

YMCA of Lethbridge

I started at the YMCA right when they were moving over into the new building. I have been employed here now for just under a year and it has been the best experience to date. I have worked in multiple gyms and wellness centers and I have also owned my own small gym in the town I grew up in. I must say that opening the new location was a stressful time, with lots of deadlines and high paced intense situations. (However, that is bound to happen with any business start-up or building change-over).   We had lot's of big changes and with big changes comes discomfort among both staff and members.  

HOWEVER:

I have grown so much while working at the YMCA. I love my team and all of the wonderful members that I have the pleasure of spending time with on the daily! At first I found that it took people some time to transition and accept the drastic changes, and by all means that is totally understandable. I don't think we would have become the YMCA team we are today without having to overcome some obstacles.  Just under a year later and we now have a strong crew of AMAZING staff and volunteers with around 9,000 active members!! 

The YMCA offers its employees so many work related opportunities such as in house management/ admin courses, YMCA trips to Camp Chief Hector and "Hooked on the Y", national and international conferences, etc.  I am very fortunate to have a job that invests in me - Our Directors truly want to see us succeed, and that truly means so much!

I am very excited for whats to come and for our community here at the YMCA to continue to grow! <3

The YMCA Out of School Care program has some great frontline staff and the work with children can be rewarding, but the internal operations of the program need improvement.

Communication within the OSC department can be inconsistent. Important information and procedural changes are sometimes shared unevenly between sites or shifts, which can leave staff unclear about expectations. At times, new processes are introduced without clear training or written guidance, creating unnecessary confusion.

There also seems to be a strong focus on compliance and documentation, but not always the same level of support or clarity for staff who are trying to follow those expectations in busy program environments. When communication is unclear, it can create tension between staff and leadership rather than a collaborative problem-solving approach.

The children and families are the best part of the program, and many educators work hard to create positive experiences for them. However, improvements in leadership communication, consistency between sites, and staff support would make a significant difference in the overall workplace culture within the OSC program.

I have had the pleasure and stress of opening the new location on the westside of lethbridge. It has had many unforeseen challenges as it is the 3rd largest YMCA in north america and located in a small city. 

The management and staff have grown and changed as the need for the community has changed. This has not always been received positively by some members or staff. BUT the overarching goal of helping and supporting the community has been clear since day one and continues to be so. No one person or entity will benefit solely from this location. It is and will remain to be the safest place for kids in this city, it will serve all members of ALL communities in Lethbridge.

That said it is still finding its legs - but assuredly with time and consistent support of the the staff and membership, this will be a flagship facility not only in Lethbridge, but Alberta as well.

Workplace culture is positive on the most part. As this facility is still growing some roles/positions are overworked while others are still finding a way to be utilized fully.

Amazing people working here currently.
Plans for the future to provide what the community needs.
Great charity and non-profit company. 
A great place to share your passion for fitness, aquatics, or sport with the community.

Loved the kids that I got to know and spend time with, very fulfilling, did impact me in some positive ways, good wage, had some awesome coworkers that made the job more doable. 

Hours soon became piled on, felt like I was being taken advantage of most of the time. Unrealistic expectations for the position, and felt as though I did not get fully informed for what I was signing up for. I truly gave this position my all, and enjoyed the little moments and breakthroughs I had with the youth the most. 

Pretty toxic work environment though, became anxious before going to work, felt like I didn't have any support and that my concerns were not being addressed. At times my presence was completely ignored, and I felt pretty neglected at the end of my time at this workplace. Really poor communication overall, and when I left there was some significant personal liability issues that came with the role

The YMCA of Lethbridge is a great place to work and serve the community - there is truly a place for everyone here. 

Recently accredited as a living wage employer, the YMCA of Lethbridge provides competitive wages and benefits to staff. I have found leadership to be honest and transparent about expectations and opportunities, and have seen many internal candidates recognized and promoted as a result of their commitment to developing talent.

Workplace culture is somewhat dependent upon which department you are in, my experience has been overwhelmingly positive. Teams are encouraged to recognize eachother for positive contributions, and there is a committee that plans recognition events and activities for staff to enjoy. 

As a whole, this is a workplace that I feel proud to be a part of. Serving the community and being a part of a team where my thoughts, concerns, and opinions are heard has been invaluable. I feel that my impact in this space matters and has been fulfilling.

Management are not given the freedom to make any decisions without the approval of the general manager, even for something as small as giving out a 10 dollar item that would help staff with a basic task. I believe it is in part because of this that they are not willing to change expectations, hours, or tasks of a position to accommodate even the most highly sought after employees.  As a former staff that relied on my full time hours to pay my fixed monthly expenses, I can attest to the fact that my qualifications and experience were not considered valuable enough to give me the consistent hours I required to afford to work there any longer. Those in leadership positions were teaching group exercise classes without group exercise  certifications or even any experience in group exercise at all. I should also mention. Do not work here unless you do not care about due process and doing things by the book. 
Finally, everything side about the current GM is true. She is a bully and has wrongfully terminated a friend of mine .

I was hesitant to write this but I chose to leave over a month ago... Upper management clearly has no idea what is going on in any department other than their own (IF that), and in turn will pick at anything to make the frontline staff and lower management hate their job. The CEO also clearly has favourite people and departments. Most staff are obviously burnt out and underpaid for what they have to deal with daily. You will also see so many managers come and go, either because they got better employment or are given an ultimatum to resign or be fired... 

However, The Frontline staff are FANTASTIC to work with and really care about each other as well as the members! I cannot emphasize this enough!

You're gonna read some reviews on here that are quite frank and honest. This place is not perfect, and opening our new facility was extremely stressful on everyone involved. Things have been changing constantly and not every change has been universally loved. However, the management team honestly does their best to conform to the overall standards of the YMCA and the individual needs of their employees. Its not easy, and not everyone will be happy. They do their absolute best to reach that goal though, and I have never been surrounded by such supportive people in my life.

I have been at the YMCA of Lethbridge since transitioning from the old centre to the new one and I can say I have absolutely loved my experience! There has been so much opportunity for growth and learning, and the staff team has come together so well to accomplish something amazing in opening a facility of this size. The culture is fantastic and staff support each other to reach goals. In this facility you get to have a role in promoting wellness in the city of Lethbridge and the management team is there to support you every step of the way. Whether it be by providing guidance or making you feel empowered.

Upper management lacks leadership, especially the CEO. 
Staff are not supported by supervisors and are not set up for success, especially if you are not besties with your boss!
Culture is tense (everyone wondering when they are going to be fired), communication is terrible, and no one care about you at all. 
I would not recommend working at this YMCA. The only saving grace working here are the frontline staff. 


Top Job Titles	Average salary
Early childhood teacher 2 salaries reported	$22.17 per hour
Attendant 3 salaries reported	$18.33 per hour
Swim instructor 1 salary reported	$19.00 per hour
Caretaker 3 salaries reported	$19.00 per hour
Youth worker 7 salaries reported	$19.00 per hour

Working at YMCA of Lethbridge: company overview and reviews

YMCA of Lethbridge

YMCA of Lethbridge ratings

Popular jobs at YMCA of Lethbridge

Salary satisfaction

Job seeker tools

Employer Tools

Browse

Stay Connected