Central YMCA - Toronto, Ontario

violent B.

1️⃣ Overcrowded: Playing Turns into "Standing in Line"
The YMCA badminton courts are like a battlefield for "court-grabbing wars." Singles? Forget about it! Besides the four players battling on the court, there are at least another four waiting eagerly on the sidelines. And that’s not even counting the "reserve team" sitting and waiting. If you’re not thick-skinned enough, getting cut in line after waiting for two rounds is just part of the routine. A group’s warm-up plus a 21-point doubles match takes at least 25 minutes. So, while you’ve booked 2 hours of court time, you might only end up playing 2-3 matches. This "punishment-style" badminton experience is something only those who’ve been through it will understand.
2️⃣ Slippery Floors: Safety Concerns
The YMCA’s wooden floors are like an ice rink. Despite being used at an extremely high frequency every day, no one bothers to clean them properly. The oversized mop probably hasn’t been replaced in at least two years. While the staff does push around a big mop to clean the dust, the effect is minimal. The reason? Most people wear dirty sports shoes, or even shoes covered in snow-melting salt, straight onto the court. The lack of carpets in the hallway means your clean shoes pick up dust on the way from the locker room to the court. These slippery floors are fine for casual play, but if you’re serious about the game, you’ll quickly understand why there are disinfectant wipes by the court. Pro tip: Wiping your shoes only gives you about 10 good starts (with proper non-marking badminton shoes). If you can’t even start properly, well, this isn’t the badminton you’re looking for.
3️⃣ Chaotic Management: Random Discriminatory Incidents
If you don’t leave quickly after playing, you might get ambushed by a "grumpy staff member." This staffer will demand that you pick up all the shuttlecocks used by the 70+ people who played, without providing a trash bag, because "there’s a trash can at the entrance." The farthest court is about 30 meters from the trash can. If you explain that you’ve already cleaned up your own shuttlecocks and trash, the staffer will emphasize that it’s your "group’s" responsibility. Since everyone else has left (and you look polite and humble), the staffer will give you the following "options":
Leave your name and get banned with pride.
Rat out your playing partners and get everyone banned.
Name everyone who came to play (which you obviously don’t know, and they can’t ban that many people anyway).
This unreasonable management style not only lacks basic service awareness but also carries a clear discriminatory tone.
✅ Summary:
The issues with YMCA’s badminton courts can be summed up as overcrowding, safety hazards, and chaotic management. I’m not sure what those who recommend YMCA are thinking, but here’s my advice for those considering it:
If you’re looking for social interaction, head left and check out PBC’s groups.
If you want to improve your skills, head right to Can Etobicoke, where drop-in sessions cost around $30 a month.
If you’re okay with the above three points and still want to go, I’ve got an advanced version of this "avoidance guide." If you’re interested, let me know, and if this post gets 200 votes, I’ll share it.

Sreeganesh S. (.

Yes, it’s a massive fitness centre, swimming and sports facility, but it’s so much more than that. A lot of the people who go have been going for years or even decades. There are also a ton of young people, for whom The Y is their first gym experience. It’s also a very nonjudgmental environment and you see people of all ages, sizes, fitness levels, abilities and ethnic backgrounds. So there’s definitely a feeling of community that you won’t find in most other places.

The Plus membership is a bit expensive compared to similar concepts at commercial/corporate gyms, but it is well worth every penny because they don’t limit the number of towels; the sauna, hot tub, steam room and showers are much larger; and there’s unlimited coffee and tea and unlimited shaving supplies. There’s also a lounge with cable TV.

Alita L.

So crowded for badminton when YMCA gives out free pass for advertising, very long wait for one game.

Tian N.

Amazing experience to me! I have membership for New York City YMCA and I thought i need to pay separately, but same membership works here as well! No duplicate pay!

Come here specifically for swim. Much better compare to McBurney YMCA lol. Not even many people swim there, pool is much more clean. The only difference is here the circle for lap swim is different for different lanes.

Miky P.

Today at 10:00 AM, I spoke with Namuro, a blonde Asian woman in her late 40s who works at the front desk.

I informed her that I am a new member and that planning to upgrade my membership from regular to plus. During our conversation, I mentioned that when I initially registered, the front desk had informed me that I could try out the plus facilities for a day. However, Namuro clarified that I am not allowed to try the plus facilities unless I upgrade my membership. She stated that the only way to experience the plus facilities is by upgrading my current membership.

My P.

Horrible customer service. I asked for a towel and eas told that they only give towels to the plus membership. So, even at the YMCA, people with more money get access to towels, and the ones without money can't even rent a towel. A friend of mine was going to swim but forgot his towel, when we asked if we could get one,we were told that they can't give us one because we don't pay for the plus membership. People with plus membership have access to a steamroom and towel service, whereas the other people don't have access to any of that..
Staff that work there are unfriendly and not helpful at all.

TheMikeydon

I am here on holiday in Toronto and have used the facility on a daily basis , the front desk staff could not have been more helpful or friendly , 10/10 the lady with the curly hair was so warm and welcoming , and wonderful facilities

Sebastián C. A.

This is hands down the best gym in the entire city. I’ve been a member for the last 7 years and a member plus since January and I’m very satisfied about all the amenities that I get here: dry sauna, steam room, whirlpool, private gym and lounge area, towel service, all the toiletries that I could need including shaving foam and disposable razors, complimentary coffee and tea, overnight locker, and so much more.

Besides all of these great amenities this gym has a large amount of different weight machines, dumbbells, kettlebells, barbells and pulleys, treadmills, stair masters, stationary bikes, and several other cardio equipment, squash courts, indoor racing track, rooms for different classes like yoga, fitness classes for large groups of people, a spacious quite space for stretching, different sport’s groups, a half size Olympic pool, another shallow pool for aquafit and the best of all to me: a really nice rooftop with an amazing view of the city skyline that holds a garden, an outdoor space for classes and a race track, all of the latest open from spring to fall seasons.

Certainly this is a place that I highly recommend to everyone, and despite some other comments that I’ve read here, all the members of the staff are very nice and kind people that try their best to assist any need of the members.