GNAG

Welcome back into the
Glebe Community Centre!

Winter programs are back in session, and it is so nice to see you all again!

Fitness and wellness classes offer a hybrid option (online and in-person) so you can work out where you feel most comfortable. Join us for the February fitness challenge. Stay fit and healthy with GNAG!

There are still spaces in many of our programs. Stay connected and learn together in a fun and safe environment. Go to GNAG.ca to see a full listing of classes.

Summer Camp

While navigating yet another lockdown intensified by slogging through knee-deep snow, the GNAG team pulled together a menu of fun and innovative summer camps for children JK to Grade 11. We believe summertime is about friendships (old and new), adventure, laughter and learning. Registration is open as of February 8 at 7 p.m. We have specialty camps in performing arts (theatre and dance), science and technology, visual arts and design, sports, recreation and leadership. There is lots to choose from to make your child’s summer extra special. Go to GNAG.ca to see a full listing.

Vaccination requirement update

We are dedicated to serving our community, particularly those in vulnerable populations. As a result, we have been closely following the available data and direction regarding COVID-19 and vaccinations. It is clear to us that vaccinations and other measures like masks, frequent hand washing and social distancing are critical to our recovery from the pandemic and a return to more fulsome operations.

All visitors age 12 and over must present proof of full vaccination to enter the GCC as required by provincial regulations. The Ontario enhanced vaccine certificate (QR code) is the only proof accepted.

March Break vaccination requirement: Children who are eligible for full vaccination must be fully vaccinated to attend.

Children: Effective April 1, those who are eligible to be fully vaccinated (born in 2016 or before) will have to be fully vaccinated to register for and attend GNAG programs and camps. Children born in 2017 will be required to be vaccinated 12 weeks after their fifth birthday to attend GNAG programs or events, including camps. Unvaccinated children who are currently enrolled in our 2021-22 BC and Q4 programs may continue to attend those programs.

Time to go

In March 2020, I was hiking through Ladder Canyon in California with my son Jordan, my husband Kirk and my sister and her husband. While taking in all the beauty in 27-degree weather, I thought to myself, this is incredible, I need to retire and do this more often.

Then suddenly, Ottawa was preparing for lockdown. I found myself packing my bags to rush home and scrambling to close the Glebe Community Centre. The idea of retirement vanished – I was not going to go anywhere until COVID was over.

Little did I know that two years later, it would still be here, though hopefully we are near the end of one of the most difficult periods GNAG, this community, this country, this planet have faced.

After 30 plus years of the best job in the world, I have decided to retire. The board has started the process of finding a new Executive Director and we hope to have that person in place before the fall. (with any luck, in time for cottage season). The decision to retire was far from easy. I have had the great fortune of watching not only my children grow up here but the community as well. What a privilege and honour it has been.

Many ask me what my favourite memory is, funniest story, proudest moment, etc. To be honest, I don’t know because there are far too many to choose from. It is impossible to pin it down to one moment, one project, one story, one event. GNAG has not only been my career, it has also been my second home and the people here have been my second family. I don’t know many people who can say that about their jobs. How lucky I have been.

People have asked me, if you love your job so much and have made it a huge part of your life, why retire? Well besides the fact that it is time to make room for new leadership, it is also time for me to do other things. Like spend more time with family, travel, teach classes, take up new hobbies, finish old projects. I know GNAG will continue to flourish after I leave. It is such a special place. That is why I stayed for as long as I have.

And as my good friend Kate McCartney, who is one of the wisest people I know, said to me “Mary, you can now focus on living.” At this stage in my life, those are good words to live by. It is time to start my next chapter.

In the meantime, I choose not to shed a tear, rather savour the time I have left at this wonderful place I call my home away from home.