Opening soon: Garnet A. Williams Community Centre

Enjoy summer camps and recreational drop-in activities as of July 4!

We have good news for everyone who’s been patiently waiting for the newly renovated Garnet A. Williams Community Centre to reopen its doors – it is now one step closer to completion! The community centre, located at 501 Clark Ave. W., will reopen on Tuesday, July 4 for select recreation programming only.

The renovated facility will welcome back its fitness members, offer summer camps and run recreational drop-in activities. Pre-registration for all activities is available online at vaughan.perfectmind.com and is highly recommended, as access to in-person registration will be limited.

The Garnet A. Williams Community Centre is deeply rooted in the city of Vaughan’s history as its oldest multi-use community centre. Since 1984, the community centre has provided residents of Thornhill with quality leisure programs and activities. Other than regular ongoing maintenance and repair work, the facility has not been significantly altered since it was expanded in 2005.

Through previous public engagements, the City of Vaughan reached out to facility users to see what types of facility and programming improvements were most desired – you spoke and we listened! Based on the feedback collected, as well as sustainability planning and a review of best design practices, the community centre was redeveloped to improve functionality and design. Extensive renovations began in May 2021.

Here is what’s available at Garnet A. Williams Community Centre as of Tuesday, July 4:

Fitness centre and fitness classes

The fitness centre features high-performance, smart-tech cardio equipment, intuitive strength equipment, a versatile functional training rig, a cycling studio, an indoor track and racquetball courts. Members have limitless access to fitness classes, including Zumba, yoga, spin, total body conditioning, pilates and CIRC-HITT. Pay-as-you-go fitness class rates are available to non-members. In addition, adults and older adults can purchase a one-month, three-month and annual membership online at vaughan.perfectmind.com. To purchase a student fitness membership, complete a Vaughan Fitness Student Membership Application (PDF) and bring the form to the community centre for processing. Note: proof of Student ID is required and signed parental consent is mandatory for youth ages 13 to 17. For more details, visit vaughan.ca/fitness.

Summer camps

Summer camps for children and youth ages four to 16 will begin Tuesday, July 4 with one- and two-week sessions running until Friday, Sept. 1. Camps include specialty programs in creative arts, enrichment, leadership, recreation and sports. A supervised before and after care program is available for parents who need to drop their child off early or pick them up late. Limited spots are left in select camps. Register now at vaughan.perfectmind.com. View the full line-up of summer camps in the 2023 Summer Camps Brochure.

Recreational drop-in sports

Recreational drop-in sports – a dedicated time for unstructured scrimmage – will be available on select days and times in the gymnasium. You can choose from badminton, volleyball or pickleball for adults, and basketball for youth. Pre-registration and pre-payment are available one week in advance of the scheduled activity at vaughan.perfectmind.com. Limited spots are available for walk-ins prior to the start of a recreational activity. A multi-visit plan is also available for purchase online. For more information, visit vaughan.ca/sports.

While the facility is looking great, we’re not done yet! Work to complete the community centre will continue throughout the summer. The following amenities will open this fall:

• Pool: Due to a renovation delay, the pool remains closed. More information about recreational swimming, aquafitness schedules and swim lessons will become available online at vaughan.ca/swim before the pool is scheduled to reopen.
• Parking lot: Due to ongoing construction in the parking lot, the east and southeast side road and parking lot will be closed. Designated parking on the west and north sides of the centre will be available to summer visitors.
• Exterior landscaping and arena entrance: Due to ongoing construction, the new north east arena entrance will be closed.
• Registered recreation programming: Program information will be available in the Fall Recreation eGuide, published online in early August at vaughan.ca/recreation.
• Permits: Permitting for various facilities, including the arena, activity rooms and gymnasium.

The Garnet A. Williams Community Centre will fully reopen in the fall with an official ceremonial event. Stay tuned for details.

For project updates, visit vaughan.ca/GAWCC.

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