For Bill Davidson and wife Candice, seen here hiking in Ireland, their shared commitment to fitness made a naming donation for the Bettie Allard YMCA’s fitness studio “the perfect thing” for the couple. 

Since the YMCA was an important part of Bill Davidson’s youth, he’s always been familiar with the Y’s fitness amenities. It was learning about the many other community supports and services the Y provides that inspired him to help bring a YMCA closer to home.    

Born and raised in New Westminster, the old YMCA facility on Royal Avenue was the only recreation centre of its kind nearby for Bill and his friends growing up.    

“I used to go there with one of my buddies and we’d play handball, hit the weights and hit the pool,” he said. “The Y became the go‐to place because there was nowhere else to go, and it was inexpensive.”  

Having settled in Anmore later in life, Bill hadn’t been a regular Y visitor for some time when he was first approached to join the What Really Matters Capital Campaign’s Coquitlam Cabinet. Upon taking a tour of the Robert Lee YMCA near the downtown Vancouver office of his accounting firm, Davidson & Company, Bill was wowed by what he saw.    

“Most people associate the Y with just a gym and a pool,” he said. “But then you go downtown and see all the social services they do—programs for immigrants, families, cooking, child care and (so on)—it was quite amazing.”  

After that, Bill jumped at the chance to join the cabinet, becoming part of a team that has been crucial to making the now‐finished Bettie Allard YMCA a reality.    

“It’s in a neighbourhood going through a massive revitalization, it was close to home and part of a greater community growth plan,” he said. “That’s what made it appealing.”  

With his long history of giving back to community, it should come as no surprise that Bill was eager to jump in with both feet. He is a Past President of the Rotary Club of Vancouver, spent countless hours volunteering in support of his children’s athletics and activities as they grew up, and has served many other roles focused on community‐building over the years.  

“I can’t sit still,” he said. “I’ve always got to be doing something.”  

In addition to his fundraising efforts as part of the cabinet, Bill and wife Candice were generous donors to the Bettie Allard YMCA themselves. The fitness studio on the second floor now bears their names in honour of their contribution, and Bill said that’s reflective of the importance he and Candice have long placed on keeping active.    

“Since 1976, when I enrolled at SFU, a fitness routine has been a big part of my life,” he said. “Candice is very fit … so we’re both into that lifestyle (and) it’s a value that we instilled in our kids. The fitness studio was the perfect thing.”  

Although he was unable to attend the Nov. 26 Grand Opening Celebration while travelling abroad, Bill did get a sneak peek at the facility in late October when taking a tour with other cabinet members that left him both impressed and hopeful that it will compel others to support the YMCA’s presence in the Tri‐Cities.    

“I encourage people to go take a look at it. I think it’s going to become quite a centre for the community,” he said. “Once the community realizes that this great facility is in their backyard, participation and membership is going to grow and grow. Pretty soon, it’s going to be the place to go.”