FAQs

Answers to frequently asked questions:

• I don't live in Pointe-Claire or even in the West Island. Can I still join the Centre? Do I pay extra fees?

  The West Island part of our name refers to our location only. While the vast majority of our members come from Pointe-Claire and the surrounding areas, we also have members from Laval, Montreal and so on. Any woman may join the Centre and the fees are the same for everyone, regardless of city of residence.

• How old does my child have to be to be able to go in childcare while I am in my class?

  Our childcare service is available to all children who are not yet eligible for kindergarten. (We also offer childcare for children up to 8 years on PED days.)  We have had babies as young as 2 weeks old in childcare. Often moms, especially new moms, are not ready to leave their little one. When you are ready, we are ready and happy to have your child.

• Can my husband come to classes at the Centre?

  A husband, aunt, grandparent ,etc., is welcome to bring your child to his/ her class. Often moms with new babies at home will send their spouse with an older child to attend a children's art or music class. Please note that due to the size of the classrooms, we do not encourage more than one adult per child. In terms of adult courses, however, we are strictly open to women.

• I will be away for the pre-registration day. Can I bring in my forms early so that I don't miss out on my classes?

  In the interest of fairness to all our members, no registration forms can be accepted in advance. Members are allowed to register for themselves and one other member so an ideal solution is to find a fellow member to bring in your forms on registration day. Alternately, you may send a proxy with your form(s) and payment; for example a husband, parent, or friend may bring in your forms. Please keep in mind the hours for pre-registration as no forms will be accepted prior to the opening of the registration period.

• I know that the course I want is full but I really would like to take it. Can't you just squeeze me into the course?

  Each course at the Women's Centre has a set maximum number of participants. This is to ensure the safety of our fitness participants and the children in our children's courses. The numbers take into account the amount of attention an instructor can give to our craft course participants and to those in our personal development courses. The size of the room available and the activity being done are also taken into consideration. In short, a lot of time has been put into deciding how many participants will be allowed in each class. To be fair to everyone and to let each member get the most out of her class, we do not make exceptions to the class maximums.

• My friend is visiting me today, she is really interested in the course I am taking. Can she take the course today? Can she sit in the back and watch?

  For many reasons, including those listed in the answer above, we do not let women sample the classes here at the Centre. In our fitness classes, if everyone showed up with a friend, there would be no room to move. Additionally, in certain classes, it would be inappropriate for a stranger to the class to observe or participate and may make the participants feel uncomfortable. We appreciate you telling your friends about the great classes that we offer, but in the interest of fairness to all paying participants, we simply can't allow friends into the class for a visit.

• Can I bring my older child to class with me, she has a PED day at school today and she's very quiet and well behaved? Can I bring my newborn to my son's art class? I can just leave her in her car seat in a corner.

  As per Childcare Policy 5, children are not permitted to accompany members to class. There are no exceptions. In addition, please do not leave your child unattended in the hall or bring your child to the office as staff members are working. Please keep in mind that the Centre now offers PED day childcare for children 8 years of age and under. For more information, please go to the Childcare tab on our website and click on Policies. The information is also available in our Member's Guide.

• My mother usually watches my child while I come to my class. She is sick today, can I bring my child to childcare?

  We ask all members to register their children for childcare at the beginning of the session. This is to make sure that we have enough space for the child and that we have enough childcare workers to ensure a safe and fun environment. Our childcare service is extremely popular and is often full. We cannot accept a child on an occasional basis. We encourage members to sign up and use the childcare if they need it regularly. If they don't need it regularly, we ask that members not take up a spot that someone else could use.

• Why are you closed in the summer?

  The Centre closes for the summer for several reasons. The vast majority of our members are mothers of school-aged children who are home for the summer and not eligible for childcare. Many of our members also travel in the summer. These two facts combined mean that there would not be a large enough number of members to serve in the summer months. Additionally, our facilities are not air conditioned, making the rooms uncomfortable if not entirely unusable in the hot weather.