You could use Session for global variables.
Also check these out:
- https://www.discovermeteor.com/blog/template-level-subscriptions/
- https://meteorhacks.com/flow-router-and-subscription-management
- Subscription management FAQ
- Template subscriptions and autorun
Also, you should take an hour off to read up on flow router. It is extremely easy to migrate to and will make your life easier.