Gym owners and operators throughout Squamish are grappling with new public health measures that have shut down fitness centres throughout the province.
On Dec. 21, provincial health officers of 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 22. The order is expected to be in effect until at least Jan. 18, 2022.
Some gyms in Squamish have expressed dismay that it will hit them hard in their pocketbooks, and several expressed confusion as to why gyms were being shut while other enterprises like restaurants, movies and concerts are being allowed to stay open, albeit with capacity restrictions.
“I’m pretty pissed about it,” said Thomasina Pidgeon, owner of the .
“I think it’s really unfair that we have to close when there are other measures that can be put in place like...[like] capacity [limits]. Meanwhile, people are allowed to go to restaurants and eat without their masks on in groups of six.”
She said it seems like the government values the restaurant industry more than the fitness industry.
Gyms are important for physical and mental health, especially during the pandemic, which has taken away creative and recreational outlets for many people, she said.
Another big factor is the timing. Pidgeon said that the closure cuts into the beginning of January, which is precisely when many will be streaming into gyms as New Year’s resolutions.
“That’s, like, a huge chunk of our business,” she said. “January’s always been the biggest month for income.”
She said it has been blow after blow.
She lost members at the start of the pandemic, then again when some clients refused to get vaccination passports — though she emphasized she believes in getting vaccinated.
Now, she’ll be facing another loss.
People can help her business and other gyms by buying passes and postponing their workouts until the gyms reopen, she said.
Steve Roberge, the owner of , said that it’s ironic that places like fast food, liquor, cannabis and other not-so-healthy indulgences are being allowed to operate while healthier, fitness-related activities are being shut down.
Being at the gym helps people with their immune system and mental well-being; both needed more than ever, he said.
Even if people can’t make it to the gym, Roberge still wants to see people take care of themselves.
He urged locals to keep doing healthy activities, and, when the snow melts, to get out there and exercise.
“We’re not just here to run a business,” said Roberge. “We actually care about people’s health…That’s why we do this.”
When queried about the gym owners’ concerns, the Ministry of Health issued a written statement to The Chief.
“We know how difficult and challenging this is for staff, customers and owners of these businesses,” the statement reads.
“Public Health does not make these decisions lightly and have said throughout this pandemic that temporarily closing businesses is a measure to help protect our hospitals from being overwhelmed, keep people safe and to slow the sudden and rapid spread of the virus. Our main focus is on keeping people and communities safe and the province is developing programs to support impacted businesses such as gyms.”
It also addressed questions about why gyms were singled out, while other facilities were allowed to stay open.
“Activities in groups in indoor settings are [at] higher risk for the spread of droplets and transmission of COVID-19. The new measures for closures are based on risk and where we’ve observed significant spread previously,” the ministry statement said.
“We know there is increased risk with exertion and increased respiratory rate that is specific to gyms versus restaurants. We encourage and support online classes and know that that has been very helpful when these settings have been closed in the past during periods of high risk for transmission.”
Sarah Manwaring Everett, who teaches at the, also wondered why fitness activities were being slated to shut down.
“We were following public health orders, checking vaccines and lots of space,” said Everett. “It’s just a little confusing that restaurants, where there’s small groups, people can take their masks off, and people can be in quite close quarters with people who aren’t in their household. So I guess it feels, like, a little bit random.”
Yoga and other fitness activities do lend themselves to virtual instruction, and people who would like to support local businesses would do well to shop locally even when choosing online classes, she said.
For climbers, the provincial health order was, for a time, an open question.
On Dec. 22, Lauren Watson, owner of , said the gym would be shutting its doors at 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, but that a prolonged closure wasn’t a done deal.
She noted that in Quebec, a climbing gym reopened after their lockdown order was declared, because it was lumped in a different type of category.
Watson was looking to see if there was space in the provincial order for them to operate.
She, along with several other gyms in 小蓝视频, were meeting to try and understand the implications of the order
As of Dec. 26, the gym caught a break.
Health officials clarified that climbing gyms were considered sports facilities, not fitness centres, which meant they could remain open with reduced capacity.
Ground Up has since reopened under those parameters. In the meantime, Watson extended gratitude to Squamish.
“I think the town has been doing such an amazing job already supporting us,” she said. “We just want to make sure that we’re able to support everybody back. We’re not going to ask for anything from anyone — maybe just a bit of patience as we figure it out.”
