CALEB NICKERSON
QUYON Dec. 12, 2018
After several months of work and two years of planning, the Pontiac Community Fitness Centre hosted a open house in Quyon on Dec. 12, inviting locals to check out the freshly renovated complex.
Located on rue de Clarendon just across from the Quyon Family Centre (QFC), the gym features all kinds of different exercise equipment, a small seating area and a side room for aerobics or martial arts.
“We just felt there was a need in the community for something like that,” explained QFC Director General Catherine Beaudet, who spearheaded the project. “People wanted to exercise and have this space to bring the community together.”

Beaudet said she approached the board of the QFC two years ago with the idea, and they’ve been working towards this opening ever since. The centre partnered with many different organizations to make the dream a reality, from the MRC des Collines, to CISSSO and the local Caisse Desjardins.
Ashley Carson, president of the QFC board of directors, explained that the facility is designed to be a community hub where locals gather, in addition to promoting healthy lifestyles.
“This was a vision that Katherine had, she wanted to figure out a project that was going to be very community oriented and get everybody’s attention and involved,” she said. “[She’s] been working very hard to make sure everything’s a go.”
“I really want people from the town to come,” added Beaudet. “It’s not just a gym, it’s a community gathering place.”
While the facility hosted several open house nights last week, it will be officially open for business on Jan. 7. Beaudet said that she was in the process of interviewing potential employees and hoped to partner with instructors for activities like yoga or martial arts.
“There’s even a professor, from the Université du Quebec en Ouaouais, in social work, and she’s going to do a study to measure the impact that it can have on a small community like this,” Beaudet added.
There will be a drop in fee of $3, or $30 for one month, $75 for three months, $125 for six months or $200 for the year. Hours will be 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. – 4 p.m., Monday to Thursday.
“We have to start small,” Beaudet said. ‘We’re going to do a lot of virtual training with classes online to keep the cost low.”