Last Saturday, Quebec removed all capacity restrictions for gyms and fitness centres, a relief for an industry that has felt much of the pandemic’s financial toll.

Deborah Smith is the owner of Gym Place Victoria in Shawville. Unlike restaurants and retail stores, gyms have been unable to adapt to the . . .

remote business models created in response to the pandemic. “There is no alternative,” said Smith. “Pay your bills and wait to be able to unlock the door again.”

These bills include heat, hydro, insurance and property taxes. When provincial restrictions left gyms unable to generate new revenue, these expenses became a measure of financial endurance for many businesses. “The worst time of year is always the winter when you’re paying to heat the facility,” said Smith.

On Feb. 14, Quebec allowed gyms to reopen at half capacity with distancing and masking measures in place. “Clientele are coming back and they’re quite excited about being able to use the facility again,” said Smith.

Although, not every gym has been able to recover from the pandemic. Jason Farrell owns the Centre Physique in Fort-Coulonge, a modest facility with a dedicated clientele.

Before the pandemic, Farrell had started renovating his facility, unaware that the next two years would financially cripple his business. “I purchased approximately $2,500 worth of mats and new equipment to go into the gym and I never opened it,” said Farrell.

Capacity and distancing restrictions left Farrell unable to compete with commercial gyms in Ontario like the Planet Fitness in Pembroke.

“Basically, my facility would have to be twice as big and that’s just not feasible for any gym in North America,” said Farrell. “The thing is, the gym business is tricky already because your margin is tight. You really can’t charge people more than $30-$35 a month.”

Quebec’s decision to lift capacity restrictions is another step towards reviving gyms throughout the province, but Farrell remains unsure of the Centre Physique’s fate. He plans on waiting until the threat of closure has dissolved. “It’s pretty hard to operate a business when you got those many variables that are way beyond anybody trying to attempt to control.”

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