Spray Lake Sawmill Family Sports Centre (SLSFSC) is taking over Lifestyles Fitness and Wellness Centre as of Dec. 15. After 10 years serving the Cochrane fitness community, SLSFSC refused to renew Lifestyles' lease and have assumed control of the equipment, membership and relationships Lifestyles has worked so hard to maintain over the years.
Dear editor:
Spray Lake Sawmill Family Sports Centre (SLSFSC) is taking over Lifestyles Fitness and Wellness Centre as of Dec. 15.
After 10 years serving the Cochrane fitness community, SLSFSC refused to renew Lifestyles' lease and have assumed control of the equipment, membership and relationships Lifestyles has worked so hard to maintain over the years.
A few years ago, a Cochrane weightlifting gym closed its doors and a few of the regulars there approached Lifestyles to enquire about membership. Their only concern was Lifestyles opening time of 5:30 a.m., as their old gym had opened at 5 a.m. Lifestyles considered their request to open earlier and the gym soon had half a dozen new members. Not long after, another weightlifting gym opened and these folks migrated there. Lifestyles kept the new hours because, as it turned out, a growing number of other early-morning gym rats were now on the doorstep at 5 a.m. And so it remained, with a pretty dedicated group of early-morning regulars working out during their only available time of the day.
Until now. On Dec. 15, the gym closed for renovations. When it reopens Jan. 4, that group will be out of luck. Without any notice to the current members, the gym hours will now be the same as the facility hours, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. I made specific enquiries about the hours of operation when the management change came to light and was told that SLSFSC valued our membership and would certainly consider opening earlier if there was demand. Word was passed around; more called to voice their pleas and were told the same thing.
I called again just a few days ago and when SLSFSC general manager Robin Mitchell returned my call, he was very clear. Although he agreed with every point made for opening earlier, his decision to open at 6 a.m. remained firm. When pressed, his only explanation was, “Because that's our decision and that's what we're going with. ”
From a business perspective, losing 15 or so members at $750 per month in order to save the approximately $200 a month it would cost to open an hour earlier five days a week doesn't make sense. Nor is there a case to be made for staying open until 10 p.m. The gym currently closes at 9 p.m. and the usage statistics show there is much less activity at that time than there is early in the morning. If “because I said so ” was about money, allow the gym to retain its current hours and it would cost nothing extra to keep both the members and the goodwill SLSFSC will now lose as a result.
The Cochrane Curling Club currently has scheduled games ending at 11 p.m. When the new rink opens at SLSFSC, will that no longer be allowed, as it is an hour past the facility's closing time? If it is allowed, why isn't the gym granted the same courtesy?
As seems clear, it isn't about money or making reasonable business decisions. It appears to be much more about taking control and forcing conformity to ‘the facility' rather than responding to the needs of facility members. This is an unfortunate position from an entity that depends so largely on member support, donations and town funding.
In closing, I'd like to say ‘thank you' to the Lifestyles' owners and opening staff who have responded to our needs and made the early morning slog less onerous. Thanks also to the rest of my morning ‘gym family' for your support over the years. Your camaraderie made it a little easier to get up in the snow and cold, well before the butt crack of dawn and lash myself into action. Perhaps I'll see you at Cochrane Health and Fitness; I understand they will be opening at 5 a.m.
Cheryl Whittal
