Local gym staying open in defiance of restrictions

• Some gyms across B.C. staying open
• Businesses risk enforcement from authorities
• Dr. Henry calls gyms ‘amplifiers’ of COVID-19

Some gyms across B.C., including one in West Kelowna, are saying ‘enough is enough’, staying open in defiance of public health orders saying they should be shut. They claim the rules forcing their closure are unfair and don’t acknowledge the crucial role gyms play in health and wellness amid the COVID pandemic.

Iron Energy Gym in West Kelowna is among the fitness facilities keeping their doors open.

“We don’t know where this is going to progress but what we know is if we need to be the first people to speak up we’re going to,” Brian Mark, one of the owners at Iron Energy said on Instagram.

“Because if that’s what it’s going to take to cause change, then we’re willing to take that risk.”

In a recent social media post the gym wrote, ‘Restaurants, Cafes, and Pubs are OPEN! You can sit down and drink alcohol, and eat bad food, but you CANNOT exercise and work on your mental health’.

Several members of the gym and the community took to Iron’s Instagram page to comment their support.

Iron is joined by a group of gyms in Kamloops (No Limits Fitness, Ladies Only Fitness, Strength Camp Kamloops), Pumphouse Fitness in Chilliwack, and more, calling for the government to open gyms and deem them an essential service.

Many of those establishments also remain open in defiance of the restrictions. Any gym that does so risks enforcement in the form of fines or closures.

On Tuesday, owners of Iron Energy stated on social media they were in discussions with legal counsel to prepare a case.

Also on Tuesday, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry acknowledged most gyms have done a great job in maintaining social distancing standards and preventing outbreaks over the pandemic. But she reiterated the the decision to close gyms was because they had been proven to be ‘amplifiers’ of COVID-19.

“These gyms are doing everything right in many cases. But the reputable ones understand that they’re not going to put their staff and clients at risk when we’re seeing the amount of transmission that we’re seeing,” Henry said.

In a press conference Dec. 31, Health Minister Adrian Dix addressed the issue of businesses defying restrictions.

“My recommendation to everyone is that they follow these orders which were put in place seriously, thoughtfully, and reluctantly, and to do so until January 18th,” Dix said.

“Public health orders will be enforced, and I suggest people follow them because they make us all safer.”

Current restrictions remain in place until Jan. 18.