Owners of independently-operated Anytime Fitness locations across Canada are sending letters to provincial leaders and health officials in Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec – where health clubs remain closed – inviting them to work together with the health club industry to establish province-approved safety and sanitation protocols that permit these essential businesses to reopen.
Anytime Fitness, with more than 200 locations across Canada, provides health and wellness services to more than 100,000 Canadians and is one of the country’s largest health club brands.
“We appreciate the difficult challenges the provinces have faced when deciding whether certain industries must close or remain open,” said Stacy Anderson, president, Anytime Fitness.
“However, the continued closure of gyms due to COVID-19 is an obstacle to Canadians’ ability to maintain physical and mental health. The data is clear that health clubs and fitness centers – which, unlike restaurants and retail locations, are membership-based, controlled environments not open to the general public – are safe when safety and sanitation protocols are followed.”
“In fact, we know that the Anytime Fitness locations currently open across Canada — such as in British Columbia – have shown that following safety and sanitation protocols neutralizes the risk of infection in their facilities while continuing to allow them to provide essential exercise and wellness services for their members.
Both the Fitness Industry Council of Canada (FIC) and the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) have issued industry-approved safety and sanitation protocols in response to the pandemic, said Anderson.
“Anytime Fitness has adapted these standards worldwide for our locations, working together with government leaders to adapt them to local requirements,” she said. “We know there are safety and sanitation protocols that work.
“We join our Canada franchise owners in respectfully urging provincial leaders where health clubs are closed to work together with us to safely get back open as soon as possible. Come to the table and tell us what it will take.”
