'No listening, no talking': Gym owners accuse Quebec of ignoring them
An association representing gym owners is accusing the Quebec government of ignoring them as it tries to establish a dialogue to find a way to safely open fitness centres.
"It's not just that the answers aren't satisfactory," said Gabriel Hardy, Quebec spokesperson for the Fitness Industry Council of Canada (FIC). "It's really: no answers, no listening, no talking."
Hardy said that he met with the government in November 2020 and discussed the future of the industry in pandemic times and possible solutions: "We could see that we would not get through the pandemic easily. We had made proposals in that direction. We had many avenues to help the industry get through it. None of these proposals were recognized."
The spokesperson, who is also the owner of Le Chalet gym in Quebec City, said the government has been ignoring the issue ever since, "despite the fact that we have sent letters, that we have communicated regularly, not only with public health, but with the Ministry of the Economy, the Ministry of Labour, and the sub-ministry of Sport."
The lack of openness is said to be such that the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) has decided to intervene by sending a letter to Health Minister Christian Dubé to get the government's attention. The email communication sent Tuesday has yet to receive a response, according to Francis Bérubé, CFIB's senior policy analyst.
The fitness industry's questions are "legitimate," said Bérubé. He points out that industry representatives have put forward "innovative" proposals that would not have been answered. "Given the lack of feedback we are receiving at this time, it was deemed appropriate to issue a joint letter."
Bérubé notes that fitness centers are in a "bind." The tourism sector, also shaken by the pandemic, can exchange with the Ministry of Tourism, the analyst said.
"Fitness centres affect everything. It affects health, it affects the economy, it affects sports."
The Ministry of Health did not respond to a request for comment from The Canadian Press on Friday.
Premier François Legault said Tuesday that the reopening of the gyms would come in a "third stage," after the reopening of the restaurants and theaters, on Jan. 31, but no date was given.
Until then, gym owners are stretched thin while they have been closed for 14 of the last 22 months, Hardy said. Owners have accumulated an average of $75,000 to $80,000 in debt, according to an internal survey.
LEADS TO OPEN
By working with the fitness industry, Hardy believes a satisfactory compromise can be found to limit the spread of the virus and allow reopening.
He points to British Columbia as an example, where fitness centres have been open since Jan. 20. Working with industry, the government has set strict conditions to allow them to reopen. Vaccination passports are required, and masks must be worn by customers and staff when moving locations. A distance of seven metres between clients is also required.
British Columbia's Chief Medical Officer of Health, Bonnie Henry, thanked the provincial chapter of the FIP when she announced the reopening of the gyms. These steps have allowed us to reopen with measures that "public health knows and accepts," said Hardy.
NOT SO SIMPLE
Reopening gyms is not so simple for the government, however, says Roxane Borgès Da Silva, a professor at the Université of Montréal's School of Public Health (ESPUM). "With a more contagious variant, we can expect that there will be a much higher risk of outbreaks in a gym," she said.
While it may seem contradictory to reopen restaurants before gyms, the decision can be justified, she said.
"The contamination is by aerosol. When you're working out, you're out of breath and you're expelling a lot more aerosol than when you're sitting in a restaurant."
Hardy believes that public health experts would be able to see that fitness centres are healthy environments if they came to visit the facilities.
"Have you come to visit our environments to look at what you see as dangerous? Where are the massive outbreak statistics in gyms compared to movie theatres or entertainment venues? There's no exchange, we don't know what they're basing it on, but, for that, it takes a dialogue," Hardy said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
RCMP uncovers plot to sell drones and equipment to Libya
The RCMP says it has uncovered a plot by two men in Montreal to sell Chinese drones and military equipment to Libya illegally.
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.
Demonstrators kicked out of Ontario legislature for disruption after failed keffiyeh vote
A group of demonstrators were kicked out of the legislature after a second NDP motion calling for unanimous consent to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh failed to pass.
BREAKING Man wanted in connection with deadly shooting in Toronto tops list of most wanted fugitives in Canada
A 35-year-old man wanted in connection with the murder of Toronto resident 29-year-old Sharmar Powell-Flowers nine months ago has topped the list of the BOLO program’s 25 most wanted fugitives across Canada, police announced Tuesday.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
Keeping these exotic pets is 'cruel' and 'dangerous,' Canadian animal advocates say
Canadian pet owners are finding companionship beyond dogs and cats. Tigers, alligators, scorpions and tarantulas are among some of the exotic pets they are keeping in private homes, which pose risks to public safety and animal welfare, advocates say.
Cherry blossoms blooming in Canada: Here's what to know
There is a swaying sea of colour in some cities across Canada, and it's a sure sign of spring: cherry blossoms are in bloom.
Murder charges filed against U.S. woman who crashed into building hosting birthday party, killing 2 kids
A Michigan woman was charged Tuesday with second-degree murder and other crimes after prosecutors say she drunkenly smashed her SUV into a boat club that was hosting a birthday party, killing two young siblings and injuring several other people.
Toronto's police chief clarifies initial statement on Umar Zameer acquittal, says he 'accepts' jury's finding
Toronto's Chief of Police has clarified a statement that he'd hoped for "a different outcome" made just after Umar's Zameer acquittal, telling reporters Tuesday he supports and accepts the jury's finding in the five-week trial.