Gyms and spas rejoiced on Tuesday for their upcoming reopening, believing that they had been listened to by the government.
Posted at 5:00 a.m.
“We are really happy. We suspected that we were going to be the next, but as long as there is no official date, we are still in doubt,” says Amandine Perrotte, owner of Crossfit Minotaure in Sainte-Julie.
Many are impatiently awaiting the reopening of gyms and spa establishments, and the pressure was growing on the Legault government.
“We are very happy to see that all our requests have borne fruit. We know we were heard,” says Gabriel Hardy, kinesiologist, owner of Le Chalet gymnasium and provincial leader of the Canadian Fitness Industry Council.
The Council had asked the Government of Quebec for predictability, which it obtained. The gyms will not open until February 14.
We are very happy. It will give us two weeks to put everything back in place and start the service again.
Gabriel Hardy, owner of Le Chalet gymnasium in Quebec
During the closing on December 20, the owners had been notified only a few hours in advance. “The conference took place at 1 p.m. in the afternoon and we were told that we were closing at 5 p.m. the same evening. It was really unexpected,” recalls Georges Valade, owner of Gym du Plateau and Gym St-Henri.
Spas rejoice too
The Association québécoise des spas (AQS) is also delighted with this reopening. “It’s a great relief. We are very happy to finally have a reopening date,” said the president and general manager of the Association québécoise des spas, Véronyque Tremblay.
We can start calling back our employees and staff. I think that all the owners of spa establishments are very happy with this news.
Véronyque Tremblay, President and CEO of the Association québécoise des spas
The Association said it was happy that its voice was heard. “Since the start of the pandemic, we always feel a little forgotten. We are always among the first to be closed and the last to reopen, ”says Mme Tremblay. On Tuesday, she got the impression that the government finally understood the nature of their activities.
She is happy that spa establishments can reopen for Valentine’s Day, which is an important part of the peak winter season for the industry. “We hope that lovers will give each other gift cards or come to visit spas in the coming weeks,” she said.
Customers at the rendezvous?
Despite the closure of spas and saunas, personal care was still permitted within the establishments. “On the other hand, the turnover had decreased significantly, because customers want to enjoy the full experience, including outdoor baths,” says Ms.me Tremblay.
She expects customers to be there on February 14. “So many customers were eager to return to our facilities,” she says.
Gym owners, however, are concerned that some of their customers and employees may not be back. “There are several coaches who have changed jobs or who have chosen to work more hours for another job,” says M.me parrot.
“We have industries that are pretty badly damaged, which have lost a lot of money, a lot of professionals and a lot of customers in the last two years,” adds Mr. Hardy. According to him, the challenge for the coming weeks will be to regain the confidence of customers and professionals.