Without news from the government, fitness centers in Quebec plead for their reopening to be prioritized because of their role in the health of the population.
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As the government considers a resumption of civilian and extracurricular sport on January 31, gyms have no idea if they are included, laments Gabriel Hardy, owner of Le Chalet gym in Quebec City and provincial spokesperson for the Canadian Council. of the packaging industry.
Photo QMI Agency, Stevens LeBlanc
Gabriel Hardy – Gym Le Chalet
“We are never consulted in any decision, he says. There are no exchanges with the government despite the fact that we have reached out many times. »
The banners he represents, including Énergie Cardio, Éconofitness and CrossFit, want to be able to reopen at the same time when the other sports will be deconfined.
But he has no illusions, since his industry has never been sufficiently prioritized in government measures, he believes.
“If we trust what we experienced, we were always in the last to reopen. »
The solution or the problem?
This sows misunderstanding in its industry since they rather believe they are part of the solution to unclog the health system.
“The chronic diseases that are among the biggest strains on our system are all things that physical activity can prevent,” says Hardy.
“Our kinesiologists and trainers, when they help a diabetic person, put them in supervised training and end up not taking medication, it has an impact on life and health costs in Quebec. says Claire Tremblay, president of Énergie Cardio.
If the government recognized this role, they both say, the industry would no longer be subject to pandemic-related shutdowns in the future.
As for the workforce, it is suffering from a loss of confidence similar to what the restaurant industry is suffering due to the multiple closures.
“Professionals who are hard to find will change jobs,” fears Mr. Hardy.