By FitBizWeekly Staff
An email sent by GoodLife Fitness last week to about 200,000 members and associates in Ontario has generated significant media attention from Canadian news organizations including Global, CTV, CP24 and CFRB1010.
Both GoodLife Fitness and the Fitness Industry Council of Canada conducted multiple interviews in response to the email sent out last Monday.
While some social media reaction was mixed, the over-all impact of the campaign is viewed as a positive for the industry, increasing public awareness on the importance of maintaining physical and mental health through exercise during the pandemic, and providing an opportunity for the industry to demonstrate a collaborative approach to government decision makers on allowing gyms to remain open with stringent safety protocols in place.
The email encouraged members and associates to send a letter to their MPP, in support of club reopenings and to prevent further closures:
“As we all know, the fitness industry in Ontario is currently facing serious challenges as a result of the global pandemic. Between mandated shutdowns, capacity restrictions, and ongoing questions about the safety of fitness facilities, our industry is facing the most difficult time in its history. We know that these challenges are greatly impacting many of our Associates and Members. We are doing everything we can to work with government and public health experts to be a part of the solution, and to help advise on the decisions they are making for our industry. In order to be as effective as possible in our outreach to government and public health, we need your help!
As an important contributor to the fitness industry in Ontario, you can help by sending a letter to your Member of Provincial Parliament (M.P.P.). This letter will serve to support the swift reopening of our closed Clubs and to prevent further closures in the province.”
In Ontario, gyms in hotspots around Toronto and Ottawa remain closed since October 10, but that decision will be re-assessed later this week. Sector-by-sector data released Thursday by public health officials appeared to show schools, daycares and long-term care homes as the primary contributors to current COVID-19 cases, with gyms representing only 3% of outbreaks from August 1st to October 24th.
