Shauna Hill tries one of the many pieces of equipment in the new weight room during a recent grand opening event. The size of the fitness room has been increased from 800 to 2,300 square feet.
(Lyonel Doherty photo)
Of all the organizations that strengthen the Town of Oliver, none do it more literally than the Parks and Rec department, which has just reopened its weight room after nearly tripling it in size.
“Members are looking excited,” said recreation supervisor Kyle Fossett. “We’ve got this room that’s now more than twice the size it used to be, and the lighting has vastly improved with the new windows.”
Before the renovations, Fossett said the weight room would be pretty close to full with about eight people using it. Now it has the capacity to comfortably handle twice that capacity.
“The windows make a big difference – they add a lot of light to the room,” said Natalie Alexander, interim manager. “Even though we’ve upgraded the A/C system, it’s nice to have the option now to open the windows as well.”
When the upgrade was still in its conceptual stage, Alexander said the team envisioned a safe and modern weight room full of contemporary equipment that can be used by people of all abilities.
“We know that this weight room is an important recreation hub in Oliver and is part of the Society’s commitment to provide great public spaces where our residents can connect and be active,” Alexander said. “We believe that our public recreation spaces are important for encouraging healthy habits and ensuring a better quality of life.”
Twelve new machines have been added to the existing fleet of equipment including new bikes, treadmills, a cable system and leg press.
The square footage has been increased from 800 to 2,300. In deciding which piece of equipment would benefit the weight room most, Parks and Rec gathered feedback from a survey of the public last year and also hired consulting from CanadaFit. The expansion to the Oliver Community Centre cost $182,000, with support coming from the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen, the Town of Oliver and Osoyoos Indian Band. The work was taken on by 3 Bar Construction.
For 39 days leading up to the ribbon cutting, the weight room was closed for renovations, though a temporary weight room was set up in the community centre that was available during office hours. During that 39-day period all active memberships were put on pause.
Membership fees haven’t had to be increased to afford the renovation, although an annual two per cent increase is scheduled for January. However, the board of directors will be taking a look at the numbers at the next annual general meeting to decide if additional cost recovery will be needed.
By Dan Walton
