Adam Prudhomme
Beaver Staff
January is a time for making healthy resolutions so perhaps it was only fitting that Napanee’s Planet Fitness held its official ribbon cutting 10 days into the new year.
Mayor Marg Isbester was joined by councillor Bob Norrie in welcoming the gym to its Napanee Mall location.
“It’s not just about what’s inside here with Planet Fitness,” said Isbester. “It’s outside with the mall with the face lift. It attracts even more people. Anytime you get a business that comes to town of this sort of magnitude and standing, then other businesses take a look at us and say there must be something there.”
Isbester noted the new business creates several new jobs from trainers to technicians who maintain the work-out equipment.
The gym also brings with it several health benefits as well as it will help residents stay active even throughout the winter months.
“It’s a great little town,” said Kim Traill, general manager of the Napanee Planet Fitness. “We’re right in the middle of our Belleville and Kingston location. It just fills up that 401 corridor.”
Written throughout the walls of the gym are encouraging messages that stress the gym welcomes all to their “judgement free zone”. Whether they’re training for a marathon or just looking to shed a few pounds, the gym offers a variety of programs.
“A lot of people want to make new year’s resolutions and we full support that,” said Traill. “Even if that person just wants to lose five pounds, that’s an accomplishment. We cheer on all our members.”
To help celebrate their grand opening, Planet Fitness made a $1,000 donation to the Napanee Canadian Tire Jumpstart fund, which will help local less-fortunate youth get involved with community sports.
“It’s a great way to start 2019,” added Isbester. “Sort of a new year’s resolution. Hopefully we can go up from here and attract more and more businesses.”