PEFAC reopens

Fitness centre welcomes back members

Alittle over four months after being forced to close its doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Prince Edward Fitness and Aquatic Centre (PEFAC) is now open again, albeit in a limited way. Members can now book an appointment to use the weight and cardio room, as well as book one of the squash courts. The pool is also open. Meloni Crandall, general manager of PEFAC, is pleased to be able to offer services to members once again. “We’re happy to have our members back and to see them again. I feel good that it’s going really well, the staff is working hard, and we’re getting great feedback from members,” she said. The centre had been offering online fitness classes during the shutdown, with great participation from members, many of whom showed their support by continuing to pay for their membership. There have been a number of changes instituted to ensure safety of the members. The main change rooms remain closed. Instead, the pool has two ondeck change rooms, as well as an on-deck shower. “To keep our members feeling safe and comfortable and maintain a clean atmosphere, we’ve put staff in every area. We have an additional staff in the pool, in the cardio and weight room, and in the lobby. They are going around and cleaning all of the ‘touchables’ after everybody has come through,” said Crandall. In addition, there are now plastic barriers between each of the exercise machines or weight stations, and the stretching area has been clearly marked out.

Conor Forbes, director of personal training at PEFAC, shows some of the equipment in the newly reorganized weight room.

Members who want to work out must reserve the equipment beforehand. “You can book up to seven days in advance,” said Crandall. “You’re welcome to come in and see if there is space, but you’re taking the chance there may not be room.” There is a limit of 50 on the number of people allowed into the facility, not including staff, but so far typical attendance is 15 to 20 at any given time. However, PEFAC has placed lower limits on the number of people allowed in any of its spaces. “Right now we are starting slowly, because we know that group fitness is going to start being offered soon, and they are going to bring in more numbers as well, so we’re trying to ensure we stay under 50, while still offering all the services,” said Crandall.

All the staff are doing their best to ensure the facility remains safe for the members. Everyone is screened and temperature checked on entry, and staff are continually cleaning any surface or piece of equipment that may have been touched. Conor Forbes, director of personal training, is glad to be back in the facility. He maintained an exercise regime while the building was closed by using at-home equipment such as adjustable dumbbells and resistance bands, together with running and hiking, and it did make a difference. “Once I got back in here and did some gym workouts I realized I haven’t lost much strength,” he said. He is looking forward to working with members in the near future to help them meet their personal goals. “Right now, my role is to follow the new sanitizing protocols, making sure we can keep the facility COVID-friendly, make sure everyone is working together, and being diligent with disinfecting and sanitizing equipment. The people that have come here really respect what’s been done to take precautionary measures, and everybody I’ve seen in here has been really pleased.”

At the moment, PEFAC is not selling day passes or new memberships, and is only admitting people who have kept up their membership through the shutdown. “We had tremendous support from our members. They were absolutely fantastic, and they helped us out any way they could during the closure, so it was important for us upon reopening—because we have limited capacity— that we ensure those members who did support us were able to get their spots,” said Crandall. It is expected that new memberships will start sometime in August. “I’m happy we’re open and happy to see the members back,” she said. “I’m glad they are feeling safe, and I look forward to seeing the rest of the people coming back.”