COLD LAKE - A new addition introduced at the Cenovus Wellness Centre in mid-January has stirred up some opinions among users of the popular fitness facility, located at the Cold Lake Energy Centre.
A women's only area was created following complaints made to facility staff.
According to information presented at the March 12 City of Cold Lake council meeting, the creation of the women's only area stemmed from an incident within the establishment. Nagoya confirmed that an occurrence transpired in mid-January at the Wellness Centre, pushing for the establishment of the women's area.
Among the factors contributing to this decision is the acknowledgement that, "The City of Cold Lake can confirm that it does get complaints from clients when male clients are grunting (extremely loud) and making (in some opinions) uncomfortable noises while doing their workout," as stated in the information presented to council.
Nagoya elaborated on the specifics of the facility, stating, "The Cenovus Wellness Centre is about 7,700 square feet. And on top of that there's a 480 square foot addition or renovation that recently occurred." He spoke about the state-of-the-art equipment present in the facility, underlining the City of Cold Lake's investment of approximately $50,000 in new equipment.
He showcased images of the newly designated area, highlighting its modest design aimed at providing isolation for users who prefer a women-only space.
Nagoya also acknowledged there has been mixed feedback regarding the women's area, but emphasized that it was well-received by most users and staff.
During discussions, concerns were raised by Coun. Bob Mattice regarding the suitability of the women's area for certain fitness routines. Mattice expressed his support for the initiative but pointed out the lack of equipment for floor stretching exercises, suggesting adjustments to accommodate diverse workout routines.
“I am in total support of this area, but as a user of another fitness facility, part of a fitness routine that I do is on floor stretching and opening up the rollers and yoga mats and stuff. I don't see that here.”
He said he looked at the layout from his own perspective, asking if he would be able to do his fitness routine in the space provided.
“And the answer is actually no, because I don't push a lot of weights in that, but I do a lot of stretching in that,” said Mattice.
In response to Mattice's concerns, Nagoya assured him the staff would consider making arrangements to accommodate different workout routines and optimize efficiency based on feedback.
Coun. Chris Vining advocated for a hands-off approach from politicians regarding operational decisions at the recreation facility. He emphasized the importance of allowing staff to gather feedback and make necessary adjustments without interference.
“I truly think this is operational, and there's some things that politicians should probably keep their noses out of... on how we operate a fitness centre. I don't think any of us would be experts on how that should go, but I don't really take issue with what staff have done here, but I just think it's probably best we just step out of it,” said Vining.
The discussion wrapped up with agreement on Vining's viewpoint.
A motion to let the Wellness Centre staff continue making changes based on what users say, without council getting involved in how the facility is run, was carried.
