THUNDER BAY – After a long awaited debut, Planet Fitness is now open.
The gym, which is near the Moores clothing store, was founded in 1992 and representatives have been working to open it in Thunder Bay for the last few years.
Their goal with the gym, which they call a Judgment Free Zone, is to ensure that everyone is welcomed into the club and that they feel a sense of belonging.
The company had their grand opening on Jan. 29 after unveiling plans to move into the city back in October.
Rudy Petrillo, who is the Canadian Regional Marketing & Community Investment representative with Taymax Group, LP, said the company was looking at Northern Ontario as well as the rest of Canada over the past few years.
“Unfortunately, as most Canadians know, the COVID-19 pandemic did delay us slightly,” Petrillo added.
“Once we were able to come out of the pandemic, everyone worked together as quickly as we could to try and get this club open. We did have our preview centre just around the corner at the Thunder Centre a few months back, and people were coming in and excited for us to be bringing another gym to Thunder Bay.
“It's been a long road, but it's one that's very well received, and one we're very proud of. Thunder Bay is a marquee market for us in Northern Ontario.”
Their doors opened at the end of December and the club has numerous members that have signed up for membership.
The other part of Monday’s event was unveiling a cheque for $2,500 for the Boys and Girls Club, which Petrillo states will be invested back into the community.
“It's the beginning of a partnership. A lot of Boys and Girls Clubs have local initiatives where they need sponsors or community support and we're happy to be there moving forward.
"We're very excited to be part of that, whether that's monetary sponsorships, having staff on site to help out the club and or just going to their events in the near future," Petrillo said.
"We have always said it takes a village to raise a child, and the more partners you can get and more people in your village, the better,” said Boys and Girls Club Executive Director Albert Aiello.
“Thunder Bay has always had a giant heart and is a very giving community. Having somebody that is new in town choosing the Boys and Girls Club is a very positive thing for us, and we look forward to exploring that partnership further down the road.”
Taymax Group, LP is a multi-unit franchisee of Planet Fitness.
