THUNDER BAY — Laughter and smashing glass reverberated as a new rage room opened its doors on Wednesday in Thunder Bay.
Bash Bays provides a safe place for anyone needing an extra outlet to expel bottled-up energy and have fun.
It has daily walk-ins from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and appointments on Monday and Tuesday.
These sessions range from $49.99 plus HST for one person to $139.99 for four people — breakables increase per package.
“You come in, you grab your suit, your protective gear (and) you go into the room. We have the room set up for you with the breakables and you have 30 minutes,” said Jeremy Moore, the owner of Bash Bays.
After wreaking havoc on whatever is in there, he said they take care of the mess.
“Sometimes you just want to break something and I mean we're emotional creatures whether they're negative emotions, positive emotions, we have them and why bottle them up,” said Moore.
Matthew Koski stopped by for the grand opening. He said he felt good after his session.
“It felt like I just needed to get that out of my system, which felt so relieving just to start off my morning,” said Koski.
His favourite object to smash was a plate made in England.
He said he plans to come back and would recommend it to anyone who wants to come there: “It's worth it.”
Moore said he was scared and excited for the grand opening.
“It's quite a feeling. Like I'm full of nerves. I'm hoping that the city of Thunder Bay is ready for an idea like this and I mean, I hope that I'm just lucky enough that I get to go along for the ride and provide a wonderful service for people,” said Moore.
He started the company started last year in April after he said he experienced a heavy mental load and began going through a mental health journey.
“I really could have used something like a batting cage where I could swing at baseballs until my arms fall off, but there wasn't anything like that here in town anymore,” said Moore.
Knowing there's rage rooms across the country, he said he danced with the idea before talking about it with his therapist, who provided feedback from a professional standpoint and how she felt about it.
“My situation brought me to this point and I just noticed that there's a lot more tools that there could be out there for people that were coping with hard times,” said Moore.
If everything is successful, Moore said their mission is to also contribute to organizations like Dorset Pier Community Cares, Kelly's Mental Health Foundation and Boots on the Ground that bring direct services to individuals who don't necessarily have benefits or first responders dealing with PTSD issues.
The business has also since turned into a bit of a family affair with his wife involved in their social media and administrative tasks, and his kids excited to help get it ready to open.
“Having them invested means a lot,” said Moore. "It shows them that mental health is kind of a big important thing for me, as well as like they see dad working hard and trying to do good things. So I think it's a really good example for them."
Breakables are supplied through business relationships with establishments, including On the Links, Stanley Hotel and his family’s liquor store.
He added they’re also always willing to accept donations from people of stuff collecting dust that they want to get rid of with the exception of CRT TVs, fluorescent light bulbs or hazardous materials that have to be disposed of responsibly.
The store is also striving to save all its glass scrap, which is about 85 per cent of its waste, and get a cement mixer to make sea glass.
Moore has additionally applied for a startup business grant and if successful, plans to invest some money in a glass crusher to use and repurpose the glass for recycling.
He encourages people to set their schedules by booking and paying online.
