The owners of Sharky's Athletic Club have announced they will defy lockdown orders and stay open as Sarnia-Lambton moves into the Grey-Lockdown Zone Monday.
A post on the Sharkys Athletic Club Facebook page announcing that the gym will remain open despite COVID-19 lockdowns. March 12, 2021. (Photo courtesy of Facebook).
On Saturday, the club announced via their public Facebook page they would be remaining open come Monday, March 15 in spite of the "pathetic" lockdown.
"If Walmart and other places can have multiple people in at once that isn’t monitored, or sanitized etc, then we are saying screw this," wrote gym staff member, Jessica Lynn in the post.
Lynn added in the post that Sharky's would continue to follow red-zone protocols that allow for 10 people in exercise classes and 10 people in areas with weights or exercise equipment.
"We know how important everyone’s mental health and physical health is!" read the post. "If you don’t wanna come workout, then stay home - that’s a choice! We have human rights! This is getting out of control."
The post has received mostly positive responses from members, with fans of the gym rallying behind the owners' decision. Gym member Patrick Roy-Davis launched a GoFundMe in support of the gym's owners to help cover any potential legal fees.
"This past year lockdowns have proved to do nothing but cause damage to the community, especially small businesses," wrote Roy-Davis on the GoFundMe page. "Now more than ever, we need to stand in solidarity. We need to show nothing but support to this business as they have proved to stand for the individual rights of each person who wants to prioritize their mental and physical fitness."
Co-owner, Cindy Van Hoogenhuize told Blackburn News she was aware of the GoFundMe, and said she was grateful to those who created it and contributed.
"I know them personally from the gym, seeing them all the time," she said. "They're good people."
Hoogenhuize said she relies on the gym to help deal with her terminal cancer. She added that she does have concerns about the repercussions that the gym could face, but said she's had enough of lockdowns.
"That's our livelihood, we've put all our money into that gym," she said. "It's very hard to run a fitness centre, and now with the lockdowns, we have no money coming in."
Businesses that defy lockdown orders in Ontario could be fined up to $500,000. Sarnia-Lambton is currently experiencing 10 active outbreaks of COVID-19, with a total of 170 active cases in the region as of Saturday, March 13.