It’s been nearly three months since the Badlands Community Facility (BCF) opened its doors to the public. During that time, memberships for the fitness centre have surged well beyond initial expectations.
At the May 16 meeting of the Committee of the Whole, it was announced that the total number of memberships for the Town’s fitness facilities (BCF and Aquaplex) had reached 991.
Business Manager of the BCF Guy Latour further clarified that 800 of those are for the BCF or multi-passes.
“It’s higher than we expected for the first year. We were initially looking at 400 memberships for the facility in the first year,” said Latour.
“We’re still in infancy at this stage, but I’m overjoyed with the response thus far,” said Councillor Jay Garbutt. “When we look at the marketing plan and target thresholds, we are already well ahead of that goal. That’s fantastic news.”
When creating the budget for the BCF, Latour and the Roma Report, based their figures on the BCF having a four percent market penetration in the first year. Over three years, the market penetration would increase to ten percent.
The current membership numbers are similar to the expected numbers for year three. In just under three months, the BCF has achieved it’s three year goal.
“We’re extremely happy with the response of the community,” said Latour. “We were looking at a progressive increase over three years. We’ve had some challenges meeting everybody’s expectations, but we’re adjusting.”
The result of the swell in memberships is bustling peak hours. The kinds of workout regimes are diverse and include both experienced buffs and residents new to fitness.
“Even with the 32 machines we have for cardio, at peak hours you have to wait to get on a machine. During the day, the elderly love it, because it’s nice and quiet and they have free reign of the place,” said Latour.
The benefit of so many members is not just in the balance books, however. The purpose of the facility was to promote a healthy, active lifestyle.
“The impact of that many people working out and living a healthy lifestyle is extremely positive for us and the community,” said Latour.
“I think it’s fair to say the community has said they need this to lead a healthy lifestyle,” said Garbutt.
