The Black Creek Community Association (BCCA) has come up with a solution to eliminate the biggest challenge for fitness room users.
The challenge: limited open hours for the fitness room.
The solution: an access card system where pass-holders can swipe their way into the building between 6 a.m. and midnight, 365 days a year.
Jerry Griffin on the Board of Directors came up with the access card idea in the summer.
With a background in the fitness industry, Griffin has brought a fresh new vision and many ideas for the fitness room.
“The biggest limitation of the fitness room was the restriction of the hours for users. The access system is used in other gyms and it seemed like the perfect fit to provide the opportunity for people to work out on their schedule, not the staff schedule,” notes Griffin.
The BCCA is a charitable, not for profit community centre that offers a wide array of programs and has a wonderful fitness room facility.
The Association is always striving to meet the needs of the community and to be more accessible for members.
As a result of a strategic planning session in the winter, a subcommittee was formed to explore ways to increase usage and better promote the existing facility.
The Board of Directors was quick to support the idea and it just took a few months to have the system installed and get everything up and running.
The access card system was scheduled to launch in January but the excitement in the community has lead to an earlier start.
“We have had such enthusiastic response from our members and it was important for us to get everything ready before the holidays as our hours are even further reduced through the holidays,” says Executive Director, Kris Johnson.
New members are already joining because of the pass and existing pass-holders are already enjoying Friday evening and Sunday workouts for the first time.
The access card pass is available to any members of the BCCA with a fitness pass of at least three months in duration.
A membership to the Association is $15/year and three-month passes are $75 and other passes lengths are available.
There is no additional charge for the access pass other than a $10 refundable card deposit.
The fitness room has several cardio machines, dumbbells and a variety of weight training equipment and users have access to the showers and change rooms.
Free orientations of the fitness room are available for members.
For more information about the fitness room and a chance to win two Mount Washington lift passes, give them a call at 250-337-5190 or visit www.bccaonline.ca.
The BCCA’s office hours are from 9:00 am to 1 p.m., Monday to Saturday, as well as 4-8 p.m., Monday to Thursday.