Local gym staying active despite setback from recent fire

Coaches and members at F45 in Amherstburg gathered Sept. 11 for a walk as a way of reconnecting after the Sept. 4 fire that has temporarily closed the business.

 Despite the building being temporarily off limits due to the recent fire, members at a local gym are not letting that stop them.

Members of F45, along with people from the general public, took part in a 5K walk last Wednesday night. They met in the parking lot with ownership and coaches updating members on the situation.

“There’s not a whole lot of new information,” franchise owner Jillian Novakowski told the River Town Times. “We’re still waiting on the adjusters.”

Novakowski said it’s a long process at this point but they are doing what they can in the meantime. She said she was allowed in the building, located at the corner of Sandwich St. S. and Alma St., and a preliminary look at the equipment suggests it was relatively unharmed.

“Both myself and my landlord are working together to streamline the process in order to re-open as soon as possible,” she said.

The F45 gym in Amherstburg has about 120 members and members of the public were invited to join them in last Wednesday evening’s walk. About 30 people walked from the gym through local neighbourhoods and back.

“They are amazing,” Novakowski said. “Our membership is very, very strong. There is an amazing culture here. It’s really showing and shining through.”

The 5K walk left F45 with it initially heading east down Alma St.

Members of the Amherstburg gym have been relocated for the time being to the F45 in LaSalle, she added. Coaches in Amherstburg stay in touch with the membership and do their best to keep them engaged with the 5K walk bringing everyone together again.

While it was just a week since the fire, Novakowski said they wanted to make sure members were informed and kept on top what was really happening with the business.

“We’re expecting to open up soon,” she said. “We’ll be back stronger than ever. We’re grateful for the community’s support through this.”

The fire was reported Sept. 4 around 11:41 p.m. with firefighters on scene until 2:17 a.m. Sept. 5 extinguishing the blaze. The damage estimate was originally pegged at between $30,000-$50,000.

The Windsor Police Service – Amherstburg Detachment arrested and charged a 31-year-old man with arson.

Anyone with information about the fire is asked to call the Windsor Police Arson Unit at 519-255-6700, ext. 4330. They can also contact Windsor & Essex County Crime Stoppers anonymously at 519-258-8477 (TIPS) or online at http://catchcrooks.com.

By Ron Giofu