By Preeteesh Peetabh Singh
Dialog reporter
Site manager Steve Banton (left) and Ed Mark from Athletics and Recreation (right) on the future site of St. James’ fitness centre. Photo: Preeteesh Peetabh Singh / the Dialog
Working out will work out to be a better experience this winter for the students of George Brown College (GBC).
The fitness center at the St James campus will see a massive upgrade, which will provide students with terrific facilities for free.
GBC realizes the importance of fitness in a student’s life and is striving hard to keep up the athletics, recreation and fitness facilities to meet the needs of its students.
GBC’s efforts can be seen with the construction of a new fitness centre at the St. James campus.
According to Ed Mark, GBC’s manager of athletics and recreation, the 26,000 square feet centre being built on the sixth floor of the building is a 100 per cent student-funded project.
The Michael Thomas Group has taken charge for its construction.
With a budget of $2.2 million the new fitness centre will include modern weight machines, cardio, treadmills, TV screens, aerobics, shower rooms, locker and towel service.
“It is shaping up magnificently” said Steve Banton, the site manager from the Michael Thomas Group.
The closed roof top area will be very spacious as it will be four to five times bigger than the current gym, and will have a lot of natural lighting.
Mark said, “I hope that the new fitness centre will increase participation. It will encourage the students to turn up and register themselves.”
After the completion of the new centre, tentatively by the end of November, the current gym at St. James will be converted into two studios and one of them will include yoga facilities.
The Casa Loma athletics centre is also gearing up for a revamp. As of now, it has limited space, but the machines are updated.
The fitness and lifestyle program will be moving out to the Waterfront campus in 2013. This move will create room for the current athletics center to expand as they will get additional space.
The L-shaped fitness centre on the top of the St. James campus building, as seen from the ground. Photo: Preeteesh Peetabh Singh / the Dialog
Ryerson Athletics and Recreation (RAC), provides a neat service to GBC students on the campus.
Students enrolled with C 118 and C 100 early childhood education program on the Ryerson campus get access to the RAC for free while others have to pay a fee of $40 per month.
The new GBC Waterfront campus does not have an athletics and fitness centre yet.
The college has an option available to buy land there, but it has been put on hold.
Talks have been ongoing for the development of fitness centre at Waterfront.
