Skip to content

Red Deer GoodLife no longer installing pool

Red Deer GoodLife Fitness members itching to swim will need to find a pool elsewhere.
11121258_web1_180322-RDA-goodLife-Pool-WEB
GoodLife Fitness in the Parkland Mall in North Red Deer will no longer be installing a pool. When the gym was first opening, a pool installation was planned. (Photo by SEAN MCINTOSH/Advocate staff)

Red Deer GoodLife Fitness members itching to swim will need to find a pool elsewhere.

The fitness centre connected to the Parkland Mall announced to its members in an email Wednesday, the planned pool will no longer be installed.

It was a tough decision to make, said Kimberly Bratton, GoodLife senior divisional manager, who oversees and supports the Red Deer location.

“We’ve definitely been back-and-forth trying to come up with a decision. We’ve taken a lot of time and done a lot of research on whether it was the right thing to put in this location,” Bratton said.

The pool’s installation was planned prior to GoodLife’s official opening in June 2017. But the need for a pool was re-evaluated since then, said Bratton.

The decision not to install a pool was made after looking at the Red Deer area and seeing there is already four or five established pools, Bratton said.

“We wanted to focus on our core business and our core business is getting people fit and providing the facilities to do that,” she said.

Some people were unhappy with the decision, Bratton said.

“We totally understand their frustrations. They thought they were getting a pool, and we did talk about how we would potentially put that pool in,” she said.

GoodLife is surveying members on what they want the unoccupied space to be used for. A couple options are a pickleball court and a Ninja Warrior area.

“We want to find that uniqueness we can bring to our members that they can’t get anywhere else.

“The early indications based on the survey we’ve put out is very positive. People are excited there’s a possibility of new amenities that are all free with their membership – no additional cost with be added,” said Bratton.

A decision will be made based on the feedback and what is in line with GoodLife’s core values, Bratton said.

“We’re trying to get as much feedback as possible from our members so whatever the amenities are that we put in are the right amenities. We want to hit the majority of the market,” she said.

Bratton said the cost of a pool was not a factor in the decision. GoodLife facilities aren’t typically built with pools, she added.



sean.mcintosh@reddeeradvocate.com

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter



Sean McIntosh

About the Author: Sean McIntosh

Sean joined the Red Deer Advocate team in the summer of 2017. Originally from Ontario, he worked in a small town of 2,000 in Saskatchewan for seven months before coming to Central Alberta.
Read more