BY JASON MOTA
It’s here. It’s finally here. The recreation centre at Conestoga College’s Doon campus has finally opened its long-awaited new fitness centre.
The 35,000-square-foot facility, which opened on Feb. 22, features all new equipment, including Woodway treadmills, Atlantis strength equipment and TRX suspension trainers. The space is surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows to make for a bright, welcoming atmosphere. In addition, there are three new multi-purpose rooms in which fitness classes, such as yoga and zumba, will be held.
The design for the new facility was formulated after a survey at Conestoga College was conducted in 2013 to determine whether or not students were satisfied with the facilities at the time, and what they wanted to see more of.
“Everything about the fitness centre is completely new, including the location, which has moved to the opposite side of the building,” said Matthew Maguire, manager of athletics and recreation at Conestoga College.
This is true even for the entryway of the fitness centre, which has moved to the side facing the main campus building, and now features steel security gates that can only be opened with your ONE card or gym pass.
In addition to this, CSI’s Health and Wellness Office, which offers massage and chiropractic therapy, as well as information regarding the student health plan and spiritual rooms, has moved to the recreation centre and is currently operational.
Maguire confirmed that a Pita-Pit is also scheduled to open in the second-floor student lounge area around the middle of March, offering healthy food options and smoothies.
The final stage of the renovations, expected to be completed in the spring, will have the recreation centre’s old ice rink repurposed into a triple gymnasium, with a four-lane running track overhead.
“All the (new) machines are designed to be easier on the body,” said Scarlett Jarquin, a nursing student at Conestoga College who is also a member of the recreation centre staff. “They’re state-of-the-art for high-performance training, which is what a lot of varsity athletes and non-athletes are looking forward to.”
No membership is required for Conestoga students, as each student pays a recreation/athletics fee of $68.15 per semester along with their tuition. Hours of operation for the fitness centre can be found at www.conestogac.on.ca/athletics/contact.
“We are excited to showcase our new facility and know that it will support the positive growth and well-being of our students,” Maguire said.
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