Amidst the growing concern surrounding coronavirus covid-19, climbing gyms across the country are preparing to protect their communities. The number of cases in Canada has steadily increased and many gyms have temporarily closed their doors.
UPDATE March 18: At this point all gyms in Canada are closed or will be closing shortly.
True North in Toronto was the first gym in Canada to close up shop during the outbreak. In a statement they made on Facebook, True North said, “We have made the difficult decision to close the gym until further notice.
“This is a proactive step that we believe is the right thing to do at this time. We are not aware of any of our staff or customers testing positive for the virus.”
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To all members of the True North Climbing community, We have been monitoring the data about the current COVID-19 situation, and considering how we should respond for the past few days. Things have changed quickly. Yesterday’s announcement by the provincial government that all public schools will be closed through April 5th was a surprise, and underscored the importance of staying ahead of the outbreak as much as possible. We are not aware of any of our staff or customers testing positive for COVID-19. However, after careful consideration and discussion with my staff, I have decided to close the gym, effective immediately. While there is not yet proof of community transmission locally, the medical experts believe this is already happening and just not yet detected, and we are listening to them. Climbing gyms are efficient places for such diseases to spread, and I would not want to find out a week or two from now that someone who did not know they had this disease had spread it throughout our community. I believe taking this action proactively, before it is too late, is the right thing to do. Thanks for your support. Please take care of yourselves and your families and follow the advice of the medical experts during this time. Please see the link in our bio for more information. John Gross Owner, True North Climbing #staysafe #beinformed #besupportive #wellbeback #covid19 #climbing #rocklimbing #indoorclimbing #rockclimb #climbers #truenorthclimbing #torontoclimbing
A post shared by True North Climbing (@truenorthclimbing) on Mar 13, 2020 at 11:12am PDT
Most gyms in Canada are currently closed. If you become aware of further gym closures, please send us an email at noah@gripped.com. We will do our best to stay as up-to-date as possible with this changing-by-the-minute situation.
Closed Gyms
British Columbia:
All gyms in the Vancouver area are now closed
BoulderHouse Victoria
Rock Garden Climbing Centre
Cliffhanger
Arq
Project Cloverdale
Boulders
Ground Up
Climb Base5
Crag X
The Hive
Cliffside
Fluc CLimbing
Gneiss
Cowichan Climbing Academy
Alberta:
Elevation Place
Bolder
Blocs
Calgary Climbing Centre Chinook
Rock Jungle
Hanger
Rocky Mountain
Stronghold
Coulee Climbing
Vertically Inclined
Sally Borden Climbing Gym
Trailhead Climbing and Fitness
Saskatchewan: Regina Climbing Centre
Quebec:
All gyms in Quebec are closed
Nova Scotia:
Kohltech
East Peak FHOCC (Dockyard Gym)
Ground Zero
Seven Bays Bouldering
Dalplex Climbing Wall
Newfoundland:
Wallnuts Climbing
New Brunswick: Fredericton Bouldering Co-op
Prince Edward Island:
Red Rock Climbing Wall
Manitoba:
Ontario:
Boulder Bear
Basecamp Climbing
Boulder Parc
Climber’s Rock
Boulderz
Top Rock
Of Rock and Chalk
Grand River Rocks
Gravity
Windsor Rock Gym
Toronto Climbing Academy
Joe Rockheads
Junction
Guelph Grotto
The Rock Oasis
Aspire
True North Climbing
The Hub Climbing
Up The Bloc
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Message to our clients: To our valued community of members, Our priority is always the safety of our members and maintaining clear and transparent lines of communication during this uncertain time is also very important. As we continue to monitor developments around the world and in our communities, we want to provide you with an update about how the COVID-19 outbreak will affect Joe Rockhead’s and Up The Bloc. While the Public Health Agency of Canada continues to monitor and provide guidance in regards to the current outbreak of COVID-19, we have made the difficult decision to temporarily close Joe Rockhead’s and Up the Bloc as of Sun, March 15 at 6pm. This is a proactive closure in an effort to do our part in slowing down the transmission of COVID-19 in our communities. To be clear, we are not currently aware of any cases of COVID-19 at Joe Rockhead’s or UP The Bloc, or within our community of members. It is not our intention to close the facility for an extended period. We will be closed until March 29, at which time we will make a decision to remain closed or to reopen. Our decision will be based on the updates and guidance provided by the Public Health Agency of Canada and their assessment of the evolving situation across Canada. We will also rely on the guidance of the health and municipal authorities here in Ontario. In the meantime, we will continue to monitor this rapidly evolving situation and will provide updates to our member community as they become available. The decision to close is not one we take easily or lightly. The livelihoods of many people, many or all of whom are well known to our members, depend on Joe Rockhead’s and Up the Bloc remaining open. We are committed to supporting our incredible employees throughout this closure, and for this reason we took the time to assess the impact that this voluntary action would have on them. All memberships will be put on pause during this temporary closure. Cancellation requests will not be possible during this period. Please stay informed, stay calm and stay healthy, Much love and appreciation for you, our community, Luigi Montilla Joe Rockhead’s & Up the Bloc
A post shared by Up The Bloc (@upthebloc) on Mar 15, 2020 at 10:10am PDT
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Dear Friends, As a community we need to slow down the rate at which people get sick so we don't overburden our health care system. Please consider additional actions to reduce your participation in dense social groups for the near future. Although there are no known cases of the Covid19 virus spreading throughout our community, we have decided to close both Hub Climbing gyms beginning Saturday March 14, until further notice. Our community is the heart of who we are and the well-being of our members, guests, and staff and their families are at the top of our minds. More Details: Members: Prepaid (Annuals and 1-month) and month-to-month members (EFT) will have their expiry dates extended by the number of days the gyms remains closed. There will be no freeze-fees while the gym is closed. Other programs and events: This is an incredibly scary time for small businesses too, so our default option is to credit you. However if your financial situation requires full repayment just let us know, we will accommodate you. Adult and Youth Programs (including belay and lead lessons): All classes postponed until further notice. Accounts will be credited corresponding to the lost sessions. Yoga: Postponed until further notice. March Break Day Camp: Camp is cancelled. Customers will be credited for payments received, which can be used for services once we re-open. Other Events: All bookings for school groups, birthday parties, and other events are cancelled until further notice. Customers will be credited for payments received, which can be used for services once we re-open. We know the strength of the Hub Climbing community will carry us through this challenge and thank you for your patience and support. We look forward to be able to see you again as soon as possible. Sincerely, Hub Climbing #safetyfirst #SafeHands #climbing #rockclimb #toprope #leadclimb #sportclimb #sportclimbing #ropedclimbing #climbingcomp #climbingcompetition #climbing #girlswhoclimb #womenwhoclimb #boyswhoclimb #menwhoclimb #climbers #strong #climbing_is_my_passion #climbinglovers #climbinggym #toronto_insta #thedragon #hub #hubmississauga #hubclimbing #toronto #mississauga
A post shared by Hub Climbing (@hubclimbing) on Mar 13, 2020 at 2:01pm PDT
