Hidden Fitness Center

This gym may seem familiar, as it resembles many of our modern-day fitness centers, but chances are you’ve never seen this one before. This gym is located in the basement of Fredericton’s Research and Development Center, which specializes primarily in potato research. It’s open Monday through Friday for Service New Brunswick employees looking to stay active. The inclusion of a gym within this relatively new facility comes directly from Service New Brunswick’s initiative to encourage healthy living, to those who choose to use its facilities.

Edward Micheal and his branch of fellow Service New Brunswick employees relocated to the Research and Development Center earlier this year, and he says it’s been a smooth transition.

“We moved here in June of 2020, from downtown Fredericton to our Lincoln road location. One of the benefits of moving here was that we were able to take advantage of a fitness facility for employees. We currently have 125 employees that can take advantage of this facility” says Michael.

The gym consists of everything you’d find in your average downtown fitness center. Like those, it adheres to COVID-19 safety precautions. Both a mask mandate and social distancing mandate are currently in place at all times.

“One of the things that we had to be aware of when we moved here in June was COVID-19. It was very important for us to follow public health protocol, ensuring that when we enter the facility, that we answer all of the screening questions, as well as ensuring we wear a mask at all times” says Michael.

Upon entrance, employees must go through a COVID  -19 symptom checklist and ensure they show no signs of any of the listed symptoms. All visitors are asked to wear a mask at all times, except when performing cardiovascular activities.

Just down the hall from the fitness facility, is an area known as the pit. It serves as a lounge area for Service New Brunswick employees looking to unwind. Inside the pit, you can find everything from a kitchen, to a ping pong table.

“Well, it’s a gathering place especially during lunch time for many of us. People typically play ping pong and other games. We are even planning a tournament in the new year. It that dosent interest you, theres also many areas to just sit down and relax, make puzzles, or read a book” says Michael.

The move to the Research and Development Center could not have come at a better time, with the ongoing pandemic, and stress of our day to day lives. Edward Michael says he hopes that other workplaces can gain access to fitness centers in the near future, as they provide a much needed escape from our hectic world.