Crackdown on Fitness Clubs.

[Natureboy]

Crackdown proposed on fitness club
Mon, Feb 20, 2006 06:23 PM CST

Grant Roberts runs the fitness club at the Bessborough in Saskatoon. He has no problem with the government protecting fitness club consumers. However he feels the proposed law is unfair because it won't apply to facilities run by the city, university or the Y.

GRANT ROBERTS, PRO FIT: "City run and non profit are not subject to the rules they are implying. They're trying to penalize private industry. They already have a tremendous advantage over us with the tax free status."


The new regulations are aimed at protecting consumers from clubs that go out of business before memberships expire. Contracts would be limited to a maximum of one year, payments could be made monthly and customers could opt out if club hours or facilities are cut back. Fitness club operators had the opportunity to voice their concerns before a special committee of the legislature and the minister in charge.

FRANK QUENNELL, MINISTER OF JUSTICE: "We're proposing in the legislation that contracts for those types of clubs be limited to one year to lower the potential cost to a consumer in a circumstance where the club closes soon after the membership is purchased. We'll have to see what the public has to say."

In addition to health clubs and fitness facilities, the new rules will apply to diet programs, modeling agencies, dance studios, martial arts programs and sports training. People who pay in advance for travel club memberships will also be protected.

DON MORGAN: "Our expectation had been that they were going to introduce legislation that dealt specifically with travel clubs and bonding provisions. I don't think this legislation is going to adequately address the concerns there were with travel clubs."

This is actually the first time that affected businesses and members of the public have appeared before a committee of the legislature to voice opinion on proposed legislation. It's much more than an experiment. Under new rules of the legislature, public consultation will now be standard practice.


This is in Saskatchewan. Wow, they didn't put this on tanning salons, yet I see it more often then not where they pull the midnight move.

[Ezliving_Jim]

If tanning salons keep packing up and moving away in the dark of the night, they may be included someday.

Fitness clubs in MD must post a security bond to get a license.