The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Jonathon Naylor Editor The world's largest fitness franchise is leaving Flin Flon, possibly for good. Curves, the fitness centre for women, will close its doors March 26 after its Main St. building was sold. Manager Dianne O'Brien said members are not shocked, as rumours about the potential sale of the building have been swirling for months. But they are disappointed. "This is one of those things that people just don't do, they really believe in," O'Brien said. "It's part of their lives, so it's hard." O'Brien did not name the party that has purchased the building, but The Reminder independently confirmed rumours that the facility will become home to most or all HBMS unions. An HBMS employee connected to the unions said his union steward told him that the deal is done, though renovations to the building are still needed. A union official could not be reached for comment. Still viable With 200-plus members, O'Brien said Curves remains a viable business and will reopen if a new location and owner can be secured. "There is a possibility for a facility that I've had a couple of meetings about, but nothing's actually happening right now," she said. Having joined Curves just a few months after its 2003 opening, O'Brien hopes a new arrangement can be worked out. "It's very emotional for me," she said. "It's not just a job for me. I'm very connected to the women who go there and to what this does for women and what it does for the community as a whole as a result. So it kind of feels sometimes more like a calling than a job." See 'Loss...' on pg. 14 Continued from pg. 3 O'Brien described Curves as "a place where women feel very safe and cared for." It's a description with which Beth-Ann Dobson agrees. Having gained weight after quitting smoking, and looking to work out to help her sore back, she joined Curves just two weeks ago. "They were great," she said of the staff and members. "They were really friendly. I wouldn't have been able to make it there as often as I did if they weren't so nice. There was a very close camaraderie among the women." Dobson is saddened by the pending closure but feels particularly regretful for the long-time members. "I feel bad for some of the women that have been going there for years and developed friendships and were comfortable there," she said. "They're going to lose that." If Curves does happen to reopen elsewhere, Dobson said she would certainly return. Grown Since launching its first outlet in the U.S. in 1992, Curves has grown to include some 10,000 locations all over the world with a membership exceeding four million women. The foundation of Curves is a 30-minute exercise circuit in which women burn calories in an atmosphere designed to motivate and make them feel comfortable. "It works for people so they feel better about themselves and about their life," said O'Brien. If a new facility and owner are found, O'Brien said all members will be contacted as part of the promotion. "I'm hoping that [there's] somebody who understands Curves and believes in it," she said, "and can maybe realize that this is something that they can continue." The other business in the building, The Standard Insurance, will remain in place.
