Recreation services looking to recoup losses
Gritty Grotto re-opens after structural damage fixed
Vuthana Suon, Staff
Photo by David Lipnowski.
With record rainfall this past spring and summer, staff at the U of M’s Frank Kennedy Centre experienced what many homeowners have been subjected to: basement flooding.
However, this was not a regular basement, but was in fact, the U of M’s main fitness facility, known more endearingly as the Gritty Grotto.
“Starting in early May, a pipe broke, which led to extensive flooding; we basically had three floods,” said Gary Thompson, director of recreation services.
Unable to cope with the continuous flooding, due in large part to heavy rain causing the storm sewer system to back up, the Grotto closed and reopened more than once, resulting in frustration for both staff and members. This prompted the temporary move of equipment to the gold gym, located on the second floor of the Frank Kennedy building.
Before the Grotto reopened, mould in the facility had to be removed and all health codes had to be met, said Thompson. Unfortunately, the extended closure had a huge financial impact on recreation services.
“When we first looked at it at the end of September, we were down by about 2,200 members from last year, when we peaked at about 13,000 members, which in terms of dollars, was over $300,000 [in 2004],” said Thompson.
In response to being so deep in the red, recreation services will be increasing the exposure of the Grotto and offering a number of promotions to regain members, such as rewarding members a free month for recruiting new students to join.
The difficulty that lies ahead in terms of trying to recapture lost members while gaining new ones is not lost on Thompson. To that end, he and the other recreation services staff plan to do all they can to make students aware of the important service they offer.
“Our goal is to promote active living and academic success, and we’re convinced and the research tells us that if you’re active, you’re more vibrant and you’ll do better as a student,” said Thompson. “That’s why we exist, and we’re primarily here to serve students.”
Member response to the closure
Thompson said the response to the Grotto’s closure was mixed among regulars at the gym, as some people indicated they missed it, especially the ones who would use the track, but others were satisfied with the gold gym and the fact it wasn’t in a basement. With over 25,000 students on campus, “There are still a lot of students on campus that don’t know we even exist,” said Thompson.
Carter van Alstyne, a third-year science student and former Grotto member, said he “didn’t know it was reopened and had completely forgotten about the option of going to the gym.” He suggested more advertising would probably help increase awareness of the gym.
Due possibly to the nature of the university, where a great majority of students live far away and must commute to and from school, there is an apathy about services offered on campus. Fighting this apathy is an uphill battle for recreation services staff.
Second-year science student Chris Guenther appreciates having a place of convenience on campus to work off stress.
Guenther said he enjoys “coming to the gym and working off a little bit of exam frustration.” Still, he has his own frustrations about the facility, mainly due to the ventilation system.
“Every so often, especially in the free weight area, if there’s a lot of people, you can definitely smell how many people are using the gym,” he said.
Gretchen Rumbaua, a university one student, realizes there are some negatives associated with the gym, but feels the positives out-weigh them.
Rumbaua is aware of the Grotto’s reputation as being a gritty place to workout, with a perimeter lined with rocks and exposed walls, but she added, “There is a lot of equipment to use and it’s good because I can come during spares, before school and after school.”
Like many students Rumbaua is a little light in the wallet during the school year and welcomes the Grotto for financial reasons. Working out at the Grotto costs students $34 per month or $8 per day.
“I think the price is definitely really, really good compared to other gyms,” said Rumbaua.
For more information on the Grotto’s promotions or prices visit www.recreationservices.ca
