Ottawa gym forced to close for allegedly defying pandemic orders

An Ottawa gym is being forced to close for allegedly defying both a local public health order and the province's stay-at-home decree.

On Wednesday afternoon, city bylaw officers, accompanied by Ottawa police officers, gave 613Lift one hour to close and ensure everyone had left the property, Anthony Di Monte, the city's general manager of emergency and protective services, said during a news conference on the city's pandemic response.

This is the kind of situation that gets people's blood boiling.​​​- Mayor Jim Watson

According to Di Monte, the order comes after the gym, located on Jamie Avenue near Merivale and West Hunt Club roads, refused to close despite Ontario's stay-at-home order, refused on several occasions to allow bylaw officers entry, and refused to participate in contact tracing or allow Ottawa Public Health (OPH) inspectors to follow up on COVID-19 cases connected to the gym.

"Every time that bylaw [officers] would arrive they locked the doors [and would] not let us in. Very uncooperative," Di Monte said, adding that people inside were often belligerent and "overtly aggressive" toward officers, but not violent.

‘The height of irresponsibility’: Ottawa gym forced to close after defying health rules

4 years ago

Duration 1:42

Anthony Di Monte, the city’s manager of emergency and protective services, says a Nepean gym called 613 Lift has repeatedly defied provincial health regulations and has been ordered to close.

The business was previously handed three provincial offence notices, he said.

Gyms must remain closed under Ontario's stay-at-home order but fitness centres are allowed to reopen under strict conditions for people with disabilities.

Those conditions include keeping records of everyone who worked out at the gym, and giving unobstructed access to public health and city officials to those records.

'Height of irresponsibility'

Over a five-day period near the end of April, the city received 12 complaints about 613Lift.

Speaking Wednesday, Mayor Jim Watson did not mince words.

"This is the kind of situation that gets people's blood boiling," he said. "Almost every day, people in our city are dying, and [the gym's owner] seems to think that he is above the rules and the laws."

Both Watson and Di Monte said it was unfair to other businesses, including gyms, that have been following the rules.

CBC reached out to the gym for comment about the closure, but did not hear back in time for publication.