$30 million fitness club coming to Winnipeg’s Bridgwater neighbourhood

A new $30-million, 80,000-square-foot recreation facility is coming to Winnipeg’s Bridgwater neighbourhood.

Construction contracts will be awarded in October, and Altea Active Club is tentatively scheduled to open late next year.

The facility will have amenities for families and residents of all ages, including a women-only training centre. There will also be a Himalayan salt inhalation room as part of the club’s wellness offerings.

“It’s a buffet of fitness, and it’s a fun way to think about having everything under one roof, all the different specialty amenities,” said Michael Nolan, co-founder of Altea Active. “Things like yoga and cycling, we’ll have skating, treadmills, rock climbing, we’ll have a ninja course, there will be a cafe. And a lot of social areas — places where family and friends can feel comfortable, sit around and enjoy the atmosphere as they’re trying to embrace and live out this healthier lifestyle.”

Nolan said the Bridgwater community was an easy choice for his company to set up shop. The facility is geared towards getting the whole family active, “not just encouraging kids to come so the parents can go workout.”

View image in full screen

Nolan is an accomplished athlete himself, having been crowned national champion in decathlon six times, and has two children of his own, so he knows how important it is to keep kids active instead of sitting them down in front of a television screen.

“It was just a great-looking opportunity with the amount of families that do live in that area,” he said. “The pool and the aquatics amenities are a huge part of what the family-focused activities will be, as well as the fully outfitted playroom.”

A 100 per cent of the construction on the facility will be done by Winnipeg-based contractors.