It just may be the only business in Saint John that will let you destroy the product. And we’re not just talking about tipping a few things off the shelf. They’re letting you take a hammer and baseball bat to it.
It’s called a rage room, a business that has grown in popularity in the recent decade.
Customers go inside, pick up a hammer and start swinging at computer monitors, TVs, laptops, glassware and VHS tapes.
The owners of Broken Pieces Rage Room in the Port City have dedicated just about every corner of it to promoting mental health awareness.
Smashing could be heard coming from inside small rooms, surrounded by graffiti with various slogans and words, revolving around a broken theme. Outside the walls, there’s a memorial to honour those who’ve lost their lives while suffering from mental illness.
“You put their name on there so their name lives on,” told owner Julie Hebert. “We have a memorial wall that we have in place for people to come who’ve lost a loved one or family member.”
The business was opened with the full intention of helping those who may be suffering from mental health. At the same time, they believe that the rage room may not be the solution to a crisis, having something to take the steam out safely.
“Anybody who has ever suffered any kind of mental health trauma. Most people have a hard time knowing what to do with those feelings,” she said in an interview with Global News on their opening day. “People can have a safe space to get their frustrations out without hurting themselves or anybody else.”
Hebert said that she has also had traumatic experiences in her life, which made opening the rage room a somewhat therapeutic opportunity.
The thought of smashing a 65” TV almost seemed “taboo” until she saw it on Tik Tok and thought the Port City could use something similar.
Julie and her husband revamped the space, which used to be an old mechanic garage.
“Saint John has a rising mental health crisis. So, I thought, why can’t we bring this to the city,” she said. “Even if you’re not going through a mental health crisis, you can come in and just smash some stuff after a long week.”
If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs help, resources are available. In case of an emergency, please call 911 for immediate help.
For a directory of support services in your area, visit the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention.