Oranj Fitness Kelowna is permanently shutting its doors

A popular Kelowna gym will be closing for good at the end of the month.

Owner Tina Joslin sent out a notice on Wednesday afternoon announcing that Oranj Fitness on Lawrence Avenue would permanently shut its doors as of Oct. 31.

She cited COVID-19 as a primary reason for the decision, noting that fitness studios like hers, with a large lease space and many employees, were hit hardest during the pandemic.

We closed six times due to government mandated shut downs and we lost over 80% of our membership base,” Joslin explained.

“We fought with every muscle in our body to carry the studio through the past two years. Unfortunately, when government subsidies stopped this past June, during our slowest season, we really started to financially struggle.”

In recent months, Joslin has exhausted every financial option available to her, including the use of her personal savings, but was unable to pay royalties to the head office by the end of the summer.

As a result, her licensing was revoked by said head office on Oct. 11 and the gym is no longer allowed to operate under the Oranj Fitness brand.

She has continued to operate since then, and will do so until Oct. 31, in an effort to say a proper goodbye to her members and not just allow a business with 15 years of history disappear overnight.

In her notice of closure, Joslin talked about how Oranj Fitness became so much more than just a gym to its many members.

“For some of us, it is the chosen family that we have leaned on to get us through the toughest of times. We have been trying desperately to hang on, but we are no longer able to,” she wrote.

While she is trying to find a buyer to take over the space, assets and staff, Joslin said she can’t guarantee anything about the future of the building.

For now, with 11 days left until the gym’s final day, Joslin is encouraging members to use their punch passes and memberships to the fullest.

Anyone with unused punch passes, paid-in-full memberships or unused personal training as of Oct. 31 can contact the gym via email to receive a credit for three times the value that can be used for online offerings.