About Johonor Gym Club

Germination of the gym club idea occurred at a meeting at the old River John School in January 2021, when the co-founders, Maurice Poirier and Ed Kennedy, met for the first time. A chat about the possibility of using some classrooms for a gym, and the unexpected news that the Bigney Family, owners of the school, had already collected an assortment of donated exercise equipment, launched a year-long gym club development process. Thanks to the of citizens of River John and the surrounding area who generously donated additional exercise and weight training equipment, the Bigney’s who worked tirelessly  to prepare the gym space, and the people who took out the initial gym memberships, the Johonor Gym Club was able to open for business on January 1, 2022.

 

The gym club would not exist without the support of many volunteers. Gym supporters in the community helped to collect donated equipment, organize and participate in fundraising efforts, attend organizational meetings, and set up the gym. The formation and operation of the club required the creation of a new not-for-profit organization, the River John Cultural and Wellness Co-operative, which is dedicated to providing fully accessible facilities for community members to improve their physical fitness and overall health, to build and maintain social connections, and to facilitate the expression of community arts and culture in all its forms. The founding directors of the Co-op are identified below.

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The gym club began operation modestly, with donated equipment that was used but in good condition. Our goal over time is to replace the used machines with new ones, install gym rubber flooring and expand the range of cardio, strength and cross training equipment. To finance the growth and improvement of the gym, we continue to work on membership expansion, gym sponsorship and accessing recreational and health grants.