Save Urban Wellness Centre

Urban Wellness Centre is ceasing operations at the end of the year. This decision was made by the owners of the facility, Manitoba Public Insurance, with no input from the staff or members of Urban Wellness Centre.

Since the facility opened its doors in 2009, it's seen solid traffic. UWC services a large office population in the downtown area, and membership is the highest it's ever been - with nearly 500 members utilizing the facility daily.

The programming is phenomenal, the instructors are industry leaders, and Program Director Kathryn Sawatzky is one of the most dedicated and innovative fitness professionals in the business.

As long-time members, we rely on UWC as a lifeline for our physical and mental wellness. This is more than just a place to 'work out' - it's a sanctuary for our personal wellness and as members, we've become a strong-knit community.

The benefits that we reap from our daily dose of physical activity allow us to continue to contribute to our work and remain healthy. Factors like absenteeism and sick time, low productivity and growing mental health issues can all be mitigated by keeping the doors of UWC open.

You don't have to look farther than other neighbouring downtown employers - from Manitoba Hydro and MTS to Cargill and Great-West Life - to see that promoting employee wellness and work/life balance is at the top of the agenda in today's workplaces.

When you consider factors like unparalleled classes, the team of instructors and convenient location - especially for this quadrant of the downtown area - there are no comparable fitness alternatives.

MPI has a reputation of community support and strong disability management practices when dealing with their customers. We would hope that that same approach would extend to their own staff and community members - and that they would see that investing in their people makes good business sense.