After nearly four years of growing a tight-knit fitness community in Creston, Iron Soul Fitness is moving out of the basement and opening a new door.
Gym co-owners Jordana Champagne and Brent Evans are expanding both their space and their services after taking over the old fire hall building.
The couple first launched Iron Soul in April 2021, offering boot camps in Centennial Park during the pandemic. By September of that year, the gym had opened its first brick-and-mortar location. The business quickly built a loyal following, gaining around 100 members in its first year.
“To our surprise, a lot of people wanted personal training,” said Champagne. “A huge part of our gym is working one-on-one or two-on-one with people who want a little bit more of a tailored experience and are chasing very specific results.”
Even with the upcoming expansion, the community formed through training in class with others is still at the heart of Iron Soul.
“Group fitness is the thing that Brent and I were the most passionate about. That has always been our flagship offering, but we're able to offer some new services with a bigger space, which is exciting,” said Champagne.
Iron Soul's approach to growth has been rooted in community input. The new location 140 10 Ave. North more than doubles their previous space, allowing for a new open gym area. For this, they collaborated with local weightlifters to find out what equipment they’d actually want.
“I feel very confident that the equipment that we're putting in is going to tick a lot of boxes because we asked the community what they wanted to see,” Champagne said.
The move also offered the opportunity to finally respond to a request they've been hearing since day one: 24-hour gym access.
“It was never anything that we were interested in, just because that isn't the way that we like to train, but that that demand never got any quieter,” Champagne said. “And in the end, we realized having more access to fitness and being able to offer that to the community was really in line with our mission and our vision for the gym, which is to have a great community and create a space where people feel supported to come and do what they want.”
Now, members can choose between full group training packages, open gym access, or both. With a new Bluetooth-based app system, members will be able to safely unlock the gym after hours using their phones, with no physical key fob required.
“It's so personal to your phone, so we'll know who has been in and out of the gym,” Champagne said. “That's one of the ways that we really want to protect the safety of everybody who's using that gym.”
Addressing concerns
Safety, she said, has been top of mind throughout the transition.
The building came with a history dating back to 1982, along with some long standing concerns, from its time as a working fire hall. In 2021, local firefighters relocated to the newly constructed Creston Emergency Services Building after the original facility was deemed inadequate due to ventilation issues.
“I think the primary concern was around the diesel exhaust, and we have no intentions of having vehicles in the gym so I'm unconcerned,” said Champage.
Iron Soul has worked closely with the Town of Creston and WorkSafeBC, ensuring the space meets current safety standards before opening day.
“The safety of my team and any patron of the gym is always my number one concern,” said Champagne. “I’ve done everything in my power to make this a safe space.”
While she’s excited for what’s ahead, Champagne also understands the move comes with questions from community members. Anyone is welcome to stop by during the upcoming open house from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on May 17 during the Creston Valley Blossom Festival.
“We really want the gym to feel like it belongs to Creston,” said Champagne. “The community component is our guiding post in everything that we do.”
Official opening day is set for May 15. For more information, visit ironsoulfitness.ca or Iron Soul Fitness on Facebook.
