A young entrepreneur who has taken over the reins of the Méga Fitness Gym de Québec intends to restore its letters of nobility to the establishment which had made headlines for having been the cause of several deaths during the pandemic.
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“The gym has lost its feathers in recent years, we had to completely change its image to get back on a good footing,” says Raphaël Provost, new owner of the training center since the end of January.
The Mega Fitness Gym became known to the general public after having been linked directly or indirectly to hundreds of cases of COVID-19 and around ten deaths in the spring of 2021.
Its former owner, Daniel Marino, had come under heavy criticism for having minimized the seriousness of the pandemic when numerous breaches of health rules were observed in his establishment.
“Mr. Marino had a point of view that employees and I did not necessarily share […], but he was our boss. We tried to save the furniture as best we could,” says Geneviève Clermont, general manager of the gym, which will now be called La Cité Fitness.
“A lot of concern”
An employee of the place for 24 years, she was the one who kept the lighthouse until the arrival of Mr. Provost when Daniel Marino died suddenly on February 3, 2022, at the age of 57.
The coroner’s report has not yet been made public, but the daughter of the deceased said at the time that Mr. Marino had died of natural causes in his sleep.
MARCEL TREMBLAY/Agence QMI
“There were a lot of concerns for the future of the gym when [le décès de M. Marino] arrived. When I met Raphaël, I knew he was the one we needed to get us back on track,” explains Ms. Clermont.
The organization has also observed a significant increase in registrations since the change of order.
Become a reference
Mr. Provost now hopes that La Cité Fitness will become a reference in terms of well-being and physical training in the region, but also throughout the province.
DIDIER DEBUSSCHERE/JOURNAL DE QUEBEC
In a few months, in addition to the 35,000 square feet of bodybuilding equipment, the establishment will add its own health counter, a lounge, a tanning and massage therapy area, a hot room for private lessons and a barber.
Not to mention the improvement of the computer system, revamped changing rooms and a change in the interior decoration.
“We are making a 180 degree turn, we are really aiming to attract the best clientele in Quebec. It will become a health stop where we will have all the services in the same place, ”says the 31-year-old entrepreneur, also owner of the Flip ma cuisine cabinetry.