BOYLE — A board representative from Boyle Fitness Centre received a verbal pat on the back from Mayor Colin Derko during a delegation presentation, which recapped a successful year for the gym after the unsure waters brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the Dec. 20 council meeting, Peter Golanski, treasurer for the Boyle Health and Fitness Centre Committee, broke down in detail the cost increases, advertising successes, and financial gains the Fitness Centre achieved in 2023.
“Obviously you’ve got a strong group and you’ve been doing well. You’ve got a lot to be proud of with how you’ve run that facility,” Derko told Golanski. “You’ve come from some terrible times.”
The Fitness Centre raked in slightly under $60,000 in revenue from Oct. 1, 2022, to Sept. 30, 2023. Most of the income came from membership dues, as well as a $14,000 grant from the village. According to Golanski’s report, the centre started the year with $20,000 in the bank, and its closing balance totalled more than $44,000.
More than $41,000 in membership fees were collected by the gym this year, an increase of $13,000 from 2022. Golanski credited the jump to, “a number of different factors, not the least of which was a number of various promotions that we carried out through the year: reducing the rates for a particular month or providing special monthly punch passes. It seems to have worked.”
The centre replaced two exercise machines in 2023 for $1,900 and installed a door for almost $900 that allows members round-the-clock access to the gym. Other regular expenses include wages, natural gas, a new janitorial position, and insurance, but Golanski said the end-of-year balance is a result of the board’s financial caution.
“We have been very careful on what we spend money on,” said Golanski. Boyle Fitness Centre’s financial position took a hard hit following COVID, with only $3,307 in the bank in March 2022.
“When you get down to $3,000 in the bank, you’re treading on dangerous water, that’s for sure. It’s been a tough time, it’s been a tough go,” said Golanski.
Derko suggested the board plan to set funds aside in a reserve to plan for future emergencies or unforeseen circumstances, and to help fund projects like the upcoming painting project Golanski mentioned is on the books for 2024.
“I wish I had a crystal ball and (could) say that we're not going to have another COVID, or we’re not going have another major incident, but having a contingency that’s set aside for that is an excellent idea, something I’ll bring to the board,” replied Golanski.
Following the presentation, councillors voted 5-0 to defer the Fitness Centre’s ask for continued financial support to budget deliberations, which will resume in the New Year.
“It’s a facility that the village can be proud of, so it’s something that’s not hard to stand behind when it’s being looked after properly. Hats off to your board,” said Derko.
