Sudbury gym owner hit with $880 fine for running unauthorized day camp during lockdown
A Sudbury gym owner who ran a day camp while his gym was forced to close because of the COVID-19 lockdown has been fined $800.
Dennis Legault, owner of Apex Warrior, a ninja gym in Sudbury’s south end, said he wasn't trying to break the rules, but was trying to make the most of a difficult situation for himself and parents.
“We were able to bring kids in to do their online learning here and then we would provide, you know, a little bit of time in the ninja course during gym just to keep the kids active and engaged during the day," Legault said.
"We made it two days and then on Tuesday, Sudbury health showed up, a bunch of cops showed up and they ended up just completely shutting us down."
He said thanks to the support from the community after he posted the news on social media, the cost of the fine has been covered.
“That was unreal. I just kind of wanted to share what happened. It snowballed into this really big thing that I didn’t know it was going to do," Legault said.
"The amount of support from the community and people that have reached out that I don’t even know. From the members, it's been massive. They all got together and started collecting donations to help cover the fine and it surpassed the amount of the fine.”
He said the program was capped at 10 children. With 5,000 square feet of space, he said everyone had their own area and the children wore masks.
But he admits he didn't check with Public Health Sudbury & Districts before offering the day camp because he said it's something he has offered during past lockdowns.
“The rules are always changing and so it’s really hard to stay updated," Legault said.
"In the summertime, we ran summer camps during when gyms were completely shut down. We were still open, running summer camps all summer and you know we try to do something similar -- but different -- this time and they shut us down.”
Kevin McGarry, a father of two, said the day camp was a chance for his children to do school in separate locations.
“It was like a win-win," McGarry said. "It was like, yeah, I’m jumping on this.”
He was on his way to get his son on Tuesday when he received a message that police were at the gym and wouldn’t be leaving until everyone was picked up.
“That’s obviously really tough to explain to a six-year-old," McGarry said.
CTV News contacted Public Health Sudbury & Districts about the incident and received this statement:
“Public Health Sudbury & Districts works with enforcement partners such as municipal bylaw and Greater Sudbury Police Services to follow up on issues of non-compliance with provincial legislation. These provincial regulations are designed to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spread within the province as well as local communities.
"Under the present legislation O. Reg. 263/20: RULES FOR AREAS IN STEP 2 under Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, 2020, S.O. 2020, c. 17, day camps, child care providers for school-age children and facilities for indoor sports and recreational fitness activities as well as many other businesses are not allowed to operate except under specific circumstances.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.