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
BREAKING Trudeau promises $1B in loans for child-care providers to expand care centres
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Spring allergy season has begun. Where is it worse in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.