‘It’s hard to say goodbye’ Winnipeg retailer Swimming Matters closes doors after 26 years serving aquatic athletes By: Aaron Epp Posted: 6:31 PM CST Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025

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This article was published 21/01/2025 (560 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A Winnipeg store specializing in gear for aquatic athletes has shut down after more than a quarter century in business.

Swimming Matters owner Danielle Chernhoski welcomed customers to her Grant Avenue store for one last day of sales Jan. 18, before closing the doors for good.

“It was a hard decision but, unfortunately, times have changed,” Chernhoski said. “Twenty-six years I’ve been in this business, so it’s hard to say goodbye.”

The 47-year-old marked down all inventory by 40 to 50 per cent for the last two days. Despite having her most successful year in business in 2019, Swimming Matters never recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sales were almost non-existent after public pools were forced to shut down, she said. By the time they reopened, many of Chernhoski’s customers had started buying their aquatic gear online.

The increase in Manitoba’s minimum wage and the rising cost of goods further exacerbated the situation. Chernhoski said she hasn’t taken an income from the store in two years and started working elsewhere part-time to keep things going.

Her one full-time employee quit last fall. Two of Chernhoski’s children assisted customers and worked the till during the store’s final days.

“I have been waking up in the morning, especially in the past month, with panic attacks, worrying about how I’m going to pay for things,” said Chernhoski, adding her father died on Boxing Day and she decided to close the store to protect her mental health.

“That’s actually why the kids are here … I’ve put them in charge of running the clearance because every time someone says, ‘I’m sorry (you’re closing),’ I start crying.”

“It was a hard decision but, unfortunately, times have changed.”–Danielle Chernhoski

Chernhoski’s older brother, Kris Hildebrand, opened Swimming Matters with business partner Avril Hasselfield in August 1998.

As a competitive swimmer and water polo player who could never find the swimsuits and equipment he needed in Manitoba, Hildebrand thought the store would meet a local need. A Free Press article published on Oct. 5, 1998, billed Swimming Matters as Winnipeg’s first pro shop devoted to aquatic sports.

Hildebrand hired his mother, Vicki Hildebrand, as an employee, and he enlisted Chernhoski to manage the store. The mother and daughter took over ownership of the store in March 2002. In November 2006, Swimming Matters moved to 1389 Grant Ave., just a short distance from Pan Am Pool.

The store featured a variety of training suits, racing suits, paddles, kick boards, swimmer bags, caps, shoes, wet suits, fins and aquasizing equipment, plus 150 different styles of goggles.

Registered swim team members received discounts and the store contributed to scholarships for local swimmers.

Chernhoski and her mother were a regular fixture at swim meets across the province, where they would set up a temporary shop. Eventually, Chernhoski’s children started joining her when she travelled to swim meets.

“The best times here were when we would do a pro shop and the kids were helping me because that’s what it was meant to be: a family business,” Chernhoski said. “It would be a mom-and-daughter or mom-and-son day. It was a lot of fun because we would be laughing.”

Contributing to the province’s swim community and watching local athletes like two-time Olympian Kelsey Wog grow up and progress were highlights for Chernhoski.

“That store definitely has a place pretty close to my heart,” said Wog, who purchased most of her gear from Swimming Matters before a swimwear brand sponsored her.

Wog recalls a few swim meets where her goggles broke just before a heat and her mother or father would race to Swimming Matters to purchase a new pair.

“I think they’ve meant a lot to the Winnipeg swimming community,” she said.

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business is hearing anecdotally it is more difficult to run a business now than it was at the height of the pandemic, according to Brianna Solberg, director of legislative affairs for the Prairies and northern Canada.

“Consumer spending just hasn’t gotten back to where it was pre-pandemic and we know insufficient demand is one of the No. 1 limitations on growth for businesses,” she said.

CFIB statistics show close to one-third of Canadian small businesses report weak financial health and eight per cent cite critical financial conditions. Rising costs and a decrease in consumer spending are two of the biggest factors.

“Our message … has been for consumers to support local whenever possible,” Solberg said. “Compassion over convenience can go a long way to help small businesses in our community thrive.”

Chernhoski is keeping the Swimming Matters online store open for the foreseeable future and extends her thanks to the customers who supported the business over the years.

“It’s sad to see the store go, it really is,” she said. “When it was at its peak, it was amazing.”

aaron.epp@freepress.mb.ca