Partial ceiling collapse ‘devastating’

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This article was published 03/11/2023 (783 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A vibrant downtown gym has halted in-person classes after the heritage building’s ceiling partially collapsed.

“It’s obviously devastating,” said The Community Gym owner Amie Seier.

Staff entered 468 Main St. Wednesday morning and found plaster littering the floor and the ceiling’s wooden beams exposed. A light dangled near racks of clothes; shards of ceiling covered the gym’s front lobby.

Nobody had been injured, Seier said — the collapse happened between the early morning and noon fitness classes.

She estimates about 200 square feet of the ceiling fell. The back exercise rooms are untouched, she noted.

“There’s just a lot of question marks right now,” she continued.

Engineers and insurance are assessing the incident, Seier said. The cost is unclear, as is who will pay for the damage.

The 122-year-old building has regularly been checked by the city and has undergone renovations, according to Seier.

City records show a number of construction-related permits at the historic site in recent years, including plumbing and HVAC. The City of Winnipeg doesn’t yet have details about the ceiling collapse, according to spokesman Kalen Qually.

Generally speaking, the city checks properties’ structural systems, he continued.

The Community Gym rents space in the building.

“This isn’t anything that is negligent on anyone’s behalf,” Seier stated. “It is something that’s just a freak accident that just happens.”

Her business opened in 2019. As in pandemic times, the gym has pivoted to online classes.

It had gained steam in-person — around 200 to 300 people would filter through the Main Street gym daily, Seier said.

“When we all walked into the space (Wednesday), we all cried because it’s our home,” she said. “It’s where we like to come to.”

Within a day, more than 100 people commented on an online post from The Community Gym about the ceiling collapse, expressing their sadness and support.

Seier intends to continue her business in the downtown building as soon as possible. A rebuilding timeline is still being determined.

“We’re hoping it’s speedy,” she stated, adding the gym won’t reopen until engineers have looked at and approved the remainder of the ceiling.

Staying downtown is important for the young entrepreneur. The gym draws people from outside the city’s core. Some customers wake up at 5 a.m. and commute for the first classes of the day.

“I believe in what we’re doing here, I believe in Winnipeg,” Seier said. “I think there’s so much opportunity here.

“I think it’s important, if we decide we want to live in this city, instead of complaining about it, we… make it better.”

The Community Gym resides in the former Baker Block, a three-storey structure erected in 1901, according to the Manitoba Historical Society.

Parlour Coffee shares the building’s main floor. It was unaffected by the roof collapse, an employee said Thursday.

Winnipeg’s century-old downtown buildings “often are not… less structurally intact” than new builds, said Gordon Goldsborough, head researcher for the Manitoba Historical Society.

He urged for the roof to be fixed and for the site to avoid demolishment. The materials used in heritage buildings are generally excellent and long-lasting, he added.

“I think the building has good bones,” Goldsborough said.

Heritage buildings undergo structural integrity checks frequently, he noted.

The Main Street site has held several companies, including a music store, a jewelry and Borealis Books.

Updates on The Community Gym, including how to donate to the business and its reopening plans, will be posted on its website and social media pages.

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com