Gabriola Fitness Centre

Fantastic experience: Not always staffed, but management made it easy to organise to get in. Small but great use of the space. It's got almost everything you need. Good quality, old school plate loaded machines. Great quality rogue barbells and rogue bumper plates, and dumbbells going up to 100lbs. I appreciated the massive amount of equipment in the functional area especially the ballet bar. I'll be back!

Negative experience: $25 for a drop in? Yikes.

Fantastic experience: Really great facility, honestly very surprised at the quality and range of the equipment. If you’re worried about there not being a good gym on the island don’t be

Fantastic experience: Love the flexibility of going whenever I want or can 24/7

Fantastic experience: We have finally ‘landed’ full time on Gabe. One of the best things is Gabriola Fitness. My Fiancé Carol bought a year round membership and loves to go 3 times a week - with full flexibility of when she wants to go. Given the gym’s size and range of equipment she never feels crowded. I lack her discipline so I elected to hire a trainer. Prior to retirement I had two sessions scheduled - with two different trainers - each week. I was initially skeptical to be working with one trainer. Would I get the diversity I had experienced with 2? But given the changes in our personal lives - and the disruption of Covid - my lack of fitness, I decided to move forward, working with Rhonda twice a week. I showed up overweight and in terrible condition- both mentally and physically. Over the decades I have worked with 5 or 6 different trainers. If you take nothing else from this review take this; Rhonda is the best trainer I have ever worked with! Ever. She is knowledgeable, upbeat, and is always prepared. She comes with notes that she has made prior to our sessions to continue to push me forward. She brings the variety I think is important. I had suffered an injury prior to starting: she clearly knew the anatomy around the injury and worked precisely to help the healing process. In the few short months we have worked together, I’ve taken off weight (despite not letting up on my deserts), have more energy and positivity. Thank you Gabriola fitness and Rhonda!

Fantastic experience: Considering the size of Gabriola, this gym is pretty amazing. Very well equipped, and if you avoid the peak hours, you can exercise at your leisure without feeling like you’re monopolizing the equipment. *Update Sept 29. All I can say, is thank God for this place. I’d been away from weightlifting long enough that returning was a very humbling experience. Thankfully, the transition back to my old self took far less time than I expected, and I’m just so pleased to have this invaluable resource on the Island. A fantastic place, with some great people.

Fantastic experience: Love working out here owners are very nice.

Fantastic experience: Friendly owner, clean gym had equipment I needed. Easy to use sign up and drop in.

Fantastic experience: Super friendly staff. Nice quiet gym. Thanks for everything Tasha

Fantastic experience: Excellent gym, all the gear and equipment that anyone could ask for. Very clean and organized!

Fantastic experience: I’ve been a member for over 4 years since moving to Gabriola and have found it to be an awesome gym to workout at on the island. The owners Jo-Jeff and Tasha are lovely people, there’s a variety of equipment, and there’s usually a lot of room when I workout so it doesn’t feel cramped. Grateful for the Gabriola Fitness Centre and its positive impact on the community.

Fantastic experience: Hi GFC: I want to express my gratitude that you have this fine fitness facility available for people on Gabriola. I was concerned when I moved here in mid-July that I would be relegated to my dumbells, Hoist bench and Concept 2 rower in my garage. And then I heard about your fitness facility. The best part, and I truly appreciate it, is the fact that your members have 24 hour access to your facility. Totally awesome!! My first month has been most enjoyable so thank-you very much for your positive addition to my fitness journey. Thank-you, David Fromager

Fantastic experience: The online classes at Gabriola Fitness Centre are absolutely top-notch! There is a great variety of live classes to attend, as well as a huge library of recorded classes. Tasha-Mae is a very talented instructor who makes showing up to work out an absolute joy. She delivers workouts suitable to all fitness levels and really cares about meeting the needs of each person in class. These online classes feel very personal - full of warmth, laughter, and great music. Further, I find the monthly membership for unlimited live and recorded classes to be very well priced, cheaper than attending classes at my local urban community centre. I love working out at home while staying safe and saving on travel time and childcare costs. Total win!

Fantastic experience: I love how GFC has maintained its commitment to providing high quality fitness classes by pivoting to online after the first set of covid-related restrictions were announced last year, and how they've continued to keep me moving now that we're more than a year in. The online classes are great. Easy to register for, easy to participate in, and challenging in all the right ways (with suggestions for modifications provided). I haven't done the spin or zumba classes, but I've done everything else and love them all. Tasha is an excellent instructor (as is Veronique and the mighty Ivy) and she brings not only professionalism but also humour and generosity (and a welcome holistic perspective that you sometimes don't get in regular fitness classes) to everything she does. If you're up for great online classes at a great price, GFC is your go-to - no matter where you live!

Fantastic experience: I have had all kinds of fitness experiences in my life. Personal training, classes, yoga, dance - you name it I have tried it. But it always felt the same - kind of impersonal, pleasant sometimes, unpleasant other times. A lot of hype and pressure. And then I met Tasha and she taught me yoga for a few years - on and off. Tasha is a remarkable and inspiring teacher - always welcoming, always encouraging, and accepting of me exactly as I am. Fast forward to the Covid 19 era, and I knew I had to really get serious about my well-being. I joined Tasha for the online kick-start program that focused on small group learning related to wise body alignment, breathing, strengthening muscles responsibly, and joy - a lot of joy. I didn't know how this could possibly work online, but it has been amazing! I move more every day; I sit and stand with better alignment, my balance has improved so much, and I feel encouraged to keep training. Thank you Tasha. You are making such a difference to my life. How would I describe Tasha? Warm, inspiring, authentic, and fit - very fit! And my classmates? Delightful. I couldn't ask for more.

Fantastic experience: Did a drop-in at the gym a few weeks ago, was super easy to get set up and we were really happy with the equipment. A really nice setup, and they are taking good precautions in terms of cleanliness (sanitizers and all that). A good workout followed by a coffee and a muffin next door, can't beat that!

Fantastic experience: Tasha and Jo-Jeff live the talk. They are both such amazing human being that have a passion for Health and Fitness. Since Covid they haven't stopped amazing me. They are providing online classes and brought they gym up to standard, understand how much community and the services they provide to the community was important. Most importantly it feel so good to support a small local business with a couple that are so inspiring.

Fantastic experience: a great place to work out! Staff is also great - friendly and very knowledgeable.

Fantastic experience: This is an awesome fitness centre. It is my home away from home. The owners, Tasha and Jo-Jeff, are youthful and inspiring. Not to mention friendly. Open 24/7 it is convenient and a great service for our little island.

Fantastic experience: I work weird hours. All the time. And have a busy family. So having 24-hour access to the Fitness Centre means when I have time to get to the gym, it's available for me to go. Owners Tasha and Jo-Jeff truly love helping people live a healthier life. Jo-Jeff set up me up with a regime to achieve the goals I am aiming for, and was really helpful during the orientation. And it really helps knowing that by supporting this local business, we're also helping another local family raising their kids on Gabriola.

Fantastic experience: The GFC has gone above and beyond my expectations for gym access during this pandemic. All the strictest cleaning protocols are followed and the gym is a very safe place to workout. BONUS is the access to online classes from a variety of instructors so you can accomplish your favorite routines at home too. Big KUDOS to Tasha, Jo Jeff, and all the instructors who give their all for our fitness. :).

Fantastic experience: Clean, space, modern fitness center that has lots to offer! Had an awesome Zumba experience and eager to try more classes! Everyone is welcomed and well received. I felt right in place!

Fantastic experience: The staff at Gabriola Fitness Centre are amazing

Fantastic experience: Great spot! Had a wonderful yoga class with Tasha the other day, super welcoming and enjoyable class. Place was spotless and modern. Will be back for sure!

Fantastic experience: Very well outfitted gym for the space and great and accommodating staff

Fantastic experience: Best gym, love that we have this.

Fantastic experience: Great Gym! Friendly! Great Experience!

Positive experience: Nice and modern, bright space, good equipment. I've only done solo workouts, I'm sure they do classes and whatnot too. Parking available.

Fantastic experience: Where would our island be without this place??!!?? Always immaculate, with up-to-date equipment and caring coaches, this little gym has become a hub for our community. Extended hours during the week make early-morning visits easy. The studio room hosts ballet, yoga, and other classes, and the main gym area is open to all. Drop in prices extremely reasonable. Visitors welcome! Partly due to water restrictions, there are no shower facilities, but change rooms are warm and friendly. The owner, Nancy, is a caring and friendly business person who was awarded the Business of the Year award for 2016, and she deserves it - thank you for giving us this excellent resource!