With council’s approval on June 3 for the opening of Prairie Roots Fitness, residents of Niverville will soon have one more option for getting into shape.

Cornie Friesen is one of four owners of Prairie Roots Fitness, set to open at 1-746 Schultz Avenue in the Niverville Industrial Park.

Friesen says their business model is reflected in the name. Prairie Roots isn’t a brand or a franchise. It’s homespun, it’s grassroots, and it’s all about community.

The team hopes to build an energy in their new fitness club that exudes a welcoming atmosphere and plenty of close-knit camaraderie.

Earlier this year, the quartet purchased some of the equipment from ShopGym upon its closure. They are adding a complement of new items to fill out the 1,200 square feet of space.

Once open, Prairie Roots will offer 24/7 access through the use of a phone app, allowing members to come and go at their leisure.

They also hope to offer something unique.

“We will have memberships and personal training, but we’ll also be doing group fitness and sports team training,” Friesen says.

They plan to begin noon bootcamp classes and grow to include other options as demand dictates. These might include kickboxing, yoga, and anything that requires a large open space.

Prairie Fitness will have another edge over other facilities, too: their in-house coach and fitness trainer, Marvin Warkentin.

“He worked at ShopGym and everybody loves Marvin,” Friesen says.

By fall, the team hopes to add a second fitness coach to their lineup, extending the classes and timeslots they can offer.

According to Friesen, another distinct advantage of a Prairie Roots membership is that you won’t have to buy a full year upfront. Friesen says membership will be available on month-to-month or half-year segments. Renewable punch cards will be available for group classes, giving patrons greater flexibility.

If Prairie Roots is going to fully live up to its name, Friesen believes that it’s imperative to invest in the health and well-being of the community. So the team is already in talks with Helping Hands about partnering on fitness fundraisers that promote active living while filling the shelves of the local food bank.

Another obvious partnership, Friesen says, would be a collaboration with Run Niverville, a group that promotes fitness through annual three- and five-kilometre runs.

“This gym is all about community,” Friesen says. “That’s one part that we can’t stress enough. We want to create partnerships with businesses, partnerships with people and with [organizations].”

Prairie Roots’s website will be up in the coming days and the doors are set to open to the public on the week of June 9.