THUNDER BAY — A pair of local entrepreneurs has found a home for a climbing gym they're calling Rock Room.
Business partners Mike Hyer and Cody Cook are developing a "bouldering gym" in the historic Caledonia Building at 319 Victoria Avenue East.
The former location of a branch of the Imperial Bank of Canada is listed on the City of Thunder Bay's heritage registry.
Most recently, Your Body Fitness and Nutrition has operated in the building.
Hyer said in addition to being "quite a cool and well-restored heritage building," it offers tall ceilings and more than 4,000 square feet of space, including room for an exercise area and multi-purpose community use.
He disclosed plans for a climbing gym last January, shortly after the closure of the Boulder Bear Climbing Centre on the Canadian Lakehead Exhibition grounds.
It's taken months to find a suitable site for the new facility, which will open sometime this fall.
"It is a climbing gym. Bouldering is climbing. But it's not going to be a rope gym. In bouldering, the walls are much shorter, generally topping out around 13 or 14 feet," Hyer said. "And the ground is very well padded, similar to gymnastics padding. If you let go of the holds, you fall onto the mat, so it's a bit more casual fun...a more camaraderie-based style of climbing involving people hanging out and working on problems together."
He and Cook will have their bouldering walls constructed by Montreal-based climbing wall manufacturer Nomad Walls.
They said Nomad has exploded onto the Canadian climbing wall scene in recent years, building and installing high-quality and innovative walls across the country, including in B.C.'s Richmond Oval where the Canadian Olympic team trains.
The company has been recognized by the national governing body for competition climbing as the organization's official wall builder and flooring supplier.
Rock Room will hold an open house on Saturday, June 7 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
"We can't wait to welcome the community to give everyone the chance to see the space and build connections," Hyer said.
