Saskatchewan gym owners and their customers are fighting back against expansion of the provincial sales tax. This fall, major concerts, sporting events and fitness club memberships will be hit with the six per cent PST. However, some argue staying fit should not be taxed as entertainment.
Going to the gym has been a lifeline for Tara Belanger, who attends Main Street Strength and Conditioning in Moose Jaw.
“I was diagnosed with a recurring cancer in the fall of last year and have started just coming back in the month of April to the gym and it is part of my medical treatment plan to attend the gym currently three days a week and without the gym, I would not be able to work full time,” she said.
Belanger disagrees with a provincial government plan to impose the six per cent PST this fall on fitness club memberships.
Aubrey Shpaiuk, the operator of Main Street Strength and Conditioning, says it’s the wrong time.
“COVID has just been horrible on the fitness industry over the past two years. We’ve been down on our knees, we’ve been adapting, doing everything possible to keep our doors open,” she said.
Jon Shiplack of Live Well Exercise Clinic said most of his clients are managing or preventing chronic disease.
“It’s not esthetics, it’s not performance, it’s not athletics,” he said.
This week, the fitness clubs operators went to the legislature to try block the tax.
“For every dollar spent on fitness and nutrition as a preventative measure in the province, it saves six dollars,” said Jolene De Vries of Anytime Fitness Yorkton.
The NDP has gathered a 7,000 name petition opposed to the expanded PST.
“Why make exercise and fitness, a preventative measure that keeps people well and saves our health system millions less accessible?” NDP MLA Aleana Young questioned.
“We all agree that we need to substantively increase resources in healthcare and somehow that needs to be paid for,” said Donna Harpauer, minister of finance.
Fitness club operators said customers have yet to return in large numbers following earlier COVID-19 restrictions. They don’t want taxes to become an added deterrent.
