Skip to content

Lifetime, Junglemania owner abandons businesses

Building owners plan to keep facilities operating, gym under new name.
web1_20150830-Jungle-Mania-EB-0019
The climbing maze at Junglemania is expected to be open again by spring break - Image credit: Observer file photo

Martha Wickett/Salmon Arm Observer

For patrons of Lifetime Fitness and Junglemania in Salmon Arm, this has not been the best week.

Nor has it been for Carolyn and Kevin Wonacott, who own the building where the two businesses are housed.

Kevin explains that on Sunday night, Colin Bolster, who owns the businesses, called the Wonacotts to meet with them. He gave them the keys to the building, said he couldn’t pay the rent, couldn’t pay the bills and left.

“He just walked away,” said Kevin, noting the decision has left some angry people.

“He was still selling memberships on Sunday.

“People are like, ‘where is my money?’ I don’t know… He took the credit card machine; I don’t know anything that’s been done. We’re not part of that business… He’s going bankrupt is what he told us,” Kevin said.

“We’re kind of like deer in the headlights,” remarked Carolyn about the sudden departure.

Kevin echoes a similar sentiment.

“It’s not much fun, but we’re getting it worked through.”

The Observer wasn’t able to reach Bolster but asked a family member to give him a message.

Although the Wonacotts have been left with a barrel of lemons, they have decided to make lemonade.

“We will be opening up as a gym; it will be a new business,” says Carolyn, explaining Junglemania, the children’s play facility, will be opening again too – just not as quickly.

“What a great facility. All the equipment’s in there, we definitely want to have it up and running.”

The delay for Junglemania will be insurance, she says, but as soon as that’s resolved, business will resume.

“We’re going to try and open for spring break, for sure.”

The worst part of the situation has been the last-minute cancellation of kids’ birthday parties, Carolyn adds.

“We’ve all had little kids and their hearts are set on Junglemania. We’ve had to cancel four birthday parties. I would have gone in myself if we could have gotten insurance.”

In the meantime, fitness classes at the former Lifetime business are continuing and the Wonacotts hope they can get the gym open quickly.

Social media sites include questions from employees, not sure if they’ll be paid, as well as complaints from people who purchased gym memberships.

Former employee Allisa Cameron remarks grimly:

“I had no idea he was leaving and all of a sudden on Monday I’m out a job and three weeks’ pay.”

The Wonacotts have been at the gym, cleaning up the facility and listening to people’s frustrations.

“Some people are okay with it, some people are mad and I’m the one standing there,” says Kevin. “I’d be mad too.”

He said he and Carolyn will do the best they can for people.

“We’re hoping people will understand and we’ll try to work something out,” says Carolyn. “At this point we don’t know about people with prepaid memberships. We have to make it a viable business.”

However, the couple has run several businesses before, including Captain’s Cove Marina for 11 years and, currently, the Shuswap Dance Center.

“We’ve never run a fitness business,” Carolyn says, “but we’ve done lots of interesting stuff. We’re not afraid to give it a go.”

Kevin emphasizes they’re not going anywhere.

The new gym number is 778-489-5551.

Evan Kelly at B.C.’s Better Business Bureau says the BBB gets lots of complaints about fitness places, but not generally because of financial difficulties.

Often, he says, it’s because patrons have signed up quickly but haven’t read the fine print in a contract, which may include a year’s commitment.

He says if people are trying to get money back from a business, small claims court is generally the legal avenue.

“It can be very difficult. Unfortunately if it’s $200, you have to weigh it against the cost of going after it.”