Thorunn Howatt
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Jan 30/02) - Atef Hamie wanted to have the best gym in town and a move into a brand new building could bring him just a little bit closer to that dream.

"I always talked about expanding but I never imagined I could afford the rent," said Hamie.

Break Away Fitness Centre's Atef Hamie is getting ready to move into a new building complete with new fitness equipment. - Thorunn Howatt/NNSL photo

He hopes to move into the newly-constructed building just across the street from the current Break Away Fitness location on 48 Street.

He'll be sharing the steel and block building with HomeLife Sunrise Real Estate as well as a few other neighbours. His lease fees will be more costly - he'll be locked in for three years - but Hamie thinks his growing customer base will keep up with the added expense. The fitness club's nearly 600 members will enjoy a space that is twice the size of the old spot.

"I'm going to miss this place," said Hamie as he studied the old basement gymnasium, but he was quick to add that the new place will be brighter. He bought about twice as much weight and fitness training equipment as he already has and the new location will also be complete with a coffee and juice bar.

Hamie has been in Yellowknife for 12 years and has been involved in the fitness business for 10 of those.

"I came to visit my brother," he said, explaining that one thing led to another. He initially got into the business in a partnership but bought it completely three years ago.

"We're in here for the long haul," said Dave McCann, co-owner of the building's owner, Mackenzie Management. Although Mackenzie owns many properties in Yellowknife, it downsized its operations in the past, selling some residential properties to Urbco Inc. "We've been scaling back to the 48 Street area."

Local ownership and reasonable rent are the keys to Mackenzie Management's success. "We charge them a rent that's reasonable but also a rate they can afford," said McCann.