The outdoor gymnasium in Port Coquitlam's Gates Park is being replaced this week a little sooner than the city had planned.
Ron Myers, the manager of park planning and design, said a combination of heavy use and poor quality has made it necessary to replace the popular outdoor equipment, which was first installed in 2009.
"That particular product didn't seem to hold up that well," he said. "We were constantly going in there maintaining it. Obviously, there is a cost associated with that."
Myers added that five years ago the technology was fairly new and advances have since been made that will allow the replacement gymnasium to withstand the rigors of heavy use and rainy weather. The supplier of the original equipment has since gone out of business and for the new pieces the city has opted to go with the supplier that built the individual exercise nodes along the Traboulay PoCo Trail.
"It is heavier duty," Myers said. "They have sealed bearings that last a lot longer We haven't experienced any problems with the other products in the small pod areas."
Telus is footing the $50,000 bill for the new 15-piece gymnasium as part of its Community Investment Program.
The new gymnasium will feature a warm up station, an exercise bike, a recumbent bike, a chest press and a leg press, among the equipment. According to a press release from the city of Port Coquitlam, the gymnasium is a free and accessible option for people looking to get fit. The gym completes what the city calls an exercise corridor featuring the individual workout nodes along the Traboulay PoCo Trail between Gates and Lions parks. Installation of the new equipment began this week and the work is expected to be completed by early October.
