Massive harnessless rock climbing gym to open in Langford
A popular rock climbing gym in Victoria that specializes in bouldering, a type of rock climbing done on short walls with no harness, is opening a new location in Langford.
The BoulderHouse rock climbing gym is opening a location at 1109 Langford Pkwy in City Center Park on Thursday, June 17.
The climbing gym measures 6,000-square-feet and includes a dedicated kid's section. Since there are no harnesses or ropes involved, a large padded mat is placed along the floor of the gym, which catches you if you fall. The facility is a first of its kind for Langford.
"We are so proud to have this incredible facility open in Langford," said Langford Mayor Stew Young in a release Monday. "It will provide Langford residents with more recreation options without having to leave their community."
"I am excited to hear that BoulderHouse will be engaging with local schools to encourage use of the facility for non-traditional physical education programming," Young added. "It will also be a new option for summer camps and for children's birthday parties which is another important feature for Langford as a young, growing community."
BoulderHouse first opened in Victoria in 2016 and has welcomed newcomers as well as high-performance athletes over the past five years.
Several gym regulars are part of Canada's national bouldering or lead climbing teams, and have participated in international events.
Gym member Rebecca Frangos has participated in multiple world cups and was a competitor in the Pan American Olympic qualifiers for rock climbing in Los Angeles. While she wasn't selected to go to Tokyo this year, she hopes to climb for Team Canada in the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Rock climbing is one of the newest sports to be added to the Summer Olympic games. The first ever sport climbing category of the Olympics is set to debut in the 2021 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo this July.
"We are excited for the opportunity to bring climbing to the West Shore," said BoulderHouse co-owner Rob Somogyi in a statement Monday.
"There has been a long history of outdoor climbing in the area and with the addition of an indoor facility, the community as a whole will benefit from having an accessible space to learn how to climb in their neighborhood," he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Federal employees will be required to spend 3 days a week in the office
Starting in September, public servants in the core public administration will be required to work in the office a minimum of three days a week. The Treasury Board Secretariat says executives will need to be in the office four days per week.
Concerns about plexiglass prompt inspections at some Loblaws locations in Ottawa
Inspections are underway at more than one Loblaws location in Ottawa after complaints were filed about tall plexiglass barriers.
OPP officer said 'someone's going to get hurt' before wrong-way Hwy. 401 crash
As multiple Durham police cruisers were chasing a robbery suspect on the wrong side of Highway 401 Monday night, an Ontario Provincial Police officer shared his concerns, telling a dispatcher, "Someone's going to get hurt."
Five human skeletons, missing hands and feet, found outside house of Nazi leader Hermann Göring
Archeologists have unearthed the skeletons of five people, missing their hands and feet, at a former Nazi military base in Poland.
Poilievre returns to House unrepentant for calling Trudeau 'wacko,' Speaker not resigning
An unrepentant Pierre Poilievre returned to the House of Commons on Wednesday to pepper the prime minister about his drug decriminalization policies after being booted the day prior for refusing to take back calling Justin Trudeau 'wacko' over his approach to the issue.
Liberal MP says she's leaving politics over disrespectful dialogue, threats, misogyny
Liberal MP Pam Damoff says she won't run again in the next federal election, saying she has experienced misogyny, disrespectful dialogue in politics and threats to her life.
Toddler of Phoenix first responder dies after bounce house goes airborne
A two-year-old child died after a strong gust of wind sent the bounce house he was in airborne and into a neighbouring lot in central Arizona, the Pinal County Sheriff's Office said.
Canada's most wanted fugitive arrested in P.E.I. in connection with Toronto homicide
A suspect in a fatal shooting in Toronto’s east end last summer has been arrested in Charlottetown, just one week after he topped a list of Canada’s most wanted fugitives.
Plane overshoots runway at airport in St. John's, N.L., no injuries reported
Investigators from the Transportation Safety Board of Canada are headed to St. John's, N.L., after a plane overshot a runway at the city's airport this afternoon.