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
Asking rent prices up 9.3% across Canada, Ontario sees only decline: report
A new report says the average asking rent for a home in Canada in April was up 9.3 per cent compared with a year ago, while a slight month-over-month increase was also recorded for the first time since January.
Prince William says wife Kate is 'doing well'
Prince William said on Friday his wife Kate was 'doing well' in a rare public comment about the Princess of Wales as she undergoes preventative chemotherapy for cancer.
'I may have some nightmares:' Man survives being bitten by 2 sharks in Bahamas
A man who was bitten by two sharks in the Bahamas said Thursday he's 'thankful that I'm here' while sharing his story of survival.
Ontario coroner to investigate death of man who suffered cardiac arrest while waiting in ER
A provincial coroner will be investigating the death of 68-year-old David Lippert, who suffered a cardiac arrest while waiting in a crowded emergency room in Kitchener, Ont.
Magnitude 4.2 earthquake reported off Vancouver Island's west coast
A 4.2-magnitude earthquake was recorded west of Vancouver Island early Friday morning.
'Irate male' assaulted Newfoundland officers with block of cheese, police say
Police in Newfoundland say patrol officers were assaulted Thursday by a "very irate male" wielding a block of cheese.
Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
Canadian Blood Services apologizes to LGBTQ2S+ community for discriminatory blood donation policy
Canada's longstanding blood donation policy that prevented sexually active men who have sex with men and some trans people from donating blood and plasma was harmful and discriminatory, Canadian Blood Services acknowledged on Friday, in issuing an apology to the LGBTQ2S+ community.