This is a fantastic win for FIC, our industry and the future well-being of our members. By making the purchase of gym membership’s tax deductable this has the potential to significantly increase the demand for our services. We ask that you help us promote this initiative to your members through your internal member newsletters and at your front desks with a small PDF Poster.

To view the video announcement from Prime Minister Stephen Harper please: Click Here.

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Press Kit

FIC has developed the following resources to leverage our network of clubs across Canada to help increase the awareness of an Adult Fitness Tax Credit.

Press Release: FIC has taken the initiative to send out a press release notifying all Canadians and our members of this great success. Please forward this to your local media contacts to ensure it gets coverage in your local area. To view the press release: Click Here.

Posters: FIC has also created a printable 8.5” x 11” poster to display at the front desk of your facility. Please download, print and post this poster to show that you are advocating on behalf of your members for an Adult Fitness Tax Credit. To download the poster: Click Here.

Speaking Points: As the implementation of an Adult Fitness Tax Credit starts to become more prevalent, FIC is aware that club members and the media may begin to ask questions. In order to prepare clubs for the media and the general public’s questions, we have established a set of speaking notes which may be used to answer questions. Alternatively, please direct media calls to our office as below. To download the speaking notes: Click Here.

FIC will continue to keep you up to date on the implementation of the Adult Fitness Tax Credit.

Sincerely,

Brian Gilbank
Executive Director
Fitness Industry Council of Canada

In Canada Re:Sound already collects 5% of gross revenues from all commercial radio stations in Canada and is proposing to charge all commercial fitness facilities in Canada $18.59 per member per year, retroactive to Jan 1st 2008.

Fitness Australia has also experienced this music copyright attack. However, they were successful in overturning their initial Copyright Tribunal decision in the case of the proposed tariff from the Phonographic Performance Company of Australia (PPCA).

The Federal Court of Australia overturned the initial decision which would have awarded the PPCA a 1,500% increase in copyright fees or a rise in the rate scheme from: 0.97c per group exercise class to $15.00 dollars per class.

On May 19th 2010, FIC completed our trial at the Copyright Board of Canada and as with Australia we spent millions of dollars to represent and protect the Canadian fitness industry. Since FIC first discovered the proposed tariff from Re:Sound, we have been working toward bringing awareness to this issue and opposing the tariff. After paying our legal fees for the proceedings, FIC is still $100K in debt with the possibility of spending even more if the issue goes to federal court.

Currently, the Copyright Board of Canada is still considering evidence from the trial and the parties continue to correspond with the Board regarding various issues, including matters arising from the Australian decision.

FIC continues to work with governments and other non-governmental organizations to promote self-regulation and fair and equitable legislation amongst fitness clubs and encourage your support in funding FIC’s initiatives.

Since FIC runs solely on memberships from club owners, each club membership makes all the difference in helping pay for the fitness industries advances. We ask that smaller clubs (less than 2,000 members) donate the price of one member per month per club, which works out to be about $42 per month or $500 dollars per year.

Your funding allows the association to be self-sustaining and permits the trade association to successfully represent the industry without the worry of finances. Furthermore, you are provided with continued updates in the form of formal letters, newsletters and e-newsletters. Membership also gives your club networking opportunities and much more.

Please support your Canadian fitness industry by becoming a member of FIC. To become a member, please contact Trisha Sarker at tsarker@ficdn.ca.

Minister Gerretsen told Mr. Harrington that there might be a potential system breakdown which has left Canadians feeling helpless about their fitness memberships and that the Government of Ontario was working to correct this problem legislatively in the near future.

This past week, FIC Executive Director, Brian Gilbank, met with the Chief of Staff to Minister Gerretsen to discuss what changes, if any, were being considered to the current Consumer Protection Laws in Ontario. The Chief of Staff assured Mr. Gilbank that no new legislation was being considered at this time. In fact, the Minister’s Chief of Staff asked to establish a more formal relationship with FIC and told Mr. Gilbank that the Ontario Government would contact FIC for consultations if they were to ever consider any new regulations. The Ministry of Consumer Services was also very impressed by the fact that FIC is in the process of establishing a new Code of Conduct, which all FIC members will need to sign if they wish to become members. According to the Minister, this action will go a long way towards building trust between governments, fitness consumers, and the gyms themselves.

FIC has been working on this issue with CBC Marketplace and the Government of Ontario since September of 2010 and we are extremely pleased that we were able to protect our member clubs in Ontario from an unmitigated and unsubstantiated media attack.

Without the initial intervention of FIC, many more fitness clubs would have been on the radar of CBC Marketplace and potentially new more stringent consumer protection legislation could have developed and eventually spread across the country.