Conquering the climb
It’s colourful, fun and only slightly terrifying — but in a good, invigorating way.
When Aron Cory and his wife Stephanie first met, they quickly bonded over their shared love of climbing, a love they decided to bring to Saskatoon in the form of Clip ’n Climb — a vibrant space filled with different climbing challenges designed not only for beginners but to also test the skills of even the most dedicated climbers.
“We really wanted to have a place where we could go and play with our kids,” Aron says. “Because there are so many places you can take your kids to and watch them play ... but there is very little you can actually do with your kids.”
The space boasts walls that help develop every style of climbing grip and offers a set of unique challenges at each. Cory quickly points out the Big Cheese, a wall he says is regularly favoured by toddlers but when you add the challenges to the mix, even his expert instructor is not always able to make it to the top.
If climbing isn’t enough excitement, visitors can also try one of the super challenges, like the Leap of Faith or the Vertical Drop Slide — which, as you can imagine, is guaranteed to get the adrenalin racing.
“It’s fun for kids, it’s fun for adults, it’s a fairly good workout and has all sorts of difficulty levels,” Cory said. “No matter what your fitness level, you can find a challenge here.”
All visitors need to bring are some sneakers, socks and comfortable clothes for an hour-long climbing session, but Cory says it’s a lot more difficult than newcomers first anticipate, so don’t expect to conquer every wall on the first visit. Clip 'n Climb Saskatoon Owner: Stephanie Cory and Aron
Cory
Address: #97- 127 McLeod Avenue Hours: Monday to Friday 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Website: cncyxe.ca Phone: 306-382-5462
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SCHAAN HOME HEALTHCARE
With a foothold in the health care product industry since 1980, Schaan Healthcare Products CEO Collin Schaan decided now was the perfect time to expand his business from a distribution model and open a retail store where anyone can shop.
With help from his experienced product specialists Tam Gunn and Terry Heard, Schaan Home Healthcare opened for business in mid-April, offering everything from compression stockings to wound care, washroom aids and more — both online and in-store.
“We really want to be a onestop shop for anything medical or health care related,” Schaan said. “We get numerous calls at Schaan Healthcare Products for things like you see here, but we didn’t really have a retail avenue to assist anybody, so now when they call that location they are being referred over here.”
For Gunn and Heard, it’s all about creating a connection with each customer and making sure they leave with exactly what they need to improve quality of life. With their vast experience in the home health care retail world, they are able to add a more clinical approach to helping their clients by listening to what the customers are struggling with and recommending the perfect product to help them.
“You want them to come back. I want to treat them how I would want to feel if I went in somewhere like this,” Heard said.
“And we want to have that home environment,” Gunn added.
For customers who can’t make it to the store, Gunn and Heard are more than happy to provide their expert advice over the phone so they can order what they need online and have it shipped straight to their door with the confidence they are getting exactly what they need.
“We’re going to learn a lot in our first few months in business and try to adapt to what the market is
looking for,” Schaan said. Schaan Home Healthcare
Owner: Collin Schaan
Address: #7- 705 Central Avenue Hours: Tuesday to Saturday 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Website: schaanhealthcare.ca Phone: 306-664-1190
Check Facebook and Instagram Erin Petrow is a reporter at The StarPhoenix. If you have started, expanded or moved a small business in Saskatoon in the last few months, contact her at epetrow@postmedia. com Home-based and temporary businesses, as well as those without physical locations, will not be considered for publication. Follow Erin on Twitter @petr0w