New owners for local business

German couple hopes to make Canada home

I am happy to welcome a new addition to our tourism and business community.

Dirk Westerhoff and Sandra Schmid are the new owner/operators of Circle of Gym, previously Kin Excel in St. Peter's.

This does not mean that Marvin MacLean, previous owner of Kin Excel is leaving the industry, it is just that MacLean was very busy running both Kin Excel and his orthopedic technology business and with the new operators taking over the gym, it gives him more time to spend helping people who need his expert understanding of orthopedics.

MacLean is now operating his new business out of the former Lynn Flowers Shop location on Grenville Street, across from St. Peter's Home Hardware.

For Westerhoff and Schmit, the move to Richmond County from their homeland of Germany, is a dream come true.

When the couple arrived here in December 2020, they fell in love with the area, and after talking to MacLean about the gym they decided to make their dream of moving to Canada a reality.

Taking over the business will not be a difficult adjustment for the new owners, as they already run a successful gym, the Fitness Center Wildershausen, in Germany.

Along with MacLean, they are all athletes, very interested in sports with a good understanding of the benefits of being fit and the very positive effect it has on the immune system. It is also very important for people to stay active with the presence of COVID.

The opening of the Circle of Gym was on June 19 and their hours will be Monday-Friday, 6 a.m.-7 p.m. and on Saturday, 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Due to COVID restrictions, they cannot yet operate at full capacity. They can only have a maximum of 10 people at the same time to train.

The couple is prepared to work hard to fulfil their dreams and are hopeful of making Canada their permanent home, not only for themselves, but for their fiveyear-old son Neo.

They have told me that they are very impressed with the friendliness of the people in Richmond County and how they have been made to feel so welcomed already. They spoke of how St. Peter's is a very special place and where they feel their son can grow up in a relaxed atmosphere.

I would like to welcome them to the area and also wish them all the luck with their new business venture.

CONTRIBUTED Dirk Westerhoff, Sandra Schmid and their son Neo. The couple, who are originally from Germany, recently purchased the Circle of Gym in St. Peter’s, Richmond County.