With proof of COVID vaccination becoming optional March 1, one NOTL gym owner says he hopes the province is doing it for the right reasons.

“We just hope they’re not doing it for political reasons and getting pushed into a position where they are doing things for political gain,” F45 Niagara-on-the-Lake co-owner Jack Addams Williams said in an interview Wednesday.

“Hopefully things are done for the right reasons, for keeping citizens safe.”

On Monday, Premier Doug Ford announced the reopening plan was accelerating and demanding proof of vaccination would be optional for most businesses.

F45 plans on keeping the vaccine certificate, albeit in a slightly modified form where members only need to prove once that they are fully inoculated against the coronavirus instead of showing their credentials every time they enter the facility, Williams said.

He said the gym goes above and beyond what it needs to do to ensure people in the building are in a healthy space.

“We’re keeping members as safe as they can be. You know, washing hands, maintaining social distancing,” he said.

“Safety of our staff and our members is paramount.”

With a maximum capacity of 16 people, the gym is also a safer alternative to big box gyms, Williams said.

“We know exactly who is in our class. You have to book on the app. So it’s not just people coming and going. We have booked group fitness classes.”