After more than a decade of memories, the Calico Gymnastics Club will no longer be able to call the Humboldt Mall home.
"There was a notice made to tenants saying it would be under new management," said Jodi Smith, president of Calico.
"My first thought was, 'What are we going to do?' It really was a moment of panic."
Reconstruction plans for the Humboldt Mall began subsequent to its purchase by Stromiga Real Estate Development in December of last year. The idea is to convert the existing structure into a commercial strip centre with townhouses behind it.
"The owners are still going through the process of coming up with a design that's feasible, which may take months," said Mel Lamb, site manager for the mall. "Tenants have been informed of what the project involves and given a rough timeline."
The new concept plan makes it clear that there simply won't be room for the club to continue their operations as before. According to Smith, they were already paying a really low cost to rent the space in the mall.
"Whoever the previous owners were, they have been good to us," said Smith. "What we were paying for a year, that's how much we should've paid for a month. Keeping us at that rent was awesome."
The sad irony is that before Smith got wind of the new ownership, they had just been looking into building their capital so as to start upgrading equipment.
"We've made a lot of positive changes to grow the club, and then we get hit with this," said Smith. "It was a blow. We were looking at ways to grow, now it's a matter of survival."
According to Smith, they're going to have to do some fundraising because even to continue on a temporary basis is going to cost more than what they're used to paying.
Fortunately, Calico will be able to finish out their season in their space at the mall. It's only the next season they have to worry about.
"There's been a lot of community feedback saying 'Have you heard about this?' or 'Have you checked out this?'" said Smith. "We're just trying to find a facility we can afford."
Smith isn't the only one worried. For all the parents who had kids enrolled with Calico, there isn't any local alternative for gymnastics. It's either Calico or Saskatoon.
"I don't know if there's a name for how it felt," said Janine Hart, a mother of Calico club members. "We chose Humboldt because it offered a place for a competitive gym club. We wanted a small place with nearby facilities."
Hart's entire family can be considered a gymnastics family. Two of her daughters trained, coached, and judged there. Her youngest son is in the competitive boys program and also attends cross training to compliment his soccer training.
"They were devastated and said this can't happen," said Hart. "Now they're being proactive, looking for new places, fundraising, and getting the word out there."
Hart and her kids aren't the only ones. Despite the gloomy outlook, Smith, Hart and other parents are staying positive. It's not a matter of if they get a new home; it's only a matter of when.
"It's a bit of disappointment that we have to look for a new place because the kids worked so hard," said Michelle Kavalench, one of the other mothers whose daughter is in the club. "But as long as it doesn't interrupt things too much, we're hopeful we'll find a new place soon. Most of us are optimistic."
Thus, while they may be leaving their home at the Humboldt Mall, they will also be moving into a new stage of memories.
"I can understand how a place is a part of a person's life," said Hart. "Calico is a part of here."
