Pure Yoga cites changing climate for decision to close downtown Ottawa location

Pure Yoga on Bank Street, near Sparks Street, will close on Friday, Aug. 11. (Dave Charbonneau/CTV News Ottawa)

An Ottawa yoga studio owner is closing her downtown studio this summer, says the climate has changed "too drastically" in the downtown core, including hybrid work for federal workers, following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pure Yoga Owner Amber Stratton has announced the Pure Yoga on Bank Street, near Sparks Street, will close on Friday, Aug. 11.

"The studio was built on the people that worked in the downtown core of our city, and was a unique part of the Pure community. We worked hard to get it to where it was, and it was thriving pre-pandemic," Pure Yoga said in a statement to customers.

"Unfortunately, the nature of the downtown core has changed so much over the last few years and we unfortunately don't foresee it getting any better. We gave this studio our best shot with the reopening this spring, but the reality is the climate has changed too drastically, not just for our business, but for many others in the downtown core."

In an interview with CTV News Ottawa, Stratton says the decision has been weighing on her for a long time, but the lack of people downtown left them no choice but to close.

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"The people are still not down there. Pre-pandemic that business was thriving; we had over 350 members at this studio so it is pretty crazy to see what in general nobody coming back downtown to work is doing, not just to our business, but to a lot of businesses around us," Stratton said.

In a post on her Instagram page, Stratton said, "I’m SO over talking about the pandemic but the reality is it is still affecting so many small businesses and sadly I don’t think we will be the last to be in this situation."

Pure Yoga opened its location on Bank Street in 2015. There are still locations in Westboro and on Bank Street at Gilmour Street.

Pure Yoga says all memberships and class cards will be honoured at the two other locations in Ottawa.

With files from CTV News Ottawa's Dave Charbonneau