Cole Harbour Place is shutting down its changing room saunas after people have been disregarding the rules, and a pattern of inappropriate sexual behaviour.

The building says these problems continue to happen, and they’re happening more often.

“We have just become aware recently that the safety concerns just continue to rise. There’s increased medical emergencies and medical responses. People are misusing the equipment and not following the rules, unfortunately, and so just for all of the safety reasons, we have decided to permanently close the saunas,” says Jen Heddon, general manager of Cole Harbour Place.

Both 18+ dry saunas in the men’s and women’s changing rooms will be closed, according to a statement on the Cole Harbour Place website. The facility also has a pool, a gum, an arena, and offers dance and child and youth programs.

Heddon says sometimes people will workout in the gym and then use the sauna for too long, which can make them feel weak or dehydrated. They also sometimes overheat or have other medical issues. She says staff have to help people in the sauna usually a few times a week. Medical issues are something they always want to avoid, she says, but on top of that, they put more strain on their resources, pulling lifeguards away from guarding the pool.

People also keep misusing the equipment, pouring water and other liquids onto the dry sauna heating elements, which can cause a fire or create respiratory hazards, the statement says. And despite signs posted around the area, and repeated reminders, they say people keep disregarding the safety rules.

There have also been multiple reports of “sexually inappropriate behaviour occurring in the saunas. These incidents are part of a concerning and ongoing pattern,” the statement read.

“Due to the repeated and serious nature of these incidents—and the fact that the sauna areas are not located in spaces that can be constantly supervised—we believe this permanent closure is necessary to maintain a safe environment for all facility users.”

When people make complaints about sexually inappropriate behaviour, she says they often don’t give names or specifics, so it’s hard to follow-up or find out if it’s repeat offenders, says Heddon. However, their main reasons for closing the facility were for safety, she says.

The facility says they understand the decision might disappoint some members who frequently use the saunas, but safety is their top priority. They will also discuss membership adjustments or pro-rated refunds for anyone who wants. Those request can be submitted sat the front desk.

Heddon says some people told them they would cancel their memberships.

“We never like to make decisions that upset our membership and our users, but for safety reasons, we did have to make this decision.”