Mississauga Glen Erin & Eglinton Co-Ed + For Women Club — Attraction in Mississauga

I’ve been going to GoodLife since 2020 and have generally had an average experience. However, I’m writing this review after a difficult 2-hour ordeal. To summarize: short staffed, very unhygienic (cigarette smoking indoors), and lack of tools or solutions for help.

I lost a valuable item in the women’s sauna when it slipped through the grates of the solid wooden benches. Unable to reach it myself, I went to the front desk just before 10pm. There were no female staff or maintenance available, and instead of receiving immediate help, I was met with smirks from two male employees. Eventually one gave me a broom after I asked for it, but initially no one offered genuine assistance. I understand I was dressed oddly in a sauna hat, but in that moment of panic, the lack of empathy was extremely disappointing.

I spent over 20 minutes searching with the broom, joined by another gym member who also asked staff for help. Finally, Bishal came and helped me in the sauna, trying to retrieve the item despite the heat and the unpleasant conditions. His willingness to assist, calmly and respectfully, was the first real relief in the situation.

By then, I had already asked my dad to bring tools (flashlight, metre stick, etc.), arriving at 10:55pm. I requested that the area be briefly closed so he could help under employee supervision, but staff refused, eventually saying it’s not allowed. While I later came to respect this, in the moment it added to the stress — forcing me to continue to attempt the search alone via FaceTime guidance instead of having real help at hand. After nearly two hours (9:30-11:30pm), I finally recovered my item.

I wish that the experience wasn’t so humiliating as I spent an hour and a half running back and forth from the front desk to the changeroom asking for help, wearing sauna clothing and drenched in sweat and dirt from kneeling on the sauna floor while sweeping underneath the benches. I also wish the gym had ordinary tools so that I didn’t have to ask 2 people to drive to this gym on a work night to bring them (the gym supplied me the broom and tweezers - no flashlight).

The most shocking part was the condition beneath the benches: thick and endless layers of dust, hair, screws, rubber gaskets, lost jewelry, and even multiple cigarette butts — both new and used. This is deeply unhygienic for a hot environment like a sauna, where bacteria can thrive. This is not an acceptable level of cleanliness for any gym, and smoking indoors ruins the integrity of a supposedly safe and health-oriented space. It made the search far more unpleasant considering Bishal and I were both kneeling in this filth we swept out during our search. I really wish I took a better picture, but have attached one I took for reference of the sauna bench. You can see giant clumps of dust which were far worse (as described) out of frame and at the end of this ordeal, which was over an hour after this picture was taken.

To end on a positive note: the employees working past 10pm showed integrity in following policy regarding allowing external help, and I respect that in hindsight. Above all, Bishal went above and beyond — patient, respectful, and smiling even after kneeling in filth he didn’t have to deal with. His effort deserves recognition, and GoodLife would benefit from more...

Honestly this gym is a disaster. The ratings would be rock bottom if you hadn’t taken over the women’s-only Google page that had far better reviews—completely misleading. This new gym represents a severe setback for women; you’ve done the absolute bare minimum in setting up the women's only section, merely to check off a diversity quota and cash in on government incentives.

Issues with the women's section: The boot room is larger than the entire women's workout area Only 2 treadmills provided, which are nearly always occupied 1 squat rack... No dedicated TRX area A significant reduction in the variety of machines, limiting workout options The fitness studio is smaller, poorly ventilated, with front mirrors that are both small and awkwardly angled, rendering them nearly useless Some fans in the studio are bizarrely aimed at the back wall, far from where anyone would actually need them The flooring inside the studios is cheap and is already showing signs of wear & tear Showers in the change room are installed so low they can’t comfortably accommodate anyone who's on the taller side The sauna is more often out of order than functional Many of the lockers are faulty

Issues with the rest of the gym: Overwhelmingly bright unflattering lighting throughout the gym and change rooms Co-ed fitness studio encounters the same issues as the women’s section: smaller, poorly ventilated, with front mirrors that are both small and awkwardly angled, rendering them nearly useless The turf section is absurdly situated right where there is the most foot traffic, causing congestion and discomfort Several squat racks are placed by large windows that face a main road and a bus stop, offering little privacy in a high traffic area Some mirrors in the squat rack area are partially obscured by stickers, compromising their functionality There is no water station on the top floor where the cardio machines are located, a glaring oversight in design All water stations are prone to leaks and are designed so narrowly that using them without spilling is a challenge The water stations are only equipped for bottles, with no option to drink directly if you’ve forgotten your bottle

You’ve effectively dismantled what was meant to be a safe and dedicated space for women, reducing it to a token gesture. How could you think that shutting down a full-service women's gym and replacing it with something the size of a storage room would suffice?

Consider bringing back the old gym inside Loblaws—even in its aged condition, it was leagues better.

Overall this new gym seems to have been designed by someone who clearly has no experience using a gym nor cares about...

I grew up in the Erin mills neighbourhood in the last 14 years. I always had to drive at least 15+ minutes to get to a goodlife (except South Common Mall Goodlife but that one is so small and equipment are all wearing and tearing).

Thank you Goodlife for not only opening up this location right outside my doorstep but for going above and beyond. 8 deadlift platforms + 2 additional squat racks, 5 (or 6?) bench press, lots of benches and DBs that go all the way up to 120 lbs, a HACK SQUAT (best quad builder machine), and a BELT SQUAT (as a powerlifter, I am extremely thankful).

This large rectangular space is EXTREMELY organized, 2nd floor has all cardio equipment, stretching area, mindDEN and recovery room. They also got a sauna and lockers have a built in lock on them which I LOVE. I have been to at least 25+ locations, and thank you for building my favourite goodlife location right in my neighbourhood.

To all the women complaining, I am sorry for your loss, but we have to recognize that women and men thrive in community together. You can't have women spaces everywhere and avoid men forever. I'm here to enjoy my workout and not stare at women. The Erin Mills neighbourhood was getting overcrowded and we needed a co-ed location and GoodLife made the utilitarianism move to do so.

UPDATE: ok so I see a lot of women are very pressed about this situation. I get it, there can be pedo’s in the gym and you want your own space and comfort. The only possible solution at this point is to try to ask for women’s only hours (has to be at a non-busy hour of course, otherwise everyone will complain). Please try to fight for that instead rather than complaining about how (I kid you not, one Instagram comment said this): “they demolished our homes”, demanding more space of the gym to be women’s only just ain’t gonna cut it, they already built and sectioned off everything. The floor plan was already circulating around months before it was built. Everyone saw it coming.

THANK YOU GOODLIFE FITNESS, YOU DID AN AMAZING JOB IN MY EYES...