To allow or not to allow saunas and cold baths in Vancouver?

Outdoor sauna and hot tub business owners appeared before Vancouver city council Wednesday to support a motion that, if passed, will allow their businesses to remain open.

The owner of The Good Saunawhich offered cold bath and sauna services in the parking lot of Container Brewing in East Vancouver, says a cold bath promotes a sense of community and well-being and deserves to be permitted by the City.

We are in an industrial zone and we are asking the City to allow us to use underused spacessaid Oll Farrell. We are currently on summer break while we try to resolve the situation.

The motion before Vancouver city council was submitted by Councilor Lisa Dominato.

She asks that staff find ways to allow outdoor cold baths and saunas in suitable locations in the city, including, for example, underused commercial and industrial spaces, while ensuring that they meet all necessary health, safety and environmental standards.

She also asks staff to allow existing sauna and cold bath businesses, like that ofOll Farrellto continue operating in the meantime and calls on Vancouver Coastal Health to develop a regulatory framework to protect the health and safety of users.

Ol Farrelll said that although he had never been asked to close his doors, he chose to close his business in April after discussions with city officials, as a safety measure.

At its peak, the business attracted 1,000 clients a month, each paying around $50 for a two-hour session.

Its popularity has also been beneficial for food and beverage sales of Container Brewinghe said, helping the craft beer maker weather the typically slow winter season.

Cold plunges have become all the rage in recent years, bolstered by claims of supposed health benefits, ranging from reducing inflammation to boosting immunity to relieving depression and anxiety.

The cold sauna bath is a new phenomenon in North America. This has been practiced in Europe for hundreds of yearssaid the owner.

Ultimately, our goal is to create a safe and enjoyable community experience for people. And the City wants the same thing.

According to the motion of Councilor Lisa Dominato, [il] There is growing interest and demand for outdoor cold baths and saunas among Vancouver residents.

With information from Karin Larsen