'A one of a kind place': Health centre 'The Nest' opens first phase in downtown Regina
The newly opened health and wellness centre in downtown Regina, The Nest, is providing residents of the Queen City with resources to live healthier lives.
For Jackson Serna, the first sponsored athlete with The Nest, the facility offers him a place to train.
Serna happened upon The Nest while working for The Gathering Place New Beginnings, located in the same building. He told CTV News that the experience was enlightening.
“Honestly it gave me a new perspective of life and my perspective of like, how homeless people are treated and that they need help,” Serna told CTV News.
When Serna’s not training, he works with the Regina Treaty and Status Indians Services (RT/SIS).
The combination of physical and mental support as well as community outreach makes The Nest a hub for health, according to Serna.
“This is honestly a one of the kind of place,” he said.
“Not only is it because right now it's a gym … but when the mental side comes in and like the sports, physicals and stuff come in, it can be a whole hotspot. Because you got everything in one spot.”
The combination of care is crucial, according to managing director of The Nest, Ankit Kapur.
“You see your doctor episodically every three months or six months but in-between, action on those plans is critical,” he explained.
The new facility has taken over the former home of Regina’s downtown YMCA.
Saturday’s grand opening marked the facility’s first phase.
When The Nest is completely operational, it will feature a pool, chiropractic practices and a pharmacy among other resources.
“Action on those plans, work with personal trainers working to make sure we get mobility making sure we get physio on flexibility, making sure we wrap around [and] cater to populations that aren't necessarily well served in traditional institutions,” Kapur said.
The institution is a welcome sight to the city’s downtown core.
“It's complete health,” Mayor Sandra Masters told CTV News.
“Mental health, the physical and all of the medical in-between. We can't just get prescriptions out for people's ailments sometimes it involves mental health counseling, sometimes it involves physical health.”
Physical health training is helping athletes like Serna prepare for his goal of representing Canada on the Olympic stage of wrestling.
“I want to be Olympic champ. I want to be a world champion,” he said. “I'm not trying to just be okay and average and I want to be the best and this has helped me get there. You know, step by step.”
Serna, who is the ranked fourth in the nation, hopes his journey from Flying Dust First Nation to the Nest will inspire others.
“I'm glad it’s in Regina and where the YMCA used to be,” he said.
“I feel like it's going to be a hotspot for not just city athletes, but for provincial athletes and hopefully national athletes.”
The second phase of The Nest is scheduled to open in fall of 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canada Disability Benefit needs to be safeguarded from clawbacks, MPs unanimously agree
The federal government needs to safeguard the incoming Canada Disability Benefit from clawbacks and do more to ensure it actually meets the stated aim of lifting people living with disabilities out of poverty, MPs from all parties agree.
BREAKING Security guard shot, seriously injured outside of Drake's Toronto mansion
A security guard working at Drake’s Bridle Path mansion in Toronto was seriously injured in a shooting outside the residence early Tuesday morning, police said.
King Charles too busy to see son Prince Harry during U.K. trip
Prince Harry will not be seeing his father King Charles during his current visit to Britain as the monarch will be too busy, Harry's spokesperson said on Tuesday.
opinion Tom Mulcair: Turfing Poilievre from House a clear sign of desperation by Trudeau Liberals
When Speaker Greg Fergus tossed out Pierre Poilievre from the House last week, "those of us who have experience as parliamentarians simply couldn't believe our eyes," writes former NDP leader Tom Mulcair in his column for CTVNews.ca
Your body needs these three forms of movement every week
Movement is movement, right? Not exactly. Here’s what your body is looking for in addition to your morning walk or yoga session, according to experts.
Six Canadian children repatriated from detention in Syria, Global Affairs Canada says
The Global Affairs Department says six Canadian children have been repatriated from detention in northeastern Syria.
'It looked so legit': Ontario man pays $7,700 for luxury villa found on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.
Canadian cadets rock mullets and place second at U.S. military competition
Sporting mullets, Canadian Armed Forces officer cadets placed second in an annual military skills competition in the U.S.
TikTok, ByteDance sue to block U.S. law seeking sale or ban of app
TikTok and its Chinese parent company ByteDance said on Tuesday they filed suit in U.S. federal court seeking to block a law signed by President Joe Biden that would force the divestiture of the short video app used by 170 million Americans or ban its use.