An iconic institution in Calgary's fitness community is closing after 40 years but the founder of BJ's Gym wants to see his legacy carried on.

B.J. Annis opened his doors on 7th Avenue S.E. in 1972 and it is one of the oldest private gyms in Canada. As the city of Calgary redevelops its East
Village lands, the gym is being torn down and B.J. is heading off into retirement.

"I had a dream to start a gym and it's a life I've enjoyed for 40 years," says Annis, 65. "You can still smell the sweat in there."

Annis married Georgina Hart, daughter of wrestling legend Stu Hart, and his gym has played host to dozens of the world's best professional wrestlers
and body builders over the years, including their son Teddy Hart. Annis is a Boston native with a marine engineering degree, who sailed the world and
served in the U.S. military. He came to Alberta to ski in 1969 with his football buddy Ward Smith, a member of the Stampeders who got Annis a tryout
with the CFL club.

Annis hopes there's a new young fitness fanatic in the city with his own gym-dream looking for equipment who can carry on the BJ's Gym legacy. BJ's
12,500 square-foot space is filled with cardio equipment, weights and even a juice bar.

B.J. Annis can be reached by e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it