RockHaus Climbing
Vaughan, Ontario
Specs: RockHaus Climbing, one of Ontario’s newest climbing gyms, opened in October this past year in the city of Vaughan. Owned and operated by childhood friends Brian and Royce, the 4,000-square-foot gym features 2,000 square feet of bouldering on walls reaching 15 feet, a squat rack and hangboards. According to Brian, friends from his time at the University of Waterloo introduced him to the sport at Grand River Rocks in 2017. “We had so much fun climbing the vertical walls,” Brian recalled. “From then on, I climbed whenever I got a chance.” In 2021, Brian started to climb during his lunch breaks and thought about opening his own gym. He put together a business plan and figured if he and Royce were able to find a location, they would make the gym work.
Brian and Royce felt “there was a gap in climbing gyms in the surrounding area” of Vaughan—a municipality 20 miles north of the city of Toronto, within the Greater Toronto Area. But more importantly, Brian noted, “Vaughan is developing the area into a downtown core—Vaughan Metropolitan Center (VMC).” Brian described the VMC as the future downtown hub for Vaughan. “There’s been plenty of high-rise residential buildings that are being constructed and even more that will start,” Brian added. “We felt that a lot of new families and young couples would move into these high-rises.” Additionally, the gym is in proximity to a new subway and a major highway; the pair felt traffic in the area would be beneficial, hoping it will lead to more people visiting the gym.
The building that houses RockHaus was somewhat of a challenge to reserve—originally, Brian and Royce had hoped to open in May 2024, but their initial negotiations with the landlord fell through in July 2023 because they lost a bid to another company. “Being young and opening our first business in this economy was difficult,” Brian explained. “They reached back out in January of 2024 and after many back-and-forth discussions, we were able to lock in a lease with the landlord. And we appreciate the landlord giving us the opportunity.” The team then experienced more delays with permitting than they had prepared for, during which “the inside of the gym was empty and there was nothing we could do but patiently wait,” Brian said. Eventually, construction was able to commence and the gym opened its doors in October 2024. “We’re a pretty boutique gym and I’d argue one of the smallest gyms in all of Ontario,” Brian continued. “But being small means climbers get to spend more time close to one another. And I think it’s a cozy space to be in.”
Walls: Onsite
Flooring: Onsite
CRM Software: Rock Gym Pro
Website: rockhausclimbing.com
Instagram: @RockHausClimbing
In Their Words: “For the most part, I think new gym owners will have a budget set in place that was quoted from the cost of the walls, holds, renovations, etc. We may have just been inexperienced owners, but whatever working capital you think you need, double it. We obtained the CSBFL loan, and there were plenty of red tapes that led to us having to dip into our cash reserves to pay for equipment and such.” – Brian, Co-Owner at RockHaus Climbing
