Robert Paterson

The Well is now two years old. If you look into the window of the former gallery and shop across from the Bank of Montreal, you might think it is a yoga and pilates studio. On the surface, your assumption is correct. The Well, founded by Valerie Vincent and Jaime Moar, offers a wide range of classes covering the entire range of yoga from the most expert to chair yoga for those of us who are not that flexible.

But there is more. Valerie and Jaime see that the yoga and pilates classes are the mechanism for the social connections that emerge from this communal activity. This is what really goes on at The Well. “Because we offer this wide range of activities, people of all ages and backgrounds are involved,” Vincent says.

Adds Moar: “It also helps to have a coffee shop [Caron & Frères] next door. It made my heart sing to see three men sharing a coffee after class. We have many people who are new to Knowlton and also older people who need more social contact. We offer a safe place where friendship can form and grow.”

The friendship connection has also worked for The Well’s founders. “We did not know each other when this started,” Vincent says. “Two years later, we are the best of friends.”

As for the future, they agree that what they want most of all is to deepen this community-building aspect of their work. “We don’t want to expand to more sites,” Moar says. “We want to improve the experience of this one.”

Newcomers can attend a try-out class that costs $23. Vincent or Moar will then advise you on what class suits you best. Most people buy a multi-session pass.