Read the listing before you pack a gym bag
Here's the first thing I'd tell anyone eyeing this place for a workout: the name says recreation centre, and the reviews say ice. Google files it under sports complex and arena, and every single review talks about the rink, the players' rooms, or the tennis court. Nobody here describes lifting, cardio machines, or a weights floor. If you came looking for a fitness gym, this is a municipal arena in Sherbrooke, Quebec, run out of the Gestion Loisirs Plus operation, and you'd be walking in with the wrong expectation.
So let me do the useful thing and pull out what the skaters, players, and parents actually said.
What people rate here
The strongest signal is the ice itself. A reviewer in May 2018 put it plainly: "Staff are legends, ice is always perfect. Miss playing hockey over there". Another, in September 2024, gave a genuinely useful walkthrough: "It's an old building, very brown from the outside. Ice rink quality is top notch. Players room are big, but the toilet and the shower are very tiny. Water is hot hot hot." That's the kind of review that does my job for me. It tells you the sheet is well kept, the changing rooms are roomy, and the showers are cramped but the hot water works.
An October 2022 visitor agreed on the ice and flagged the age: "Old arena but the remodel it a little. Locker room are old and not adaptive to day standards. The quality of the ice is pretty good." Two independent voices calling the locker rooms dated is a pattern worth trusting.
There's also an indoor tennis court. A February 2020 review liked the seating: "The area has a nice sitting area, and an excellent indoor tennis court. The benchs are warm and comfy."
Where a rating hides friction
The 4-star average across 231 reviews is a real number built on a real crowd, and it isn't all glowing. A November 2020 figure skater dropped to 3 stars over access rules: "nice arena nice staff but if you're an amateur figure skater they may be strict and not allow you to practice even the simplest elements ( 3 turns, 1 foot spins, waltz jumps)". That's not a complaint about the facility, it's a scheduling and permitted-use rule. If you skate recreationally and want open practice ice, ask first what elements are allowed during which sessions. Why assume the general session is a free-for-all?
What's missing
No review lists a single price, a public-skate schedule, or a drop-in fee. The posted hours run early morning to late evening most days. That's it. Everything else, rates and program times, you'd get faster from one phone call than from any page online.
Who it's not for
Anyone hunting a weights-and-treadmill gym. There's no evidence of one here. This is for hockey, figure skating, indoor tennis, and rink rentals.
FAQ
Is this a fitness gym?
No. The reviews and Google's own categories point to a municipal ice arena and sports complex, not a weights or cardio gym.
How's the ice quality?
Reviewers from 2018 through 2024 consistently call the ice excellent, even while noting the building is old.
Are the changing rooms good?
Big but dated. Two separate reviews call the locker rooms old, and one warns the toilet and shower are very small, though the hot water is strong.
Can I do open figure-skating practice?
Maybe not freely. One skater reported strict limits on practicing certain elements, so call ahead about session rules.