While cruising down Holland Street, you may have noticed the big purple sign for Kinnect Studio located on the side of the plaza at 300 Holland St. W.
The studio, founded in 2015, is owned and operated by Bradford West Gwillimbury resident Dr. Irma Van Andel (known to her patients as Dr. Irma) who is a chiropractor and acupuncturist.
In addition to chiropractic care and acupuncture, her studio offers registered massage therapy, naturopathic medicine, and specialty yoga programs.
Originally from Prince Edward Island, Van Andel is a small-town girl who moved to Ontario for university and better career opportunities.
“It was always my dream to work and live in a small town,” she said.
When she and her husband married, they decided to make Bradford their home. It was close enough to Toronto for her husband to commute to work, and perfect for her to build her newfound chiropractic career.
“I wanted to be as far away from Toronto as possible,” she said with a laugh.
When she moved to Bradford, she didn’t know anybody and began networking in the community to get her name out there.
“I knew that I needed to network and get to know people… for me to grow a practice,” she said. “The town is growing really fast. It was just really promising.”
She began teaching yoga classes at the Danube Seniors Leisure Centre on Simcoe Road. It was there she met another fitness instructor who put her in touch with the owner of Glo Yoga, the business previously ran in the Kinnect Studio location.
She then started to teach fitness at Glo Yoga. When the owner was ready to move on from the business, she approached Van Andel about buying the space.
“I guess I was in the right place at the right time,” she said.
Even though she had only been practicing for eight months and didn’t feel entirely ready to start her business, she decided to buy the space anyway.
“I was just getting settled in. But the more I thought about it, I saw it was an amazing opportunity,” she said.
Almost four years later, she doesn’t regret her decision. With a fully functioning studio filled with lots of clients, she couldn’t be happier.
“I think in the medical world, the service and environment (of chiropractic care) can feel clinical. I find we are very warm, personal and welcoming, which just creates a better space for healing,” she said.
“We make it quite easy for our patients, with our flexible hours, our online booking and direct billing,” she said.
A lot of her clientele consist of young families, as well as pre- and post-natal women. Many of them are everyday working people who are stressed and looking for a healthier lifestyle.
“I run into my patients all the time (in town). It feels so integrated. And I really like that,” she said.
In 2019, Kinnect Studio is hoping to host more events for women, including breastfeeding and menopause workshops.
“We want to offer more services for postpartum women so probably a yoga type of class or a core rebuild as well as informative talk,” she said.
To get in touch with Dr. Irma and her staff at Kinnect Studio, you can book an appointment on their website at kinnectbradford.ca or call at 905-551-2456.
Midweek Mugging is a regular series profiling local businesses or interesting people in Bradford West Gwillimbury. Want to be featured? Email [email protected].
