“I first discovered floating while living in Montreal for a year in the mid-90s and it was one of those things that really stuck with me as being quite special,” says Christian Mackenzie. When he moved to Vancouver, the lack of places to float left a gap in his practice.
“Over the years, I had a couple of different businesses, and frankly I got a bit burned out, so Erika (Kluthe) and I went travelling and rediscovered floating in Amsterdam. It sort of lit up parts of my brain I didn’t know were there.”
Returning home to Kitsilano, Christian was searching for an opportunity that would be of tremendous benefit to others and allow him to express his genuine interest in providing an exceptional, memorable experience. “We explored a number of new business opportunities on paper and ultimately kept coming back to floating.”
From this realization, their new venture evolved into Hälsa Spa, a calm sanctuary devoted to relaxation on West 4th Avenue. With room to offer more than flotation therapy, Christian and Erika introduced a far infrared sauna, Japanese-made Inada DreamWave massage chairs and a spacious relaxation lounge. “It turned out to be a massive undertaking, but I couldn’t be happier,” says Christian.
