Sauna and ice bath studio Alter has officially opened its second location in Toronto, now calling the east end home.
After finding success on College Street West, Alter has set its sights on Toronto’s vibrant Leslieville neighbourhood. It officially opened its doors on Dec. 15, 2025, bringing its hot and cold exposure experience and making it a more approachable and consistent practice for all.
The wellness hub was founded by four entrepreneurial friends, Ujwal Shah, Aleya Velshi, Melissa Donato, and Tyler Ackerman. They built Alter around the idea of a neighbourhood sauna, a space meant to weave into everyday life, inspired by their experiences in Finland.
“Our Leslieville location represents the next chapter for Alter,” said Shah, co-founder and president of Alter.
“At our College West location, we’ve seen what a neighbourhood sauna can become: a place people stop into before or after work, recognize familiar faces, and treat as part of their daily lives. Leslieville shares that same sense of community, and the early response has been a strong signal that people are looking for places that feel local, familiar, and easy to make part of a routine.”
What to expect at the new Alter location
Like its College West location, the new hub will also include Self-Led Sessions and Guided Classes.
The Self-Led Sessions allow guests to navigate Alter’s 30-person Finnish sauna and two temperature cold tubs at their own pace.
As for Guided Classes, these are designed and led by expert instructors with diverse expertise, from Yoga Nidra to Traditional Chinese Medicine and Herbalism practices.
The Guided Classes are categorized into four themes:
- Sisu: Designed to cultivate grit, resilience, and inner strength through intense heat and
multiple rounds of cold exposure. - Unwind: Designed to release physical, mental, and emotional tension through deep
stretches, downregulating breathwork, and soothing essential oils. - Energize: Designed to boost your mood and increase motivation with playful exercises,
upregulating breathwork, and bright essential oils. - Rebalance: Designed to help guests recenter with a balance of effort and ease,
blending techniques from the Unwind and Energize formats.
Alter’s second location is now open exclusively to its founding members, with Self-Led Sessions and Guided Classes offered throughout the week.
But it will fully open its doors on Jan. 2, 2026. The full Alter schedule can be found online, including founder memberships and session packs.
End the year on a wellness note, Toronto. See you at Alter!
When: Dec. 15, 2025, for founding members; Jan. 2, 2026, for all
Where: 988 Queen St. E.
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Karen Doradea
Senior Staff Writer, Toronto – Karen is a multimedia journalist based in Toronto. With a strong knowledge of reporting and editing through all forms of media, she has a true passion for storytelling. She carries several years of journalistic experience and has covered the Toronto scene from local stories to national news. When Karen isn’t publishing fire content, you can find her binge-watching sitcoms on Crave, at a must-try restaurant, or scrolling endlessly on TikTok looking for the next best thing – News never sleeps.
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