The Best Seats
In The House

Established in 2014, HybridFHP (fitness, health, performance) had humble beginnings. Operating in a 600 square foot room, it was the brainchild of Josh and Holly Gillam. Athletics and health were nothing new to Josh who has a decorated career in both professional hockey and lacrosse including being a dual-sport Division 1 athlete at Dartmouth College.

Located across the bridge from Canada’s national capital is Ottawa’s unofficial sister city, Gatineau. With close borders between the provinces of Ontario and Quebec, the capital region known as Ottawa-Gatineau has long since been connected through tourism, commerce and education.

A little over a year ago, residents of Thorndale, Ontario watched as black smoke billowed as their beloved community centre was engulfed in flames. Having been a community institution for a decade, the early morning fire wreaked havoc on the iconic building leaving only portions of the walls remaining.

A little more than a year ago, the discussion around mass vaccinations would have caused a few eyebrows to raise. While we can certainly reminisce about simpler times, the fact remains that currently speaking, the world has changed dramatically, and we are all doing our best to catch up and remain up-to-speed.

With regards to retractable bleachers, there are a number of facilities that are still operating with outdated set ups. Although they are not all necessarily in disrepair, the fact remains that as the older they get, the risk for failure and possible injury increases.

Hearing the words “dairy” and “distillery” together can create some immediate feelings of confusion and bewilderment. Traditionally, we associate distilleries with our favourite whiskey, tequila, gin and vodka producers. Most alcohol is created using products such as barley, corn, wheat, agave, juniper, potatoes and other grains. So, you may still be asking, how and where are dairy products being used to distill alcohol?

Luckily for us, it happens to be directly next door to our production facility and head office in beautiful Almonte, Ontario. Established only a few short years ago, the Dairy Distillery has taken the alcohol industry by storm with their innovative and environmentally-friendly vodka product, Vodkow.

Artfully bridging the gap between artisanal distilling techniques and cutting-edge technology, this organization has found a way to transform milk sugar into an incredible-tasting spirit.

The small town of Storm Lake is located near its namesake in the northwestern part of the great state of Iowa. Our team was recently invited by our partners in the area to work with the Storm Lake Community School District to help with a renovation in one of their school’s gymnasiums.

When it comes to working with prestigious universities here in Canada, there are a number of them to choose from. We have been fortunate over the years to work with many across the country but there is one school in particular, where we have spent a lot of time over the past five-or-so years.

When it comes to family pets, dogs, cats and perhaps the odd small-sized rodent are probably the first options that come to mind. The choice of a household companion undoubtedly comes with a large level of responsibility and when Steve Jenkins was offered a micro piglet for adoption by an old friend, he was admittedly unsure of the journey he was about to embark on.

As much as it pains us all to say it, summer is winding down and officially will end on the 23^rd of September this year. As we roll into the fall season, sports fans begin to shift their focus from the golf-filled days of summer to the return of professional football and hockey.

The same is true for many recreational departments, facility operators and participants as they begin to ready themselves and their facilities for the upcoming hockey season. Hockey is a way of life in Canada, and has experienced tremendous growth in the United States as well, as both countries now have over 500 000 amateur participants each year respectively.

With such a large number of participants ready to take to the ice, it’s never a bad idea to check on your facility’s hockey nets and goals to make sure they are ready for the upcoming season. While checking your hockey nets, it is important to ensure there are no tears or noticeable wearing in the nylon, and to measure the inside of the netting from each knot to each diagonal knot when fully stretched. When completely stretched, the size of the mesh should be 2 ½ “. If your netting is measuring any bigger than that, it might be a good time to consider a replacement net.