The Best Seats
In The House

Ron Kolbus Clubhouse - Dumaurier Ave., Ottawa

Reflecting on childhood memories, some may recall the excitement and anticipation that accompanied signing up for a sport. Whether the thrill centered on receiving a new uniform, making new friends, quenching one’s thirst for competition, or getting ice cream after a game, the mixture of nerves and excitement is unforgettable. While some children abandon their interest in sports as they grow older, others utilize it as a means to earn college scholarships or gain employment. However, not every child is given the privilege in determining their involvement in sports.

Small towns have a special allure for many, be it their close-knit communities or their simpler way of life. The unique histories of each small town also present a source of intrigue to visitors passing through. Pakenham is no exception, boasting a community of genuine and friendly people as well as a history that extends back to the early 1800s.

Pembroke, Ontario is located at the confluence of the Muskrat River and the Ottawa River and is also the site of one of our more recent projects. Situated about 145km (90 miles) northwest of Canada’s Capital Region, Pembroke serves as the administrative headquarters of Renfrew County. The region also serves as home to the Renfrew Country District School Board which oversees 20 elementary schools, one intermediate school and seven high schools across the county which covers a good portion of the historic Ottawa Valley.

As schools across North America begin to plan reopening, many are in the midst of upgrading facilities and spaces. With students learning virtually, schools have been placed in a precarious state of affairs over the past twelve months, leaving many facility managers wondering what the next steps would look like.

As the planning process continues, we are seeing a flurry of activity as the pandemic rounds the corner and we begin to resume our daily lives in the safest way possible. In addition to athletic infrastructure such as gymnasium upgrades, our custom padding department has been working diligently on churning out new designs and custom projects.

One such project was brought to us once again, by our partners at King Carpentry in southern Ontario. Working closely with school boards, their team is knowledgeable and effective and is quick to secure jobs and perform installations in a safe and timely manner.

With the pandemic getting closer and closer to being completely in our rearview, for many of us, this means getting back to work. Whether you work in an office or in construction, we are anxiously awaiting the opportunity to get things back on track and in a big way.

Once such way that this is coming to fruition is through shovel-ready projects. These projects are those that have already received adequate funding and are simply awaiting the opportunity to get shovels in the ground.

East Side Unit

Basketball is one of the most popular sports in the world. For those of us who love the game, we played in our driveways as kids, followed our favourite college or professional teams on television, attended school games, and eventually became players ourselves.

Over the years, Sport Systems has had the privilege of providing state-of-the-art equipment for
numerous facilities and sports teams. Recently, however, Sport Systems was presented with
the opportunity to work with a very unique team -- Sacred Heart Catholic School. Located in
Espanola, Ontario, Sacred Heart epitomizes teamwork through the combined efforts and
resources of Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board (HSCDSB) and Conseil Scolaire
Catholique du Nouvel-Ontario (CSCNO).

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.