The Best Seats
In The House

When it comes to the great game of basketball, there is not much equipment needed to play that isn’t subject to a fair bit of wear and tear. The balls are constantly being shuffled, dribbled and tossed while the backboards, rim and net are subject to abuse from the ball and from the often large-sized humans playing the game.

With such a fast-paced sport, plenty goes into the design of the products that are used in these intense matches. With this high level of play and contact, selecting the right backboard can be a challenge, especially for those who are conscious of budgetary constraints.

Situated just west of the great city of Omaha lies the small village of Boys Town. Established in 1917, the village also has served as the headquarters for the Boys Town organization since its inception.

Founded by Father Edward J. Flanagan, the national organization dedicates itself to the care, treatment and education of at-risk children. Today the organization offers an array of youth care and health care services including helping children in crisis, treating complex conditions or helping parents locate the resources they need to help their families heal and grow in mind, body and spirit.

Controlling Equipment from the Floor

Stand on any gymnasium floor and look up – way up. At first glance, it doesn’t take much to imagine the level of sophistication in some of the equipment located overhead, not to mention the process of safely installing it. But with today’s technology and automation being built into so many of these products that are used on a daily basis, the question that often comes up is how to manage it all.

Many choose to have manual systems and equipment in place for reasons such as simplicity or with budget in mind. While there is nothing wrong with this type of operation and equipment, in terms of operational optimization, many are trending in the opposite direction.

With everything from basketball backstops that fold up into the ceiling or off to the side, to gym divider curtains, scoreboards and even volleyball systems, the modern gymnasium is becoming a connected one. With most of these products coming with independent electric controls, innovative solutions to manage them are now on the forefront.

Located along the Rideau Canal, one of our most recent projects brought us into Canada’s national capital to work on another gym partition that needed replacing.

Originally founded as an all-girls school in 1928, Immaculata High School opened with an initial enrollment of just 85 at the site of the former Christie mansion. The following year, enrollment nearly doubled, and a new building was quickly constructed, and the school’s first commencement followed. 

It wasn’t until 1978 that male students were enrolled at the school as enrollment swelled to nearly 1,000 students towards the end of the 1980s. After 65 years of education, the school officially moved to its current location along the canal and currently serves as home to the school’s sports team, the Immaculata Saints.

In search of a new set of rugby goals for one of their biggest athletic parks, the City of Toronto once again came knocking at our door. Having done a few projects together in the past, they are a group that we truly always enjoy working closely with. When the time comes to outfit an outdoor venue, we are always flattered to make the short list of potential partners. In early 2020, the city was in search of a new set of rugby goals for Eglington Flats, located in the York region. Constructed on the Humber River Floodplain in 1954, today the park is heavily focused on sports, with six soccer fields, four field hockey pitches, a football field, winterized tennis courts and of course, the rugby field.

While we all certainly enjoy watching something come to fruition, there is something extra special about being involved in the revitalization of something as well. Over the years, we’ve been blessed to be involved in a number of these types of projects ranging from local community centres and schools all the way to nationally recognized institutions such as Queen’s University.

We’ve been granted access to stripped out gymnasiums and open athletic fields to design and eventually install state-of-the-art athletic equipment and infrastructure. From simple bleachers, to basketball systems to complete grandstands designed to accommodate tens of thousands of fans, these projects have and always will hold a special place in our hearts.

Reminiscing about the summer of 2019, we are delighted with the classic thoughts of summer, including sunny days and time spent with friends and family. While those memories are stark in contrast to the pandemic-stricken summer many of us experienced this year, we remain faithful that we will get through this together, stronger than when we entered it.

One of the most noticeable changes to our spring and summer season was the absence of tradeshows. With many operating on an annual basis, our team looks forward to these events where we are all able to congregate with friends new and old and talk about our business.

We don’t often get to the great City of Chicago but love whenever we get the chance to be a part of anything going on in the Windy City. While there are a number of travel restrictions in place at the moment, we are fortunate enough to have a strong dealer presence in the state of Illinois, allowing us to partner on an exciting project at a local high school.

As one of our newest American partners, the amazing team at Slam Dunk Hoops joined us only a month or two ago. Located in Kenosha, Wisconsin, Amanda and Tony have over 10-years’ worth of experience in the athletic equipment space, specializing mainly in basketball hoop sales, installation and service. With a keen eye on growing their organization that services both Wisconsin and Illinois, Slam Dunk was quick on the draw to seize a new opportunity for a telescopic bleacher install in the Chicago area.

The University of Ottawa is the largest English-French bilingual university on the planet, comprising over 100 acres of beautiful real estate in Canada’s capital. Originally established as the College of Bytown in 1848, the university has grown to become one of the country’s most respected educational institutions.

Donning the garnet and grey, the Ottawa Gee-Gees and their respected athletic program consistently provide a high level of competition and play. With 29 varsity teams to its credit including a fiercely respected football team, the University of Ottawa has the athletic prowess to match its academic prominence.

Up until 2013, the Gee-Gees football team did not have a home field on campus, instead using outside locations such as the Varsity Oval (1881-1953), Landsdowne Park (1954-2011), and Beckwith Park (2012), before construction was completed on Gee-Gees Field in 2013. Situated along the 417 highway which cuts directly through the city of Ottawa, the new stadium provides the team with excellent exposure. We were fortunate to have been awarded the contract to design and build the grandstands that are located in the new stadium as well.

Heading into Southwestern Ontario, one of our latest projects landed us at Bishop Macdonnel High School in the great city of Guelph. This small city of just over 130,000 residents, also known as “The Royal City”, lies a mere 100km to the west of downtown Toronto and is known for its incredibly low unemployment and crime rates.

With deep roots in manufacturing and educational institutions such as the University of Guelph, this city provides a wonderful location to be a student or raise a family.

Working closely with our partners at the Wellington Catholic District School Board, a project was brought to our attention at one of Guelph’s high schools. Located in the south end of the city, our team was asked to assess the condition of some outdated bleachers at Bishop Macdonnel High School and provide a suitable replacement seating system.