The Best Seats
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As we round out the tradeshow season, we come upon one of the last, but certainly not the least of tradeshows we always enjoy taking part in; the Parks and Recreation Ontario (PRO) Educational Forum and Tradeshow.

No two tradeshows are the same and we truly enjoy each one we have a chance to take part in, as each has something slightly different to offer and is what ultimately keeps us returning year after year.  As we look forward to meeting with our American partners in the fall at the Athletic Business Conference, the PRO conference allows us to do that as well, but in our home province of Ontario.

Here in Ontario, not many other tradeshows act as such a strong leader and hub for recreational and community planning as the PRO show and while it is based in Ontario, the show attracts vendors, speakers and attendees from across both Canada and the United States.

With an estimated 70 million cyclists in the United States alone, accommodating bicycles is no longer simply a perk to municipal residents or employees of large corporations, it is becoming a necessity. In many cases, bicycle racks are utilized to organize and allow cyclists a safe place to temporarily store their bicycles.

These racks work wonderfully and will likely remain in use for years to come but they do lend themselves to exposure to the elements and to the possibility of theft.

When it comes to the ultimate in protection for your bicycle, there is not much that can compare to one of our bike lockers. Completely designed using UV-stabilized, graffiti, fire, and abrasion-resistant polyethylene, these lockers are built to last. In addition to weathering storms of all kind, the contents of these lockers are secured with lockable, double-walled doors and reinforced walls.

While we typically service the industrial and institutional markets, oftentimes we lend our prowess to the residential crowd where and when possible.  From installing indoor or outdoor basketball systems, barrier netting projects, or providing hockey goals for backyard rinks, our products are used around the home more than most think.

One such area in which we provide a great deal of coverage for the residential market is within our custom padding department.  Due to the wide variety of uses and specific needs, we are seeing a much higher volume of residential padding projects coming into our facility.

With its first winner crowned in 2006, Kraft Hockeyville has become an annual event leaving an unmistakable impression across Canada’s minor hockey players and the communities in which they reside.

As part of the annual competition, communities across Canada are nominated for the chance to be crowned Kraft Hockeyville.  The criterion for nomination requires a strong sense of family, community and hockey, with each winner receiving up to $100,000 worth of upgrades to their local arena.

While many of these arenas are undoubtedly known for their frosty winter mornings and hockey players of all ages, they also serve as hubs of the communities they call home.  In addition to minor hockey leagues, these community institutions are used for both private and community events such as fundraisers, sports clubs, receptions and often serve schools and other groups within the community.

One of our recent projects brought us to the picturesque Canadian prairies to the Athol Murray College of Notre Dame located in Wilcox, Saskatchewan.  Wrought with humble beginnings back in the 1920’s, today this high school is one of the premier private Catholic education institutions in the country, committed to developing young men and women to become purposeful leaders with virtuous character and a global mindset.

Known for their competitive spirit and propensity for victory, the Notre Dame Hounds are renowned for their athletic prowess.  In 2006 the school’s athletic programming yielded more than $1.6 million in academic and athletic scholarships to American and Canadian universities.

From traditional public school boards to private educational institutions, we proudly serve a broad range of institutions across both Canada and the United States.  Whether it is working in tandem with a number of schools across an entire school board, providing our services to small, specialized schools, or working with large-scale post secondary facilities, our experience in this sector knows no bounds.

Working in the private sector, one of our more recent projects brought us to the new location of Toronto’s Sathya Sai School.  Nestled into their new home in Scarborough, Sathya Sai offers students Ministry of Ontario curriculum that is enhanced with values-based education that currently serves students from Kindergarten to Grade 8.

Whether we would like to admit it or not, the times are changing more rapidly than most of us ever thought possible.  As many of us continue to adapt and change course to reflect the demands, needs and wants of both the public and athletic communities, exciting things are happening in our industry on a daily basis.

With new stadiums being erected all over Canada and the United States, these new design trends are not strictly reserved for professional sports. Collegiate, community and private facilities are all being swept into this massive wind of change as well.

With this in mind, here are a few of the biggest trends sweeping the athletic facility industry and how many planners, designers, and fabricators are keeping pace.

With our ever-expanding dealer network, our reach and ability to effectively service clients in both Canada and the United States have grown exponentially.  With dealers spanning coast to coast across North America, we service the masses and guarantee prompt and professional service through our stringent vetting process for prospective partners.

While some dealers have been with us since the early days, others are joining us each and every year, bringing their unique skillset and expertise to our already talented organization. 

Founded in 1949, St. Alban’s Boys and Girls Clubserves over 2,000 members per year, not to mention over 1,000 others across 18 satellite sites in the Greater Toronto Area.  It is here their dedicated staff and volunteers have been establishing a diverse range of programming including after-school programs, sports and athletic programs, camps, tutoring, mentoring and employment readiness programs for close to 70 years.

While we work with a number of Boys and Girls Clubs scattered throughout both Canada and the United States, this is not the first time the St. Alban’s Club has turned to us for help with improving their athletic facilities.  Previously, we were commissioned to install a state-of-the-art gym divider curtain for the club and once again, the club’s stakeholders tapped us for our expertise with regards to padding their gymnasium and stage.

Each bleacher system we design, supply and/or install is unique in one way or another.  While some are designed from the ground up, such as large-scale grandstands, others are solely designed to accommodate special hindrances and seating capacities.

Going beyond traditional uses such as stadiums, gymnasiums, and outdoor sports fields, we also supply a line of bleachers specifically crafted and suited for high-humidity environments such as aquatic facilities.

These facilities, often humid and wet in nature, require certain material and construction requirements in order to last a number of years; a point our team took into consideration while developing our innovative pool bleachers for use in moisture-rich environments.