The Best Seats
In The House

While we are not in the turf or athletic surface business, we do care greatly about both spectators and participants of the sports played here in North America. Over the years we have been involved in a large amount of stadium builds or redevelopments and a topic of conversation that always comes up with regards to artificial turf is its safety.

While artificial turf has come a long way over the past number of years, there are still those who believe it leads to a myriad of sports injuries such as knee injuries, ankle injuries and toe injuries. As manufacturers and installers undoubtedly pay a great deal attention to the reports of these injuries and how they can aid in preventing some of them, in today’s contact sports, no other injury gets more attention than the concussion.

With the release of Will Smith’s new movie “Concussion” this holiday season, these serious head injuries are in the spotlight, perhaps more than they have ever been. Parents, sports fans, participants and professional leagues are pouring an endless amount of resources into attempting to find more ways to prevent these injuries, especially in our youth.

Grandstand bleachers on the artificial field. Millennium Park, Orleans, Ontario.

The project envisioned by Cumberland City Councillor Stephen Blais back in 2014 is finally coming to fruition. While the project is not complete at the time of this publication, the park has undergone a variety of construction and site upgrades located in the east end of Ottawa in the Orleans neighbourhood.

Blais spearheaded the unique $8 million park expansion in partnership with local homebuilders who ended up designing and funding the majority of the park. Millennium Park is slated to be the premier destination for sports clubs and casual users in the Orleans area, complete with state-of-the-art facilities and sports fields. Among the upgrades the park will have upon its completion are an artificial turf soccer and football field, stadium seating and lighting, nine full-size soccer fields, a junior-size soccer field, two ultimate Frisbee fields, 400m running track, two shade structures, club house for junior sports clubs, splash pad with both senior and junior play zones along with junior and senior play structures and swing sets.

An architect’s rendering of what the revitalized stadium could look like, c/o Queen's University

Sport Systems Canada Inc. is pleased to announce they have been awarded the Richardson Stadium Grandstands contract by Queen’s University.

Richardson Stadium is a historically significant sports venue for Queen’s, Kingston, and Canada. The stadium played host to national and regional games as well as a Roosevelt speech. The third edition Richardson Stadium will be an important competitive sports venue and recreational facility for Queen’s and the broader local and regional community.

Demolition at the site began in late October, at which time a number of architectural designs were released to the public displaying the future of Richardson Stadium.

“As part of this large revitalization project, we will design, fabricate and install the new grandstands that will house approximately 8,500 spectators. One of the main goals of this project is to drastically improve sightlines and provide seating that is closer to the field of play. To achieve this goal, we are designing an elevated first row of seating consistent with current stadium design, allowing spectators an unobstructed view, as well as moving the entire seating bowl closer to the field to enhance the spectator experience,” said Jeff Hurrle, Vice President & General Manager, Sport Systems Canada Inc.

What might come as a surprise to some is that the sport of volleyball ranks second behind the sport of soccer among participation sports around the world. Invented in 1895 in Massachusetts, volleyball initially grew exponentially within the United States, but now boasts over 800 million active players across the globe.

While we do specialize in a variety of both indoor and outdoor volleyball systems, we also carry an extensive line of accompanying accessories that can both enhance the playing experience and provide a professional feel to game play. One such accessory that has become much more of a staple for many facilities and organizations is the volleyball referee stand. These stands allow referees or officials a perch above floor level to make accurate calls such as scoring and faults or errors during game play. Referee stands also provide participants with a consistent location for officials so they can quickly comprehend the in-game signals from the referees.

Looking forward to 2016-2017, the Ontario Sport and Recreation Communities Fund (OSRCF) is now accepting applications. The OSRCF is a grant program working toward the goal of getting and keeping the people of Ontario active in community sports, recreation and physical activity.

The program proudly supports projects of up to two years in length that deliver high-quality programs and policies, fostering additional activities to keep residents physically active. In addition to the creation of programs and infrastructure, this grant also aims to embed physical literacy as a foundation for lifelong physical activity, hence enabling individuals to make healthier activity choices.

One of our more recently completed projects brought us just north of Toronto, to the town of Newmarket. Situated in the York region of the Greater Toronto Area, Newmarket is a consistent favourite of MoneySense Magazine when they select the Best Places to Live in Canada each year. Its unique location between the busy streets of downtown Toronto and the cottage country further north, allows this picturesque town the ability to offer the best in amenities, while holding on to its small town charm.

Our project was based at the Magna Centre, located just south of Newmarket’s downtown core. The Magna Centre is a state-of-the-art recreation complex that boasts an Olympic-sized ice rink, three NHL-sized ice rinks, a 25-metre community pool, a 21-metre learning pool, a full-size gymnasium, a walking track, three multi-purpose rooms, a restaurant, pro-shop, as well as the Newmarket Sports Hall of Fame.

Photo depicting divider panels.  Photo Credit: Cornwall Standard-Freeholder  

Steady growth in popularity has helped the sport of hockey gain a broader audience and a larger pool of players from all over North America. According to USA Hockey, there were more people playing hockey in the United States than ever recorded before during the 2013-2014 season.

Where analysts are seeing huge growth in the sport, are with registrants aged 6 and under. The number of registrants in this very young age group has grown by about 4% per year since 2013 and does not show much sign of slowing down.

With the rapid expansion of trampoline parks across North America, we have added an additional arm to our padding business. What was once a group of a few hobbyists, is now a complete industry with many markets offering multiple locations of trampoline parks.

Traditional features of these parks are large indoor spaces with wall-to-wall trampolines for users of all ages to enjoy. These facilities range in size and can be anywhere from 10,000 square feet to 40,000 square feet, allowing users to jump, twist and flip in a controlled environment.

Our most recent project came to us from Emerald Park, Saskatchewan, home of Boomers Air Park. The facility measures over 12,500 square feet and features floor trampolines, wall trampolines, foam pits, light shows and a fantastic sound system designed to provide their clientele with a healthy form of fun. After your bouncing session, take a break in the park’s food court or lounge area adorned with big screen TV’s for your enjoyment.

When planning a large construction project such as the design and installation of a large-scale bleacher or grandstand structure, it is important to evaluate the materials used for the base of the structure. A number of variables come in to play when planning a new bleacher build, including but not limited to: structure strength, budget and spectator safety.

The three main types of construction for these large structures are concrete, wood, and steel frames and studs. While each has its advantages and drawbacks, we will go through each process in depth below to help you make the best decision possible for your new grandstand bleacher structure.

Earlier this summer, we were awarded the contract to design, fabricate and install the grandstand bleachers for the new Greater Vernon Athletics Park (GVAP) in Coldstream, British Columbia. Located in the heart of the picturesque Okanagan Valley, the GVAP consists of a synthetic turf field, synthetic running track, natural turf field, complete track and field facilities, and a new building that houses concessions, washrooms, a classroom, officials’ rooms and change rooms.

This project was unique as the site had been carved out and required the bleacher structure to be built on a remaining hillside on the site. The top of the hill featured an existing asphalt pathway, so as part of our design process, we were required to ensure that the top deck of the bleacher would sit flush with the path above. The bottom or front of the bleacher was also designed to house an existing electrical kiosk, and is now located beneath the structure with a custom-designed access door, granting maintenance staff easy access when needed. Given the unique state of the grounds, our team was also responsible for the structural design of the concrete foundations that the bleacher would eventually bear on.