The Best Seats
In The House

In addition to having built our hometown headquarters in the same town the late, great James Naismith was born, we also share it with a number of other colourful and historic people and places. One such location is nestled along the bank of the Mississippi River, which in addition to hosting our town’s annual fair, is also home to a one-of-a-kind grandstand.

That’s right, if you’ve ever spent a summer afternoon at our local fair, you’ve likely found yourself under the shade of the North Lanark Agricultural Society’s crowning jewel: the Almonte Fairgrounds Grandstand.

Built in 1868, just seven years after the birth of the man who would one day invent the sport of basketball, this wooden grandstand has seen its fair share of history. In what has become more than just a local landmark, it’s now recognized as the oldest wooden covered grandstand in all of Canada. For over 156 years, it has held the weight of cheering fans, local families, and the history of Mississippi Mills.

Engineering that Stands the Test of Time

As many of you know, we live and breathe spectator seating. Our days are typically filled with modern bleacher and seating designs, built with high-grade aluminum, all adhering to the latest safety codes. A quick look at our historic neighboring Almonte Grandstand, affords us the unique ability to have a look at a true ancestor of everything we do today.

In what is something of a masterclass in 19th-century craftsmanship and built in an era before modern stress-testing, builders used massive timber and intuitive joinery to create a structure that has outlasted nearly every other wooden grandstand of its kind.

A Shared Mission: Community and Connection

While the materials have changed a lot since 1868, the goal hasn't. Whether we’re retrofitting an outdated system or designing a completely new and modern bleacher, the purpose remains the same: building a better game for our community, not just here in Almonte, but across North America.

Maintenance on a century-and-a-half-old structure is a never-ending job. Beyond the recent roof upgrades, the community also rallied to install steel siding on the grandstand’s exterior back in 2016. By wrapping the historic 1868 timber frame in modern steel, the community has essentially given it an 'armor' that allows the original craftsmanship to stay protected inside. It’s that same philosophy; using the best modern materials to protect the integrity of the spectator experience, that we apply to every bleacher we build today.

Building for the Next 150 Years

If nothing else, working just down the road from such a significant piece of architectural history keeps us grounded. It reminds us that while we use the latest technology to manufacture our outdoor bleachers and grandstands, the ultimate metric of success is, without a doubt, longevity.

We are proud to be part of Almonte’s long-standing tradition of industry and innovation. Every time our team drives past the Fairgrounds, we’re reminded of the possibility that perhaps in another 150 years from now, people will still be proud to sit in something we too had a hand in building.