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A project just over a year in the making, the fall of 2017 marked the final construction and opening of the Portage Lewis Fitness Centre in New Brunswick. As a part of Portage Atlantic, a non-profit organization specializing in drug addiction rehabilitation for Atlantic Canadian youth, construction of the facility was kicked off in January 2017.
As the project progressed through the summer months, our team was contacted to help design and install a number of basketball systems in the facility’s gymnasium.
As part of the rehabilitation process, the new athletic facility now provides a new environment for those undergoing treatment to enjoy the therapeutic power of organized sports and physical activity. In many cases, sports and exercise was once part of everyday life for those in treatment, only hampered by their addiction. The goal of the fitness centre is to allow those affected by addiction the opportunity to participate and rekindle the joy of sport they once knew.
Photo (left to right): Russell King, Portage Atlantic Chairman, Ron Evans, Board Member, Don Sterritt, Architect, Smyth Design Inc., and Dave Emmerson, Chair of the Lewis Fitness Centre Capital Campaign.
As additional details were uncovered about the project and the unique design of the facility’s structure, it became apparent we would require boots on the ground in New Brunswick. Enlisting the help of our partners at Interior Visions, we were able to promptly provide the organization with accurate measurements and design elements necessary for the installation.
The design was challenging as the roof was designed with a slope and there were a number of obstructions that would make a traditional ceiling install difficult.
Working in tandem with the team at Interior Visions and our design team at our main office, we were able to design the perfect solution for the space. Once approved by key stakeholders with Portage Atlantic, the systems were shipped directly to the site and installed in a timely manner by our trusted partners in New Brunswick.
In addition to the new gymnasium, the facility also features a fully equipped exercise room and will now serve as yet another rehabilitation point for approximated 150 affected youth each and every year.
