Situated in northwestern Alberta, Grand Prairie lies roughly 450 km from Edmonton and makes up the southern portion of what is known as Peace River Country.
Introduced in the mid-1970s, the Alberta Games (then known as the Alberta Winter Games) were created to motivate Albertans to achieve a higher level of physical fitness through sport while showcasing the talent of local residents.
Each year a new host city is chosen in the province and last summer’s instalment was chosen to be held in Grand Prairie, celebrating Alberta’s athletes of all ages.
Working closely with our partners at Omni Sport located just outside of Edmonton, the City of Grand Prairie was interested in a completely new grandstand for the Alberta Games ahead of the summer of 2018.
Serving as one of the venues for a number of events for the Alberta Games was Grand Prairies premier outdoor synthetic turf sports field known as The Community Knowledge Campus (CKC). The unique facility is part of a larger campus consisting of two high schools, twin ice arena, an aquatics and wellness centre as well as a gymnastics facility.
It was here where the planning process began to both design and install a state-of-the-art I-beam grandstand in conjunction with our partners at Omni Sport.
Custom in design, this large bleacher was installed upon steel screw pile foundations rather than the traditional concrete pier-style foundations we are used to.
The grandstand was manufactured and installed complete with custom rise and run for top loading from the concrete concourse above. The seating structure featured a seven-foot elevation above the field level allowing for great sightlines, aluminum bench seating with continuous aluminum backrests, and custom vomitories for access to locker rooms under the grandstand.
In the end, the grandstand measured 237’ and was able to accommodate upwards of 1000 people for the provincial event held last summer.
Now that the Games have passed, the seating structure remains in the Grand Prairie community, serving as a pillar in the centre of the CKC West Turf where local residents and students continue to cheer on their local athletes.