The Best Seats
In The House

At the mouth of the Moira River on the Bay of Quinte in central Ontario lies the town of Belleville.  Settled in the late 1700’s, the town, referred to as the heart of the Quinte region, is home to a number of public elementary and secondary schools along with post-secondary institutions such as Loyalist College and the Academy of Learning College.

It was the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board, however, that brought our team to town on this occasion as a pair of the school’s in the board were looking for new wall padding for their gymnasiums.  As such, our sales team quickly were acquainted with keys stakeholders from the organization, kicking off the initial stages of the planning process.

With some American high schools having more than 4,000 students enrolled, not to mention the numbers in the primary and post-secondary education facilities, it’s no wonder safety is a priority. As each of these students is bound to cross through the facility’s gymnasium at least once during their tenure at the school, the chance for injury is great, especially with poorly serviced equipment.

As more gymnasiums are becoming multi-sport and multi-use facilities, now more than ever the inspection services of a trusted industry partner are needed. With busy schedules, staffing issues and hoards of students to service, today’s facility staff cannot always keep up with the maintenance side of things.

One of our more recent projects brought us to the beautiful Ottawa Valley and one of the area’s epicenters for Irish heritage. Known for its legendary St. Patrick’s Day celebrations each year, the town of Douglas was originally surveyed into farm lots to accommodate settlers from the Irish Isle and soon became a booming region for its timber production.

Today, this small town is part of the Admaston/Bromley Township, which is made up of a number of other small towns and hamlets in the region with a population of roughly 3,000 residents who call it home. 

As one of the feeder schools for these small communities, we were recently commissioned by the Renfrew County Catholic District School Board to supply and install some customized padding for St. Michael’s School. The school acts as an inclusive educational conduit, ensuring high academic standards as well as community involvement for all those who attend.

With two campuses in the province of New Brunswick, the University of New Brunswick (UNB) is solidifying itself as one of Canada’s premiere post-secondary institutions. Boasting over 230 years of history and over 75 program choices for current and prospective students, UNB aims to provide an exceptional and transformative education for their students, by encouraging initiative and innovation, unlocking their creative potential.

As part of their budding athletic programming which includes representation in sports such as basketball, soccer, volleyball, hockey, and swimming, UNB approached our team for assistance in replacing some dated bleacher seating. Located on the outdoor portion of the BMO Centre located on the school’s Fredericton campus, the existing bleachers had been deemed to have served their purpose over the years and were no longer code-compliant. 

A great place for organized events, theatre, and assemblies, a gymnasium’s stage is invaluable to the school, community centre or facility in which it resides. When it comes to athletic play and events, these areas can lead to potential injury as high-speed athletes can run into them during practice or play.

To solve this problem, we developed a line of specially designed pads that can easily be installed on stages located within gymnasiums. Made from the same tough and durable heavy-duty vinyl and 2” high-density foam as our wall padding, they are more than enough to keep your students, participants, and athletes safe.

These padding systems are also designed and manufactured with a 6” return which is used to cover the top of the stage surface, used in conjunction with a pair of Velcro strips to secure the padding to the stage or to allow the padding to be removed for special events.

Held on a bi-annual basis since 1967, the Canada Games are celebrating their 50^th anniversary this summer as they kick off in Winnipeg next month.  The games, being held in tandem with Canada’s 150^th birthday, feature 16 sports spread across over 250 events during the 17-day event showcasing Canada’s top athletic talent.

The games are expected to draw over 20,000 visitors to Winnipeg, this year’s host city.  In addition to the anticipated visitors, Winnipeg will also play host to over 4,000 athletes and coaching staff members.

The events are scheduled to be held across 23 of the city’s athletic facilities and recreational areas.  One such facility and perhaps the most anticipated one is the Canada Games Sport For Life Centre, which is set to host the Games’ basketball and indoor volleyball events.  Located in the heart of downtown Winnipeg, this facility has been ten years in the making and was spearheaded by Sport Manitoba, the leading planning, programming, and funding agency for the development of amateur sport in Manitoba.

Look up, way up in most gymnasiums across North America and you are likely to find a ceiling-suspended basketball system strung across the rafters in any number of configurations. 

Designed to be easily removed when necessary, these ceiling-hung units make allowances for a lack of space or distance restraints from other traditional installation methods such as wall attachments. As with the other equipment located within the walls of any gymnasium, these products are designed to provide a safe playing environment for all to enjoy.

That said, our installation process is a diligent one, ensuring these systems are correctly installed, configured and operated.  While the installation process will vary across the different available configurations, the below guidelines are general in nature and provide an overview of the process.

With a deep-rooted history in helping young people who need it most, the Boys and Girls Club has been in operation since the late 1800’s. With the first location opening its doors in Hartford, Connecticut in 1860, the organization quickly sprouted across North America and is now staffed by over 58,000 young development professionals.

Working well within the founding mandate of the club, the Boys and Girls Club of Kingston has been providing a safe and supportive place for children and youth since the club officially opened in 1993. The club proudly serves the Kingston area providing camps, community events and the support and encouragement the organization has become known for.

On the surface, these large, custom-sized slabs of vinyl may seem easy to use.  Just lay it down and trample away on it, is the thought of many of the misinformed.  While our gym floor covers are certainly designed using the toughest vinyl available to protect your coveted gym flooring, they do require a certain level of care and proper use to guarantee adequate protection.

While simply rolling out your gym floor cover ahead of your next non-sporting event in haste is relatively unlikely to result in any major damage, it is the compounding effects these activities can have that ultimately make the difference. 

As such, we have compiled a couple of helpful tips you can use in your facility when storing, placing and removing your gym floor cover to add yet another level of lasting protection to your gymnasium floor.

As part of Canada’s upcoming 150^th birthday bash, the Ottawa 2017 committee has planned big events for the past few months and has much more to come in the next few months.. As Canada Day approaches on July 1 of this year, Ottawa 2017 planned 12 months of immersive and moving experiences to complement national celebrations and upcoming events and festivals.

Concentrated in the Nation’s Capital, Ottawa 2017 is cementing the city as the best place for Canadians of all ages to celebrate the 150^th anniversary of this great country’s confederation.