The Best Seats
In The House

A common question often fielded by our sales team is “how big of a bench do I need?”  The answer? Well, it’s not always as easy as it seems. Much the same as choosing a bleacher or other seating structure, there is a lot that goes into determining exactly what you might need.

With the development of what is known as the Cross-Ice Hockey; a program recently initiated across both Canada and the United States by their governing hockey bodies, our research and development and design teams have been busy coming up with the best solution to making this program become implemented on a large scale.

What began as a pilot project, Cross-Ice Hockey was instituted and geared toward novice-aged players across North America. Requiring that the ice surface be divided in half,  this allows younger players the time needed to properly develop their skills as well as effectively utilizing available ice space in local arenas.

What they have found so far is that the program keeps younger players in a constant state of involvement in the game and hence, develops better camaraderie among players and enhances on-ice skills.

The strength forged between our organization and those involved in our extensive dealer network is formidable. Selecting from the very best organizations around the world, we have the ability to form partnerships with key industry representatives and pass the benefits along to our growing customer base.

As such, we proudly share our internal leads garnered through our extensive offline and online properties with those selected for our dealer program and one of our recent projects is the perfect example of that synergy at work.

One of our more popular products is our suite of custom wall padding solutions. These solutions range from completely padded rooms and gymnasiums to small padded areas strategically placed in high-impact zones such as beneath basketball goals.

While simple in theory, depending on the intended use of these padding solutions, they can become quite complex and customized. With doorways, corners, electrical outlets and switches all adorning wall surfaces in most buildings, each padding job entails certain nuanced design elements.

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.