The Best Seats
In The House

When it comes to getting more seats along the sideline, field or track, facility managers, athletic directors, principals, and municipal recreation departments usually start the same way: they have a budget and possible site constraints, and they do not want to buy the wrong system.

The main outdoor bleacher seating options for sports fields are non-elevated aluminum bleachers, elevated bleachers, portable or transportable (towable) bleachers, angle-frame multi-tier bleachers, and I-beam grandstand stadium bleachers. The right choice depends on capacity, how often the seating needs to move, whether the site can take a foundation, accessibility requirements, and which building code applies in your province or state.

This guide was designed to walk you through each option so you can compare durability, accessibility, code compliance, and site fit before you write a spec or request a quote.

New arenas and major renovations across Canada keep calling on Sport Systems for custom arena bleachers, especially in those instances when barrier-free seating, elevated sightlines, and a clean closed-deck system are non-negotiable. The Ron Ebbesen Twin Arena in Airdrie, Alberta is a recent example where all of those factors came into play.

Sitting just north of Calgary in one of Alberta’s fastest-growing communities, the twin-pad facility has been a cornerstone of local hockey, ringette, and skating since it opened back in 1991. It carries the name of Ron Ebbesen, a builder who spent years pushing for more ice, stronger minor hockey, and a girls’ program so that Airdrie talent would have a proper home. After a mid-life renovation last year, that home now includes seating worthy of the next generation of fans.

Nestled along the Mattagami River in the heart of Northeastern Ontario’s mining country lies the City with the Heart of Gold, as it is often called. With deep roots in Canadian history, the City of Timmins continues to invest in facilities that bring people together, including a recent commitment included a fresh set of accessible bleachers for one of its soccer fields.

We’ve had a long history of doing business with the City of Timmins and on the 2026 edition of improvements, key stakeholders from the city had their sights set on our most popular 5-row model from our Platinum lineup. With inclusion being a requirement, these barrier-free units are designed so every spectator can access the seating comfortably and safely.

As part of continuing to Build a Better Game for all of our clients, partners and customers, keeping an eye on growing industry trends is something that is second nature to our team. One such trend we’ve most certainly been noticing lately is that architects and designers are turning to our sales and design team early for custom arena bleacher projects. Whether it’s a full new build or an upgrade to an existing facility, the goal seems to be the same in most cases: deliver seating that meets today’s strict building code requirements while providing accessible, comfortable, and high-capacity viewing experiences.

The truth is, every arena project brings its own set of unique challenges and early collaboration sets the stage for the proper customization to fit the existing space, all while ensuring code-compliant egress and accessibility, which includes barrier-free seating.

We all have a soft spot for those classic older arenas where generations have laced up their skates, cheered from creaky wooden bleachers, and created memories that undoubtedly last a lifetime. Some call them “old barns,” and with good reason as they often carry the soul of community hockey, with their character, history, and unmistakable atmosphere.

Fortunately for us, one of our more recent projects brought us to one such venue. Located in Port Hope, Ontario, Trinity College School (TCS) was founded in 1865, and now operates as one of Canada’s oldest and most respected independent co-educational day and boarding schools. Situated on a picturesque 100-acre campus just one hour east of Toronto, the school serves approximately 600 students from Grades 5–12, including a vibrant boarding community. With a strong emphasis on athletics, character development, and lifelong learning, TCS has a proud hockey tradition dating back over a century. Its on-campus Peter Campbell Memorial Rink has been a flagship facility since 1951, serving as home ice for generations of TCS Bears.

If you’ve been following along on our blog, you’ll remember our feature on the custom seating upgrade we completed for Rink A at the Nick Smith Arena. That project was a great example of how our team can turn tight spaces and unique site challenges into comfortable, fully accessible spectator seating.

With that in mind, we’re excited to share that the entire Nick Smith Arena project is now officially complete as we’ve just finished installing the custom bleachers for Rink B. As many of us know, no two arenas are the same and it is those on-site-obstacles, including limited space and strict budget parameters, that are all part of the challenge we love tackling.

Who doesn’t love a good custom job?

Across Canada, municipalities are breathing new life into aging arenas and community centres,either through full upgrades or thoughtful additions. These facilities are the heart of local recreation, and outdated spectator seating just doesn’t cut it anymore.

Here at Sport Systems, we’re proud to partner on these projects, delivering state-of-the-art spectator seating that meets modern demands. Gone are the days of cold concrete risers or worn-out wooden bleachers that should have been retired years ago. Today’s installations must fully comply with the National Building Code (NBC) requirements for spectator seating, prioritizing safety, durability, and inclusivity.

Eden High School in St. Catharines, Ontario, has long been a hub for student athletics in the Niagara region. With the recent addition of a state-of-the-art synthetic turf field and track as part of the District School Board of Niagara’s multi-school initiative, the need for high-quality spectator seating became essential.

Here at Sport Systems, we're proud to partner with communities across the country to modernize their recreational spaces and First Nation communities are no exception to that statement. These communities, in particular, are increasingly turning to us when upgrading their arenas, gymnasiums, and community centers. These projects breathe new life into vital gathering places, supporting hockey, events, and community connection for generations to come.

We recently completed an exciting upgrade at Constance Lake First Nation's arena that perfectly showcases why custom solutions are essential for older facilities.

Sport Systems is proud to announce the successful completion of another high-quality spectator seating project in Ontario, this time at Emily Carr Secondary School in Vaughan, part of the York Region District School Board.