The Best Seats
In The House

Photo: Our installation team lowering a customized press box atop a grandstand bleacher at Millennium Park

We’ve all been treated to the sight of a large-scale grandstand bleacher rising from an athletic field waiting to be filled with throngs of avid fans eagerly waiting to support their favourite team.  While these structures alone give us a warm and fuzzy feeling inside, nothing completes these marvellously engineered structures quite like a press box affixed to the upper portion of the stands. 

In addition to giving fans a comfortable seat and great vantage point for viewing their favourite sporting events, bleachers completed with a press box give timekeepers, staff and members of the press a hub from which they can operate. 

A large portion of our business is the design, manufacturing and installation of bleacher seating structures in Canada and throughout the United States.  While these large structures are marvels to observe (at least we think so), there is a great deal of technical knowledge that goes into both their design and construction.

A chief concern of ours and that of our customers when it comes to bleachers is spectator safety.  Serving as the backbone to any athletic event, bleachers can however, be hazardous if certain precautions are not taken during the design and construction phases and also when these structures are in use.

Our recent project took us to Belleville, Ontario, home of Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board’s Quinte Secondary School.  Located in the heart of Belleville, Quinte Secondary School focuses on fostering leadership and excellence in the areas of academics, athletics, the arts and technology. 

As home of the Saints athletic program, the school’s athletic department encompasses basketball, football, rugby, volleyball, cross country, golf, hockey, curling, figure skating, gymnastics, swimming, wrestling, soccer, baseball and other sports.

No two products are built the same and we pride ourselves on manufacturing and supplying the marketplace with the very best products available. We are not paid to carry a line of products; in fact, quite the opposite. We evaluate, test, and survey every piece of equipment and product we stamp our name on and firmly stand behind each and every one.

A product that falls into this category and is one of our most popular is our retractable bleacher systems. If your facility is equipped with a gymnasium, there is little doubt that your facility should be equipped with a bank of telescopic bleachers. Allowing for spectator seating when needed, with the ability to quickly fold away when not in use, these bleacher systems are quite possibly one of the most versatile seating solutions available.

We proudly support our troops and often work closely with the Canadian Military on a variety of projects in locations across the country. From supplying the Royal Canadian Air Force with two banks of retractable bleachers to creating a completely customized training system for the Canadian Armed Forces newly implemented training program, we work closely with military contacts, ensuring they are equipped with the very best in athletic equipment and infrastructure.

One of our more recent projects brought us to Meaford, Ontario, the home of the 4^th Canadian Division Training Centre (4 CDTC) operated by the Department of National Defence. This facility serves as a training centre for both regular and reserve soldiers in the province of Ontario. On any given week, this training facility trains over 600 soldiers in basic qualification skills such as offensive and defensive operations, weapons handling, combat, field craft and other military-focused disciplines.

Given the fast-paced nature of 4 CDTC, the facility was interested in a streamlined process to acquire a number of outdoor bleacher seating structures to accommodate up to 300 spectators. After working closely with the key stakeholders in the operation, our team recommended a popular option among many facilities today: factory-assembled bleachers.

While transportable or mobile bleachers are nothing new, the technology and development of these products have come a long way since their inception. We have been manufacturing mobile bleacher systems for a number of years and continue to manufacture towing kits that can easily be installed to existing bleachers, making them completely transportable as well.

Most of these systems, however, are typically smaller in size and are unable to seat large amounts of people without having multiple bleacher structures. The bulk of our portable bleacher systems range anywhere from 5-10 rows in height, which are a perfect fit for many applications, municipalities and other organizations.

However, when we begin to get into larger seating structures, there is a fair bit more ingenuity and technology involved, as illustrated in our newest line of highway transportable grandstand bleacher systems.

Nestled in the lower mainland of British Columbia, lies the City of Chilliwack, about an hour’s drive from the province’s largest city, Vancouver.  Boasting a population of roughly 84,000 residents, Chilliwack was incorporated back in 1873 and is one of the oldest municipalities in British Columbia. One of our most recent and rather interesting projects once again landed us in western Canada when the City of Chilliwack expressed interest in a need for a unique and versatile bleacher seating system.

The project went out to public tender and together with our partners at RecSport Products, we were able to secure this unique bleacher seating system in western Canada. The client was in need of a large-scale grandstand bleacher system that in addition to seating a fairly large crowd, could be easily transported to various locations when needed.

Grandstand bleachers on the artificial field. Millennium Park, Orleans, Ontario.

The project envisioned by Cumberland City Councillor Stephen Blais back in 2014 is finally coming to fruition. While the project is not complete at the time of this publication, the park has undergone a variety of construction and site upgrades located in the east end of Ottawa in the Orleans neighbourhood.

Blais spearheaded the unique $8 million park expansion in partnership with local homebuilders who ended up designing and funding the majority of the park. Millennium Park is slated to be the premier destination for sports clubs and casual users in the Orleans area, complete with state-of-the-art facilities and sports fields. Among the upgrades the park will have upon its completion are an artificial turf soccer and football field, stadium seating and lighting, nine full-size soccer fields, a junior-size soccer field, two ultimate Frisbee fields, 400m running track, two shade structures, club house for junior sports clubs, splash pad with both senior and junior play zones along with junior and senior play structures and swing sets.

An architect’s rendering of what the revitalized stadium could look like, c/o Queen's University

Sport Systems Canada Inc. is pleased to announce they have been awarded the Richardson Stadium Grandstands contract by Queen’s University.

Richardson Stadium is a historically significant sports venue for Queen’s, Kingston, and Canada. The stadium played host to national and regional games as well as a Roosevelt speech. The third edition Richardson Stadium will be an important competitive sports venue and recreational facility for Queen’s and the broader local and regional community.

Demolition at the site began in late October, at which time a number of architectural designs were released to the public displaying the future of Richardson Stadium.

“As part of this large revitalization project, we will design, fabricate and install the new grandstands that will house approximately 8,500 spectators. One of the main goals of this project is to drastically improve sightlines and provide seating that is closer to the field of play. To achieve this goal, we are designing an elevated first row of seating consistent with current stadium design, allowing spectators an unobstructed view, as well as moving the entire seating bowl closer to the field to enhance the spectator experience,” said Jeff Hurrle, Vice President & General Manager, Sport Systems Canada Inc.

One of our more recently completed projects brought us just north of Toronto, to the town of Newmarket. Situated in the York region of the Greater Toronto Area, Newmarket is a consistent favourite of MoneySense Magazine when they select the Best Places to Live in Canada each year. Its unique location between the busy streets of downtown Toronto and the cottage country further north, allows this picturesque town the ability to offer the best in amenities, while holding on to its small town charm.

Our project was based at the Magna Centre, located just south of Newmarket’s downtown core. The Magna Centre is a state-of-the-art recreation complex that boasts an Olympic-sized ice rink, three NHL-sized ice rinks, a 25-metre community pool, a 21-metre learning pool, a full-size gymnasium, a walking track, three multi-purpose rooms, a restaurant, pro-shop, as well as the Newmarket Sports Hall of Fame.