The Best Seats
In The House

When planning a large construction project such as the design and installation of a large-scale bleacher or grandstand structure, it is important to evaluate the materials used for the base of the structure. A number of variables come in to play when planning a new bleacher build, including but not limited to: structure strength, budget and spectator safety.

The three main types of construction for these large structures are concrete, wood, and steel frames and studs. While each has its advantages and drawbacks, we will go through each process in depth below to help you make the best decision possible for your new grandstand bleacher structure.

Earlier this summer, we were awarded the contract to design, fabricate and install the grandstand bleachers for the new Greater Vernon Athletics Park (GVAP) in Coldstream, British Columbia. Located in the heart of the picturesque Okanagan Valley, the GVAP consists of a synthetic turf field, synthetic running track, natural turf field, complete track and field facilities, and a new building that houses concessions, washrooms, a classroom, officials’ rooms and change rooms.

This project was unique as the site had been carved out and required the bleacher structure to be built on a remaining hillside on the site. The top of the hill featured an existing asphalt pathway, so as part of our design process, we were required to ensure that the top deck of the bleacher would sit flush with the path above. The bottom or front of the bleacher was also designed to house an existing electrical kiosk, and is now located beneath the structure with a custom-designed access door, granting maintenance staff easy access when needed. Given the unique state of the grounds, our team was also responsible for the structural design of the concrete foundations that the bleacher would eventually bear on.

This past June, our team got to work on a large, customized arena bleacher project with our partners at Omni Sport in Frog Lake, Alberta. This large project consisted of a clear-span beam-styled design that would allow the existing dressing rooms to be located beneath the bleachers upon completion.

The first phase of this project saw our team design a custom rise-and-run combination to accommodate the set mezzanine that was designed to be loaded from the top.  The aluminum decking was then installed to successfully complete the initial phase of this project.

As this grandstand was designed for use in an arena, the second phase of this project entailed a seating solution that would not only provide comfort to spectators, but that would also provide more warmth than the exposed aluminum decking would in a cold environment.

As time passes us by, the equipment in our facilities does not always necessarily need replacement. Obviously this statement is contingent on a number of factors such as how the equipment or machinery was maintained, its age, current condition, and operational soundness of the equipment in question.

These are some of the biggest reasons we employ and recommend regularly scheduled maintenance on equipment such as, basketball systems, bleachers and grandstands and also have our own in-house inspection program for athletic facilities. Our Orange Zone inspection program is the most thorough inspection for athletic facilities and covers all areas of the gymnasium and each piece of equipment utilized by that organization.

Our most recent project took us to a local high school which, much the same as a number of facilities today, had a set of older telescopic bleachers and was interested in giving them somewhat of a facelift. After assessing the equipment, our team and the facility operators came to the conclusion that the existing bleachers were in great shape, but could use one of the main benefits of today’s telescopic bleacher seating systems; electrical operation.

Our most recent project brought us to the Township of Sables-Spanish Rivers, a quaint community nestled between Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. The township is situated in the foothills region of Lake Huron’s North Shore and was officially incorporated in 1998.

The site of the project landed us at the Massey & District Community Centre, which encompasses a standard-sized baseball diamond, a fully enclosed outdoor basketball court, a single arena ice rink pad with full canteen service, as well as a licensed hall with a full kitchen for special events and rentals.

The township called on us to aid them in updating the bleacher seating located inside the ice rink before the upcoming hockey season began. The existing arena bleachers were out of date and unfortunately no longer compliant with recent updates in the Ontario Building Code. After the details were received, our designers got to work designing the new bleachers to be installed at the community centre. Some customization was needed as the new bleacher structure had to be notched out around the columns of the pre-engineered building.

Located in Belleville, Ontario, our most recent project landed us at Bayside Secondary School. As a member of the Hastings & Prince Edward District School Board (HPEDSB), Bayside prides itself on academic, artistic and athletic programming paired with a heavy involvement in their local community.

Bayside Secondary School resides on a 200-acre campus, the largest in North America, which includes a quarry, wooded trails, extensive athletic playing fields, as well as a picturesque shoreline on the Bay of Quinte. The school is also home to HPEDSB’s French Immersion program and also offers a number of other specialty programs including International Studies, Communications Technology and EcoBound.

Our most recent project brought us to the picturesque town of Brockville in southeastern Ontario. Located in the heart of the 1000 Islands and St. Lawrence Seaway, Brockville is home to many services and amenities that can be found in a large city, but still manages to maintain its undeniable hometown charm.

The site of our recent bleacher installation was at one of the city’s main recreation complexes and parks. Memorial Park belongs to the Memorial Park Recreation Complex which, has one of two arenas in the area and is home to the Brockville Braves Junior A Hockey Club and the Brockville Tikis Junior B Hockey Club. The ice surface at the complex is in use between the months of September and April of each year and in the off-season, is used by community groups for trade fairs, multi-cultural events, dog shows and other special events.

One of our most recent installation projects took place in Brockville, Ontario in the beautiful Thousand Islands region in the southeastern part of the province. Working closely with the esteemed team at Bourgon Construction, our designers got to work on a new grandstand seating system that would accommodate additional spectators at the Thousand Islands Secondary School’s (TISS) athletic events.

TISS proudly pushes each and every student to work hard at realizing their true potential both academically and athletically. Home of the Pirates, the athletic program at TISS spans across a variety of sports teams including cross country, basketball, cheerleading, football, golf, hockey, volleyball, figure skating and track and field.

Last summer, we were commissioned by the Algoma District School Board to replace and upgrade the existing telescopic bleacher systems at three separate schools. This summer, we were again commissioned to do the same at an additional two schools under the same board.

The first site was at Elliot Lake Secondary School in Elliot Lake, Ontario and the second was at W.C. Eaket Secondary School in Blind River, Ontario. Both schools were previously equipped with wooden bleachers that needed to be removed and replaced by a state-of-the-art telescopic bleacher system. Much like the three schools completed last year, these two schools were in need of an upgraded seating solution for their growing sports programs in their gymnasiums. The school board once again turned to our team at Sport Systems to design, supply and install what would be their future bleacher seating for years to come.

Our recently completed project was on behalf of the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board which currently serves over 15,000 students and borders Maynooth, Deseronto, Prince Edward County and Quinte West in southeastern Ontario.

Our latest project took place at Centennial Secondary School located in Belleville, Ontario, an institution based upon three main values which it embeds in its students, faculty and community. These values are: Academic Excellence, Athletic Prowess and Artistic Integrity; encouraging their student body to improve and develop literacy and numeracy skills, sportsmanship qualities and artistic creativity, which fosters the development of their self-awareness and self-confidence.