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In yet another instance of a recurring issue faced by aging institutions, a local school board found itself at an impasse with its aging folding partition. The once-functional partition, responsible for dividing the school’s large gymnasium into separate areas, had reached a point of disrepair.

Years of constant use and wear and tear had taken their toll on the folding partition. Its once smooth operation had become a thing of the past, replaced by a frustrating series of jams and other malfunctions. The financial burden of maintaining and repairing the aging partition had finally come to a point where it made little sense to continue with the dated partition.

Serving as a state-of-the-art fitness facility located in the heart of Mississauga, Lifetime Fitness was established in 2012, and was the organization's first location in Canada. Since then, the company has aggressively grown in both Canada and the United States and we’ve been fortunate not only to help launch the Mississauga location, but also their Ajax and Vaughn locations as well.

During the launch phase at the Mississauga location, we had helped them with a large gym divider curtain that was still in place, but had been taking a beating as of late. Knowing exactly who to call for their gym dividing needs, their team once again picked up the phone and reached out to us in search of a possible replacement.

We are quickly becoming known as Ontario’s go-to provider when it comes to not only removing old and outdated gym partitions, but replacing them with state-of-art dividers as well. As concerns around safety continue to swirl around schools and other facilities that still have these old partitions in use, school boards and facility managers keep a keen eye on the condition and operation of these now antiquated pieces of equipment.

Located in south-central Ontario, the Chippewas of Rama First Nation has long been known as a caring and community-focused area. In what is often referred to as ‘the gathering place’, the Chippewa territory has developed exponentially over the years and is showing no signs of slowing down.

In the spring of 2024, the strong and resilient community of the Rama First Nation reached out to our team to help them improve the athletic space in one of their many community-focused facilities. The multi-use community centre also serves as the gymnasium for one of the local schools and, as such, was in need of something that would help them continue to expand program offerings. 

As sports equipment and infrastructure specialists, one of our main goals is to promote safety through our product offering. Whether it is ensuring that a new set of bleachers  is completely up to code or the adequate amount of padding is used in a gymnasium, we’ve always got our eye on safety.

When it comes to larger equipment items such as gym dividers, it’s an area we tend to pay a great deal of attention to. Many school gyms across North America are equipped with some sort of divider for large gymnasium spaces and in many of those cases, those systems have been in place for a number of years or even decades.

While going through some major renovations, the City of Ottawa contacted us to help put the finishing touches on the new and improved Overbrook Community Centre. Located just south of Ottawa’s downtown core, the community centre recently went through some upgrades that included environmental design features with the purpose of creating a healthier indoor environment for all users.

As part of some of the upgrades slated for the indoor gymnasium, the City reached out to our team to help safely divide the gymnasium to increase athletic programming at this hub for community fitness and sport.

One of the most common upgrades we perform in school gymnasiums is the removal and replacement of outdated folding partitions. These large and clunky structures were once used to separate gymnasiums, but were ultimately found to be potentially hazardous causing a number of unfortunate accidents, including severe injury and even death. So when their functionality begins to look compromised, most operators are quick to look for a replacement.

Located on the western edges of the City of Ottawa, the small community of Glen Cairn was established back in the 1960s and served as a warm and welcoming community for young families. As such, one of the earlier developments within the community was establishing an elementary school as part of the Ottawa Carleton District School Board.

While a lot certainly has passed since the school was built, much of the facilities have been upgraded over the years. As part of this on-going routine of ensuring all equipment and fixtures are up to date, we were contacted to help design and install a new divider inside the school’s gymnasium. 

One of our greatest assets as a company  is our ability to tackle incredibly complex and custom jobs. Our flexibility and ingenuity allows us to take on  a massive grandstand seating project, a netting barrier for a unique sports field or in this case, a gym divider curtain installed inside a cafeteria.

Of all the places we have installed a curtain in the past, which include gymnasiums with unique ceiling structures, size constraints or ones with stages, this is the first we have designed and installed for use inside a cafeteria.

Depending on who you ask, some may tell you that the gymnasium inside an academic institution is the heart of the building. As it is often located centrally inside a building, it naturally and easily exists as the location where gatherings take place.

In addition to assemblies and other events, gymnasiums are the hub for indoor sports, attracting spectators not only from within the school but those from outside as well, such as friends and family.

As athletic programming continues to ramp up across Canada and the United States, these institutions are doing everything they can to remain relevant with regards to the programs they offer, as well as with the equipment located inside their gymnasiums.

As with any high traffic area, the opportunity to more actively brand your organization or team is highly beneficial in the gymnasium of a highly spirited school.  With many of the walls already adorned with banners and ribbons from years gone by, today’s institutions are starting from the ground up when it comes to branding their beloved schools.