The Best Seats
In The House

While we aren’t talking about any current Major League hitters when it comes to community baseball diamonds, we are talking about the big bats of the future. As such, with many community organizations or municipalities, keeping balls in play and out of creeks, lakes, parking lots and crowds is always priority number one.

This was the case in one of our more recent projects in the west end of Ottawa. Located within city limits, the small village of Fitzroy Harbour is situated along the Ottawa River at the confluence of the mighty Carp River. This small village is one of the last stops on the west Ottawa border and is also home to Fitzroy Provincial Park, servicing outdoor enthusiasts since 1963 amid century-old white pines and 200-year-old bur oak trees.

Constructed in 2004, the Bell Sensplex serves as the official practice facility for the NHL’s Ottawa Senators hockey club. Built in partnership with the City of Ottawa, the 180,000 square foot facility boasts three NHL-sized ice surfaces, one Olympic-sized ice rink and an indoor fieldhouse and additionally serves a number of minor hockey leagues and short track speed skating clubs in the greater Ottawa region.

We were recently contacted by stakeholders from within the Sensplex organization with questions regarding some safety netting for the Olympic-sized rink inside this community-focused athletic facility.

Built in 1993, Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton Stadium was originally constructed to house the Ottawa Lynx of the International League.  With staggering attendance numbers through the inaugural season, the stadium and team set league attendance records averaging nearly 10,000 fans per game.

Let’s face it, mobility is a reality for most soccer leagues and organizations across North America today. With many teams without a home pitch, the need for equipment that can be easily transported is more important today than ever before.

Today’s coaches and organizers are responsible for the complete set-up of both practices and games for their teams and with most acting on a volunteer basis, the need to get from their day job to the soccer pitch can sometimes be a struggle.

To avoid a time-consuming set-up, we proudly carry a variety of goals, nets and other accessories all designed to help make the lives of coaches and organizers a little easier. With these volunteers already sacrificing so much of their time and energy, the process for these individuals really should be as painless as possible.

On September 20, 2017 at Yankee Stadium, a toddler was struck in the face by a 105-mph baseball off the bat of Yankee Todd Frazier. In the hours immediately following the harrowing incident, Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred made a promise to spectators to make taking in a game a safer experience.

While some argued that sudden implementation of these safety regulations would impede the fan experience, for most, the changes made perfect sense.

Known as America’s pastime, baseball attracts thousands of fans across the United States to stadiums each and every year. The unfortunate reality is that nearly 2,000 spectators are hit by bats and balls while watching games each and every year. While not every instance involved injury, many had begun to question whether or not a slightly obstructed view was worth running the risk of injury to both adults and children.

When it comes to developing the next generation of technical engineers in Canada, Montreal’s École de Technologie Supérieure (ÉTS) is a market leader. Ranked as the number one engineering school in the province of Quebec and fourth across Canada for the total number of engineering diplomas awarded on an annual basis ÉTS is a leader in developing engineering talent.

Tracing its roots back into the mid-1970s, ÉTS is a practical institution accredited by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board and is located in Montreal’s Griffintown neighbourhood.

Residing on the forefront of technology and innovation, the school reached out to our team in Montreal to discuss some unique needs for a program that involved rigorous testing of drones. With technology continuing to change the landscape and industry of these small, piloted aircraft, students at ÉTS were in need of an area indoors in which they could perform test flights and operations.

As part of our custom netting department, we are proud to introduce windscreens as one of our newest product lines. Used to block the wind, sunshine, noise and/or debris, these finely netted screens can be found on baseball diamonds, tennis courts, municipal parks, recreation areas, golf courses, industrial sites and ski resorts.

While these screens can be extremely versatile for any location or facility, there is a bit of homework that needs to be done before selecting the right solution.

Available in a number of different configurations, buyers will first need to identify the right windscreen product to address their unique needs. Our windscreens are available in a number of different fabrics, lengths and configurations. Below we will break down our main products, giving you additional insight into the buying process before purchasing a screen.

In the name of safety, our team was once again involved in a vital project aimed at reducing the risk of injuries to both spectators and players. The project was brought to our attention last year as we were contacted by officials with the City of Brampton, a suburban neighbourhood located in the Greater Toronto Area.

As a sports-focused community, the City of Brampton has produced several professional-level athletes such as NHL stars Rick Nash and phenom Tyler Seguin, among many others spanning across a variety of sports.

Situated along the south shore of the St. Lawrence River across from the great city of Montreal is the city of Longueuil, Quebec. As one of Montreal’s largest suburbs, Longueuil is home to many of Montreal’s commuting community, as most residents travel to Montreal for work each day.

As such, Longueuil is home to a variety of community and recreation-focused facilities and parks, making it one of the area’s most desirable neighbourhoods.

Through our RFQ service, the municipality reached out to our team to design, supply and install several netting barriers across the city’s many parks. With the spring season getting underway and anticipating the upcoming busy baseball, soccer and other sports seasons, our team immediately got to work on the project.

One of our recent projects brought us to the picturesque Canadian prairies to the Athol Murray College of Notre Dame located in Wilcox, Saskatchewan.  Wrought with humble beginnings back in the 1920’s, today this high school is one of the premier private Catholic education institutions in the country, committed to developing young men and women to become purposeful leaders with virtuous character and a global mindset.

Known for their competitive spirit and propensity for victory, the Notre Dame Hounds are renowned for their athletic prowess.  In 2006 the school’s athletic programming yielded more than $1.6 million in academic and athletic scholarships to American and Canadian universities.