The South Bayview Bulldog

Adrian Mercer (left) and Eric Brown

Adrian Mercer, who is half of Mercer Brown Contracting, has commented on the post below about the benches that he and his partner Eric Brown created for the Leaside Memorial Gardens Arena. They worked with an associate Jim Williams. Adrian reports that the bulk of the work on the rustic benches was done at Mr. Williams workshop in Brookville. Mercer-Brown is located in nearby Guelph so that the creation of the benches from raw trees saw a considerable journey. They started out of course on the property where they grew, and which is now home to the new ice rink. From there they went to Simon Stevenson’s Leaside Landscaping on Commercial Street in Leaside. Then it was up to the Fenelon Falls area where the logs were milled. After that the planks came back to Toronto for a year’s storage and drying at a facility of Canada Self Storage. Then it was time to truck the wood up to Brookville. Adrian reports on the work:  “Myself, my partner Eric Brown, and associate Jim Williams made the benches using strictly the lumber that was cut and milled from the arena property. The legs and tie piece were cut and planed. The big tops had to be belt sanded. Then the benches were constructed, stained, and coated three times with varnish. Great project! Love the ‘live edge’ finish. And the stain really brought out the beauty in that wood. We’re very happy with the result.”  The South Bayview Bulldog says well done to Adrian, Eric and Jim and passes on the reminder that these skilled men are available to create custom work for any Leasider or South Bayviewite who has a project.  They do all kinds of wood work  You can mail them here: adrian.j.mercer@gmail.com  Previous post 

Five benches which were hand-crafted from wood salvaged off the site of the Leaside Memorial Gardens expansion have now been delivered and are in use at the arena outside the dressing rooms. This refreshing news and until now almost unknown project is mentioned on the arena’s Facebook page this day. The arena thanks Mercer Brown Contracting, the firm that constructed the benches. But it is apparently a story involving a number of skilled people, starting with the contractors who cut the trees, carefully selected on the woodlots beside the original arena. Simon Stevenson is the owner of Leaside Landscaping. He told the South Bayview Bulldog part of the story. The Maple and Linden trees were marked where they stood, cut and turned into logs. Later, they were  milled at a location near Fenelon Falls. The lumber was then stored for a year at a facility of the public-spirited Canada Self-Storage firm while it dried. The wood was then we daresay lovingly fabricated into the benches now located outside the basement dressing rooms at the arena. They were delivered on Monday, January 26, 2015. The management posted a message asking that members and the public “be respectful” as they enjoy the benches so they last for many years. Photo: There is a new warmth outside the dressing rooms at the arena to greet waiting parents. Inset, Laura Spracklin with her daughter Nicole Manneh Thursday evening awaits son seen emerging after a game.  More on how benches were built