Electrical
Specializing in commercial construction, design/build, installation, LED Lighting and maintenance.
With decades of combined experience as an electrical services provider, The Violin Group has accumulated a wealth of knowledge, training, know-how and satisfied customers. A portfolio that includes shopping malls, commercial complexes, offices, factories and agricultural processing facilities demonstrates that there is no challenge The Violin Group’s Electrical division cannot meet and surpass. From small to large clients, from minor renovations to large-scale installations, each project is designed and developed with careful consideration of the clients’ goals and completed with the company’s distinct mark of precision and quality. Let The Violin Group advise you on what electrical solutions will best meet your unique needs and then deliver on schedule, on budget and done right the first time.
Project
Bigwin Island Golf Club
Electrical and Telecom
When The Violin Group’s Electrical and Telecom divisions were handpicked to bring cell service to the Bigwin Island Golf Club and surrounding areas on the Lake of Bays in Muskoka, there was a sense from the start that it would be an exceptionally unique project; one that only comes around once in a lifetime.
Bigwin Island Golf Club is a world-class golf course located on a 520-acre private island that is a northern getaway for Toronto’s elite and is renowned for its mature hardwood forests and incredible lake vistas.
Patrons of Bigwin Island were looking for improved cell service, but didn’t want the natural beauty of the environment polluted with cell towers and wires. So, in need of a unique solution, Bell Mobility enlisted the innovative team at The Violin Group to coordinate this unique installation from start to finish.
The white-glove venture proved to be extremely challenging, not only because of the remote location, but because there were many sensitivities related to the project: consideration of the meticulous golf course grounds, honouring the heritage of the historic water tower and utmost regard for the privacy of the nearby properties.
Adding to these complexities, the entire project had to be completed during the winter months, when the surrounding lake was frozen and the golf course was closed for the season. After scrutinizing a range of options, The Violin Group devised a plan to bring all necessary tools, equipment and crew to the mainland shoreline and set up a winter base camp. All materials were then transported to Bigwin Island over the frozen lake via snowmobiles and ATVs, once all ‘Working on Ice’ training was completed for the entire crew in order to maintain the highest standards of health and safely.
The cellular site’s main hub was designed and built on the mainland before being deconstructed and transported to the island’s water tower, piece by piece. The materials were then hoisted up to an entry door (installed 30 feet above grade) and reassembled within the water tower.
To maintain Bigwin Island’s pristine vistas, cabling was run along the interior of the water tower up to antennas that were mounted on custom-engineered platforms. These curved platforms were then positioned at precise angles to broadcast through the tower’s upper-most openings. The design and install of new electrical services, with an accompanying generator system, was paramount to ensure services remained uninterrupted through power outages and inclement island weather – and to guarantee satisfied patrons of Bigwin Island.
The build was performed over several months, and the crew lived on the island within the golf course’s summer workers’ quarters. As the project neared completion the lake began to thaw, so fan-boats – then barges – were used to transport trucks, equipment and crews to and from the island.
The Bigwin Island project is a testament to The Violin Group’s tireless passion for finding innovative solutions to the most challenging client requests. When precision is paramount and “close enough” won’t cut it, The Violin Group’s Electrical and Telecom divisions will deliver on all fronts, every time.
Projects
Niagara Regional Council Chambers
When Niagara Regional Council decided to renovate and modernize its council chambers in 2013, The Violin Group’s Electrical division was contracted to build its new technology setup from the ground up.
The project began with a total renovation down to the studs. The Violin Group then installed LED lighting, sophisticated lighting controls, desk plugs, monitors, a leading-edge audiovisual infrastructure system and more – all seamlessly integrated through a distribution system located inside custom millwork. This new, efficient setup allowed Regional Council to save energy and money.
The retrofit of council chambers also allowed for unprecedented ease of collaboration through individual computer monitors that councilors can now use to post and share information during proceedings. Additionally, councilor voting is now done electronically, with voting results shown on multiple monitors – allowing for improved communication and transparency for councilor’s and citizens alike.
Optimist Club of Niagara Falls
The Optimist Club of Niagara Falls has been supporting youth in the community since 1936 – and in 2012 the organization decided to build a brand new facility that would better meet its present needs.
Two buildings built in the 1960s and 1980s were demolished and a replaced with a single new facility comprised of meeting rooms, a 300-person banquet hall, a stunning pavilion and a children’s play center.
The Violin Group’s Electrical division was hired to work hand-in-hand with the project’s architect in order to install enhanced LED lighting systems (in the building and in the parking lot), high voltage service, audio systems and an elaborate automated lighting control system.
Over the past five years, the LED lighting system has served to optimize the overall building design and has produced energy savings for the Optimist Club. Moreover, the state-of-the-art space has achieved an increased volume of facility rentals, resulting in more revenue for the Optimist Club to reinvest back into the local community.