The Moneris Merchant Scoop: Ontario Blue Jays

The Moneris^® Merchant Scoop Series is dedicated to highlighting Canadian businesses thriving amidst an ever-changing landscape. Featuring exclusive interviews, learn more about the entrepreneurs behind the scenes, their stories of how they got their businesses off the ground, what it really takes to achieve success, and what the next steps could look like for a resilient future.

So many children fall in love with sport and it quickly becomes a dream to play on a professional level. But, how do these athletes make their dream come alive? They need to train in facilities with an atmosphere filled with the same objectives they have for themselves. The Ontario Blue Jays (OBJ) is just that place. When a young athlete takes their first steps into the OBJ, they are instantly welcomed by a professional/championship culture with an emphasis on supporting their fellow baseball players realize and achieve their dreams of playing at collegiate and professional levels.

The OBJ was founded over 25 years ago in Hamilton, ON and is currently located in Mississauga, ON. Stephanie Wilkinson, owner of the OBJ, talks about the athletic centre born with the purpose of helping young baseball players realize their potential. According to her, the OBJ has continued to grow with the help of great leadership, tireless work and dedication to assert the program as the best amateur baseball program in the nation.

Wilkinson brought many ideas to the table when joining the OBJ and knew she wanted to be at the facility full-time to empower young athletes and help them have a positive experience each day. Her focus was thinking about how the establishment could grow. She is responsible for administrative work at the OBJ and prioritizes making the path to success simple for the players. She talks about the leading reason work does not feel like ‘work’ for her. “When I come in each day, I am surrounded by incredible people and the day does not feel like a job because we come together and have so much fun.”

The success of the OBJ is built on a commitment of ensuring excellence through sport and developing participants of the program to not only be strong baseball players, but leading members of their community. Each day throughout the year the facility places an emphasis on teamwork, discipline and dedication to baseball. Today, the OBJ has helped place 530 athletes in colleges, 120 to MLB draft picks and signings, 75 to the Canadian National Team and 8 athletes became MLB players. The opportunity to play at a collegiate level comes from athletes going on a yearly fall trip to various schools across the United States.

“Part of making the experience seamless is the way we take payments,” says Wilkinson. She talked about her experience looking around for options to take payments. “When it all comes down to it, nothing beats Moneris®. Prices, products and services Moneris offers are very competitive.” The OBJ is using the IWL255 wireless terminal to process payments. For Wilkinson, having a wireless terminal is an added convenience for parents because they can process payments wherever they are in the building. The terminal has therefore been an efficient and reliable payment option for the OBJ and has helped the club offer additional payment options to parents.

To learn more about the story of Ontario Blue Jays and their experience with Moneris, click here.