Cape Breton sports dome damaged in 2020 storm will soon welcome athletes again

Construction of a recreation sports dome in Sydney, N.S., that has been out of commission for over three years is nearing completion.

Located next to Cape Breton University, the Cape Breton Health Recreation Complex includes a multi-purpose sports facility within the all-season dome.

A 2020 winter storm punctured holes in the large structure which houses a soccer pitch. The new exterior includes a more durable canvas and heavier cabling. Ken MacLean, the president of the facility, said the building should be able to withstand high winds and heavy snowfall.

"Hopefully this new one will be more sturdy and withstand the Cape Breton winters," he said.

The total cost of the project was $2 million. The original soccer pitch was kept, and will occupy the same footprint as the previous dome. MacLean said the space not only houses a growing soccer community, but also baseball, cricket, golf and a walking program for seniors.

He adds the dome also helps when CBU is pitching to host national championship events at the university. 

The main tenant before the dome failed in 2020 was Soccer Cape Breton. Three years ago, there were approximately 1,800 youth, teenagers and seniors registered with the group. Last summer, that number was closer to 2,800.

Wil van Hal, the president of Soccer Cape Breton, said the organization is in desperate need of more field access, and the dome offers a great venue for winter training camps. He said while the dome was being replaced, soccer practices in the winter time were taking place on basketball courts through the Cape Breton Regional Municipality.

"So when they're training indoors in a gym and then going to Halifax to play games in the winter it's, you know, it's kind of midway through the game before they get used to playing on turf again," van Hal said. 

Van Hal said there is also a need for more field access in the municipality during the summer and fall months, as many soccer pitches are not in good shape.

"So we have seen some clubs, their main hubs of fields have been impacted due to vandalism, due to weather," he said. "So we have been working with CBRM recreation department and parks and grounds to create a better relationship when it comes to mowing and maintaining our fields."

MacLean said crews are in the final weeks of completing construction of the new dome. He's hopeful the space will be open by the fall.