Raging windstorm topples Red Deer sports facility dome

The Dome in Red Deer, Alta., on May 15, 2026. (Brandon Lynch/CTV News Edmonton)

An indoor sports facility in Red Deer, Alta., is closed until further notice after a whipping windstorm Thursday collapsed its dome.

The Dome owner Noah Welch confirmed everyone was evacuated safely after the massive white structure went down.

“I thank God that there were only a few people in The Dome, all adults, and that no one was injured,” he wrote in a social media post Thursday evening.

Environment Canada issued damaging wind warnings in parts of central Alberta on Thursday and later reported Red Deer experiencing gusts around 94 km/h.

The team is now assessing the damage and working out the cost of repairs.

The Dome first opened in November 2019 and closed shortly thereafter with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic months later.

“That was a massive hurdle that we were able to overcome with the resilience of our staff and support of our community … The hurdle in front of us seems like it is the size of a mountain but the only option we have is to get up and start climbing,” Welch wrote.