A Vanier elementary school could soon be home to an all-season sports dome. The Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est (CECCE) says it has reached a “major milestone in the development of its four-season sports dome,” planned for the grounds of École élémentaire catholique Horizon-Jeunesse. The project is in partnership with the Ottawa Footy Sevens, a recreational soccer league for youth and adults. “Under the agreement, Ottawa Footy Sevens will support the CECCE in the development of the project and will manage the facility outside of school hours,” reads a news release. According to the CECCE, the sports dome will be approximately 9,000 sq. m. and will operate year-round. The school board says students will have priority access to the facilities during the school day, with members of the wider community primarily accessing the dome during evenings and weekends. “This partnership will help maximize the use of the facility and ensure that it serves both the school community and residents of the surrounding area,” the CECCE says. “It’s fantastic news for the Vanier community. It’s offering facilities right to our students, but also to the community because it’s a partnership with the Ottawa Footy Sevens soccer group, which allows school use during the day and evenings and weekends, make it available to the community,” said CECCE director of education Marc Bertrand. The school board says the Footy Sevens will cover construction costs under the agreement. “We think it’s going to be something that will be an exciting addition to the soccer communities,” said Ottawa Footy Sevens president Chris Surgeoner. There are two other sports domes at CECCE schools in Ottawa, one at École secondaire catholique Paul-Desmarais in Stittsville and another at École secondaire catholique Garneau in Orléans. The dome at Horizon-Jeunesse would be the first at an elementary school. Another thing that would set the new dome apart from the others is air conditioning, allowing for use during extreme heat or when poor air quality limits outdoor activities. The school board says the required applications are being submitted to the City of Ottawa for the project to move forward with a plan for construction to begin in 2027.
