Calgary soccer dome opening ‘major milestone' amid field shortage
Calgary's new soccer centre dome is ready for action amid what local soccer associations say is a critical lack of fields.
The mayor and other city officials will hold a grand opening for the dome Friday at noon.
The new air-supported dome will provide a place to play year-round for both competitive and recreational soccer players.
Located at the Calgary Soccer Centre, the City of Calgary said the dome's turf will be available for public bookings, and complement the existing amenities at facility.
The lines inside on the pitch can accommodate 7-versus-7, 9-versus-9 and 11-versus-11, meaning it can accommodate various ages and skill levels.
The dome's construction comes amid extremely high demand for soccer fields in the city.
According to the Calgary Minor Soccer Association, soccer is the biggest game in Calgary, due in part to ease of sign up and low equipment barriers.
The association said registration has growing at an unprecedented pace, with record setting numbers each season. It's now serving more than 31,000 people a year.
'What it will provide for us is an opportunity to accommodate that growth that we've had,' said Carlo Bruneau, the association's executive director.
'In previous years, we've had to reduce the games that we play. We've had to shorten the game lengths. Our teams typically don't get a chance to warm up before games.'
Most importantly, Bruneau said the new facility will make sure no kids are turned away.
The Calgary Minor Soccer Association will be one of the main stakeholders utilizing this new dome.
While the association says the dome's opening is an important milestone, it notes it could already utilize several more - adding more work is needed to bring the city to match national levels.
Booking for the field inside the dome will start Saturday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Toronto Star
25 minutes ago
- Toronto Star
Premiers Smith, Moe disappointed by Trump's tariffs but most exports remain duty-free
REGINA - The premiers of Alberta and Saskatchewan say they're disappointed by higher tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump but pleased the majority of their exports won't face duties. Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says the Canada-United States-Mexico trade agreement remains in place, allowing 95 per cent of his province's exports to move into the United States tariff-free.
National Post
25 minutes ago
- National Post
Who is Victoria Mboko? Canada's newest tennis sensation climbs the ladder at the Canadian Open
Canada's newest tennis sensation, 18-year-old Victoria Mboko, is continuing to attract attention as she moves into the fourth round of the Canadian Open in Montreal this weekend. Article content The last of nine Canadians remaining in the final tournament bracket, Mboko collected her sixth win against a top-50 player, 18-year-old Czech star, Marie Bouzkova, over three sets. Article content Article content The two players have squared off before on the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Tour, but only once. It was during the Italian Open earlier this year and Gauff prevailed. That was on clay. Now, they'll face off on a hard court. Article content 'I'm going to kind of go into the match how I usually go into every other match despite the surface,' Mboko told The Tennis Gazette after her victory in the third round. 'I'm going to show up with how I play, and I just hope for the best.' Article content She expressed excitement over the rematch with Gauff and expects it to be a hard-fought battle. Article content Article content Article content Against Bouzkova in the third round, Mboko appeared to falter, losing the first set 6-1, but she got her groove back in front of the home crowd and secured a place in the round of 16 (the last round before the quarter-finals).
CTV News
25 minutes ago
- CTV News
Canada should refrain from any retaliatory measures: Sask. Premier Moe on U.S. tariffs hike
Premier of Saskatchewan Scott Moe speaks to media following the First Minister's Meeting in Saskatoon, Sask., Monday, June 2, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Liam Richards Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says U.S. President Donald Trump's new 35 per cent tariffs are disappointing and that Canada should refrain from any retaliatory measures that would cause harm to Canada's economy. However, he says that efforts remain in effect to ensure the Canada-U.S.-Mexico trade agreement (CUSMA) remains in effect. 'While Saskatchewan is disappointed in the Trump administration's decision to increase tariffs on non-CUSMA compliant Canadian goods to 35 per cent, Canada's efforts to ensure CUSMA remains in effect means that 95 per cent of Saskatchewan exports to the U.S. will remain tariff-free,' he said in a statement. Moe says CUSMA remaining in effect is very significant given the U.S. has imposed across-the-board tariffs on many countries. Trump signed an executive order activating tariffs against 68 countries and the European Union Thursday evening. New tariffs of 35 per cent on Canadian exports, effective Friday, exclude products under CUSMA, the White House has said. Moe says Canadian exports that remain tariff-free now have a competitive advantage relative to other countries facing tariffs on the same products. 'Our government will continue to engage with U.S. businesses and lawmakers to improve our trade relationship while continuing to expand our export markets to over 160 countries around the world that buy Saskatchewan products,' he said. He says Saskatchewan will also continue to press the federal government to adopt the 'Strong Saskatchewan, Strong Canada Plan' to approve economic infrastructure projects and eliminate regulations hindering economic development. Moe is expected to speak to reporters on Friday at 12 p.m., which can be livestreamed at the top of this article. -More to come…
