Plans for a dome at the Université du Québec en Outaouais have been pushed back to November 2027

Jude Osmond


A plan for the Université du Québec en Outaouais (UQO) to have a cover, more commonly known as a dome, over the soccer field, has been pushed back for a third time. It was originally promised for the fall of 2025, then for November 2026, and now it’s been pushed back again, with plans to open in November 2027.

City councillors officially approved of the UQO dome project during the city council meeting in Masson-Angers on May 12.

The project's initial funding was five million dollars, but it has now been raised to eight million, with an additional 2 million for locker rooms nearby, so 10 million in total. Gatineau initially had five million saved for the project, but with the increase, city council approved the project with the newly instated funding.

What the city thinks

Vincent Roy the Municipal councillor Aylmer district touched on the delays, saying the finances were never fully finalized, which was causing them. Still, he mentioned the new eight million dollar budget for the project is now finalized. He demonstrated confidence in the opening date, saying the details are more concrete than ever for this project.

Luc Chénier, Municipal Councillor for the Versant district, expressed confidence about the additional funding, stating that it is a worthwhile investment for the city, especially as more residents engage in soccer and other sports. “If we look at the Branchaud-Brière complex, where people are able to play soccer and other sports year-round, even during the winter, we should aim for the same thing,” he remarked.

The UQO field is mainly used for soccer in the spring and summer. Still, with the addition of the new dome, a new layer of year-round sports will be played, including flag football, rugby, and one of the biggest sports positively impacted by the dome, as Mayor Maude Marquis-Bissonnette mentioned, baseball. Baseball is one of the sports most played and, with the dome, players would have a chance to play in the winter.

“This is an infrastructure that is going to permit thousands of people to access new hours of enjoyment,” Bissonnette said. “It’s a winning project and the Quebec government is also going to contribute.”

There will also be a service block built in phase two of the project.