HIGH ACHIEVERS: Without Louis-Riel Dome, Ottawa Lions athletes will train throughout city, New York State this winter

By Martin Cleary

As the head coach and director of the Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club, Richard Johnston has called Ottawa home for the past eight years.

But, at this moment, he feels like he’s living between a rock and a hard place.

The outdoor track and field season for training and competition at the Terry Fox Athletic Facility is scheduled to end Friday. Starting Saturday, the Lions’ runners, jumpers and throwers will move indoors to sharpen their skills for future competitions.

But where will that be?

How about all over the place in familiar but not satisfactory locations instead of the much-better-suited and more-desired venue it has become accustomed to at the Louis-Riel Dome in Ottawa’s east end.

In mid-February, the unique Dome, which not only provides proper space for Louis-Riel high school students but also houses the country’s only indoor 400-metre track, crashed to the ground during a winter snowstorm.

Almost nine months after its collapse, the dome is scheduled to reopen as early as January 2026, according to a joint statement by Louis-Riel principal Carole Séguin and Louis-Riel Dome business manager Sophie Anderson.

A new roof has been installed and renovations are progressing well, according to their Oct. 21 notice, which appeared on the school’s website.

“The renovation work will allow the school’s sports programs in the dome to resume in January at the return from the (Christmas) break,” the notice said. “The rentals will resume at a later date. A reopening date will be communicated to you (in) early 2026.”

During the renovation, WiFi access will be enhanced and lighting will be significantly upgraded. There also are plans to make improvements to the track and equipment.

But Johnston doesn’t expect to see his athletes training inside the dome for another year, probably in the fall of 2026.

“I feel I’m between a rock and a hard place now,” a frustrated Johnston admitted in a phone interview this week. “There has been a very large lack of communication. Things haven’t been shared. I’ll add we haven’t received any real updates, only very generic ones.

“I respect the conversations between the board, the school and the managerial staff on how to navigate this. But this is a one-of-a-kind facility in Canada. I was hoping to get the foot on the pedal to get things going.

“I understand it’s a school facility owned by the CÉPEO (Conseil des écoles publiques de l’Est de l’Ontario), but at the same time … the community and city cannot go without a track and field facility in the winter.”

While the dome will be unavailable to the Ottawa track and field community from November through March, Johnston has confirmed agreements for his athletes and coaches to train at three local locations and one in upper New York state.

The Lions have booked the Aberdeen Pavilion on the grounds of Lansdowne Park for three days a week, the Carleton University fieldhouse for sprint training and its own clubhouse for strength and conditioning workouts. These venues are unable to stage any track and field meets.

St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York, also has agreed to accommodate the Lions’ athletes, who will make the 90-minute drive to practice in the indoor venue with its 200-metre track.

Johnston continues to look for suitable space for his athletes to train over the next five months as they prepare for provincial and national competitions, leading to the 2026 Canadian senior and junior championships June 17-21 at the Terry Fox Athletic Facility. The national championships are the final qualifier before the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.

He estimates he has made more than 20 inquiries about renting spaces in the city for athlete training and found limited success.

There are several domed sports venues throughout the city, which would be suitable for training, but their schedules are full because other sports groups have had long-time rental agreements.

Johnston was hoping to be able to return to the Louis-Riel Dome this fall as the Lions are having one of the best seasons in their history and the cross-country running season is about to get serious with various provincial and national championships.

“Stellar is the word I will use,” he said upon reflection. “There have been a lot of amazing performances from youth to the national championships.

“There have been gold medals across all the age groups. How could you not be proud of what they have accomplished.”

Johnston would like to keep that ball rolling in the right direction and has a plan to take the Lions to an even higher level.

His idea can’t be found in any report, but he has talked to many people about it. In a perfect world, he would like to see the secondary north field at the Terry Fox Athletic Facility converted into a covered venue with a six-lane, 200-metre indoor track.

Not only would a domed indoor track provide a winter training venue, but also it would serve as the required warm-up track to attract future international track and field meets.

The Lions would need to work with the National Capital Commission, which owns the land, and the City of Ottawa to pursue this project.

“It’s not on any books. It’s very theoretical. It has been spoken out loud,” Johnston said. “I have spoken to that vision with a lot of people, including Ottawa Tourism. There’s still a lot of work to do. I don’t have any short cuts.”