The Roll-A-Dome is officially dead.
It's been renamed the Prince George Dome and it will continue to serve the same function it has for the past 66 years - providing Prince George a community centre for sports, entertainment and recreation.
Located on Recreation Place next to the Prince George Golf and Curling Club, the 30,000 square-foot Prince George Dome has two indoor arenas used for roller skating, roller derby, skateboarding, soccer, ball hockey, lacrosse, rugby, baseball, boxing, freestyle skiing, BMX riding, crossfit workouts, airsoft shooting and dog training. That indoor space is also available for trade shows, antiques fairs, garage sales, and can be booked for parties, weddings and grad functions.
Now, after completion of a $25,000 renovation to sand and repaint one of the hardwood gym floors, basketball will be one of the featured sports played on a regular basis in the Prince George Dome.
The Northern Bounce Basketball Academy has moved in as one of the primary tenants and Dome program director Jon Lafontaine says it was time the facility changed its name and came out with a new logo to better reflect what really goes on at the privately-owned facility.
"It showcases it as multi-sport in its name rather than just roller skating," said Lafontaine. "So we've opened up the doors to a whole new sport that hasn't been able to play there. It's still a multi-use facility. It's just expanding sporting options at the Prince George Dome."
The Prince George Youth Baseball Association has been using the P.G. Dome for indoor sessions and has an batting cage set up at the facility, which has come in handy considering winter weather doesn't seem to want to let go its grip on the city and most of the ball diamonds are still buried under snow.
The gym was also used during the winter for the Prince George Masters Ball Hockey League and a men's indoor soccer (futsal) league.
"The gym space is available to the public, depending on availability of the court times and there will be drop-in basketball, depending on how it builds up," said Lafontaine. "It's jam-packed for the 6-9 p.m. (timeslot) and we're pushing more groups into the 3:30-5:30 (timeslot).
"The busy season (for the basketball academy) is the summer, which is good for the Prince George Dome because it usually slows down in the summertime, so it's nice to find a user for that time."
The 12 Stuffy Riders plush animal electric scooters originally used at Pine Centre Mall to give kids and adults a break from shopping are now available to rent at the P.G. Dome for birthday parties or other functions. The P.G. Dome no longer houses L.A. Promotions and its Family Fun Centre, which for five years leased the space for an indoor play area with inflatable gyms, laser tag, and a mechanical bull.
To inquire about booking for the Prince George Dome, call 250-564-6795
