Dorval golf clubhouse takes a hike

The clubhouse on the former Dorval Municipal Golf Course has found a new home in July. The eight-year-old building is set to become changing rooms for a new synthetic soccer field at the Academie Sainte-Anne on Bouchard Blvd. in Dorval.

For the city’s part, the $46,000 venture involved transporting the four-piece, modular clubhouse to the school and demolishing the foundation on Aeroports de Montreal (ADM) land. The foundation is currently being laid at the cost of Academie Ste-Anne.

“We want to facilitate where kids can change and use the bathroom, and the spectators. In the summer the school is closed,” said Dorval Mayor Edgar Rouleau.

The $3-million soccer terrain is a joint project between Dorval and the school, with $475,000 contributed by the Quebec government.

Dorval kicked in about $1-million and will be able to use the field for the next 15 years, free of charge. “It’s like paying in advance for using the field,” said Rouleau.

Moving day

About eight years ago the Dorval invested in the new clubhouse for the golf course as the old one was run down and growing mold. The city was two years into a 10-year lease with ADM when they bought the $50,000 building.

The move was not anticipated, but the cost of a modular building was significantly cheaper for the city, according to Rouleau.

When Dorval announced a $1-million commitment toward the soccer field project, it included the price of a new chalet. By reusing the old building, Rouleau says the city may see some savings, but expects the investment to remain around the million dollar mark.

Soccer fever

The synthetic field is expected to be a huge boon for the people of Dorval. “In Dorval soccer is just booming like everywhere else and we lack fields, but the big advantage is that they can play for most of the year [with a synthetic field],” said Rouleau.

A natural soccer field can have players from June to September but synthetic will extend the season from March to November, the mayor explained.  

A synthetic field behind the Sarto-Desnoyers community centre was inaugurated in 2009.

“With our weather in Quebec and Canada I think Synthetic is the way to go,” said Rouleau.

The field was originally expected to be completed in September, however Academie Sainte-Anne could not be reached for comment.