We are very pleased to announce that the new GUIDES CANINS Complex will soon be open! This highly anticipated building will allow us to serve you better thanks to the addition of several classrooms, indoor agility hall, boarding kennel spaces and grooming area in addition to offering a full range of canine water activities such as Aqua Agility and Dock Diving in the new indoor pool. This new building with an area of 30,600 ft2 (2.26X larger than the current center) will allow us to better meet the growing demand for all our services thanks to;
- A huge agility hall (which can easily be divided into 3 separate sections);
- Two education classrooms (for obedience classes or other sports);
- A private consultation room;
- An indoor pool;
- A spacious dog grooming area;
- A designated space for nail trims;
- A daycare and boarding kennel with 60 spaces;
- Dedicated lounges for our employees;
- 5 toilets and 2 showers.
Outdoors, we will have an agility field on synthetic surface (in addition to the 4 agility/Fribee competition grounds already in place), a fenced exercise park, 8 exercise yards for the boarding kennel and 82 parking spaces. See the Q&A section to learn more about the dimensions of our new facilities.
Now that all rigorous environmental assessment tests and studies have been diligently completed and all required permits have been obtained, construction started May 9th 2022 and will finish around the end of May 2023.
Other than the reconfiguration and temporary closure of a few sections of the walking trails, we do not anticipate the need to interrupt any of our services as a result of this construction work. Rest assured that all work will be done with the utmost concern for the safety of our customers, their dogs and our employees. To reduce the risk of accidents or injuries during construction, we have implemented the following preventive measures that we ask everyone to respect carefully:
- All dogs must be kept on leash at all times in the parking lot and near the construction site.
- Trails around the construction area will be reconfigured to direct them away from the work site.
- Stop signs added at every trail intersection along the entrance path to the GUIDES CANINS facility. Despite this, we encourage all people who use the trails to be extremely vigilant when crossing these intersections.
Several eco-responsible precautions have been carefully planned in this project to reduce the environmental impact such as:
- The planting of trees on the site of an area equivalent to the amount of cutting necessary for construction (ie. this represents 1.8% of the GUIDES CANINS territory)
- Recovery, recycling and reuse of materials
- Pale roof with high reflectance to avoid creating a heat island effect
- Energy-efficient building (i.e. waterproofing of concrete walls, improved insulation in walls (R40) and ceilings (R60), increased ventilation efficiency, air conditioning and heating with CO2 detection, premium DLC grade LED lighting, motion detector light switches, etc…)
- New septic system approved by the Ministry of the Environment and the Fight against Climate Change (MELCC)
- Conducted a spring biological study to identify, among other things, the existence of wetlands and the presence of endangered animal or plant species
We are excited and looking forward to welcoming you in our new GUIDES CANINS Complex. Until then, count on us to do everything we can to avoid inconveniences to our valued customers.
Looking forward to serving you better in our upcoming new facilities.
Questions and answers
How long will the construction take?
Construction work began at the beginning of May 2022 and are scheduled to finish by the end of May 2023! 12 months of construction for this incredible project!
When do you expect to open the new building?
We are hoping to be able to move into our new complex by the end of this spring! We will be celebrating the inauguration in June and July! You will all be invited!
Why build a new building instead of expanding the current one?
The construction of a new building is necessary to reduce inconveniences to customers, avoid interruption of our services, optimize space as well as upgrade and achieve better energy efficiency of our facilities.
What will happen to the other building?
Shortly after the opening of the new GUIDES CANINS Complex and the transfer of all services from one building to another, the former canine sports center will be carefully demolished. Particular attention will be done throughout the project to recover, recycle and reuse materials where possible. The existing foundation will be kept to build agility practice areas and boarding kennel yards.
What disadvantages for customers do you foresee?
Although we sincerely hope to do everything possible to avoid the inconveniences for our customers, it is possible that during certain phases of the project, noises near the construction site, truck traffic and temporarily reduced parking space could be unpleasant.
What size will the new center be?
The new GUIDES CANINS Complex will be 30,600 ft2 (that’s 2.26X bigger than the current GUIDES CANINS multiports center).
What types of classrooms and training spaces will there be for activities?
- An agility hall of 80′ X 150′ that can be easily separated into 3 sections of 50′ X 80′ with plenty of room for open practices, indoor Frisbee and even Flyball!
- 2 obedience classrooms (and other sports!) of 30′ X 70′ and 44′ X 64′ that are divisible for more flexibility of our activities
- 1 room of 16′ X 20′ reserved for private consultations
- 1 indoor pool of 21′ X 45′ to offer canine water activities including dock diving, aqua-agility, fitness, swimming lessons and leisure swimming
- 1 spacious grooming area
- 1 room reserved for our nail cutting service
- 1 boarding kennel with 60 spaces
- Dedicated lounge areas for our employees
- 5 toilets and 2 showers
What type of flooring will be installed in the new indoor agility hall?
A new generation synthetic surface (without filling) will be installed in the indoor agility training hall of the new GUIDES CANINS Complex.
How much bigger will the new agility hall be?
Currently the agility hall of the existing multisport center is 65′ by 100′ and divides into two sections. The agility hall of the new GUIDES CANINS Complex will be 80′ by 150′ (and can be divided into 3 sections of 50′ X 80′ separated by gymnasium curtains that are easy to remove and reinstall). Therefore, the new agility hall will be about 2 times larger than the current one. And yes, the size will make it possible to organize sanctioned indoor agility contests!
Will it be safe and possible to use the outdoor agility fields despite the construction noises and material clutter?
A security perimeter around the construction site will be erected and all outdoor canine activities will only be allowed on designated available fields (e.g. competition fields on the side of the existing building and the indoor hall). It is expected that at least 2 agility fields located near the construction site will be closed during construction. The novice competition agility field will be enclosed with a 4-foot fence and other adjustments will be made as needed. We will do our best to reduce construction noises during outdoor class hours but naturally we will not be able to avoid it completely. We thank you in advance for your patience and collaboration with these temporary inconveniences.
Will construction vehicles pass through the main entrance road?
Yes, all vehicles need to use the same road to reach our facilities, which is why preventive measures such as stop signs have been added at every trail intersection in addition to speed limit and dog crossing signs.
Will the trails be accessible during construction?
Except for a few trails near the work site, all other trails will remain open and accessible during construction. Note that some trails may be redirected to steer them away from the construction zone. Regardless, all people who use the trails will need to remain extremely vigilant and cooperate with all signage and directives.
Will there be an increase in parking spaces?
Yes, at the end of construction, the parking lot will be redesigned to offer a total of 82 parking spaces including 2 charging stations for electric cars.
Will there be more light in the parking lot?
Indeed, lighting in the parking lot is planned to be improved along with greater lighting for the entire exterior of the building.
What new activities will be available in the new building?
A full range of canine water sports will be added to our portfolio of activities offered in the new GUIDES CANINS Complex.
Will the offer of courses be increased when the new center is opened?
All services and activities currently offered by GUIDES CANINS will benefit from improved quality and accessibility in our new facilities. Since the new GUIDES CANINS Complex will have more space and classrooms, it will allow us to add courses to better meet the needs of clients who wish to attend classes at peak hours (i.e. evenings and weekends).
Will the current center remain open throughout construction?
Yes, the existing center will remain open throughout the construction. All GUIDES CANINS activities will continue to be offered without any planned interruptions.
Will there be temporary closures during construction?
The only temporary closure currently planned is for a section of trails and two agility fields located near the construction site.
Will there be indoor classes or will the classrooms be closed?
Since the new GUIDES CANINS Complex is being built next to the existing Multisport Center currently in use, all indoor classrooms will remain open throughout construction and indoor classes will continue as planned.
What will happen to the outdoor agility fields and activities during construction?
Only some outdoor agility classes or practices will be relocated to other available fields (i.e. competition grounds). All other outdoor classes/activities (e.g. Frisbee, Canicross, Rally-O, Ratiers Sports etc…) will continue as usual.
Will we be able to play Frisbee in the winter?
Yes! In addition to Frisbee, other dog sports such as Flyball can also be practiced in the new indoor agility hall.
Will prices for GUIDES CANINS services increase?
This project represents a considerable financial investment. It will increase the quality and capacity of all our services to better meet the growing regional demand for canine activities. Prices for our services are generally increased annually according to inflation. At launch of the new GUIDES CANINS Complex, pricing will be evaluated and may be adjusted if needed according to service offering improvements.
Will there still be personalized service?
GUIDES CANINS is well known for its exceptional personalized services. We are confident that the new GUIDES CANINS Complex will allow us to offer even greater personalized services that exceed the expectations of our loyal customers.
Can customers help in any way?
We have always known, GUIDES CANINS has the best clientele in the world! Simply continue to have fun developing your passion for dog sports and training, this is what motivates us to offer activities beyond your expectations through this expansion project. Thank you for your patience, understanding and collaboration during construction. We are very grateful for your strong commitment despite the potential inconveniences of the construction.
Will there be more opportunities to rent training spaces?
Yes, competitions and all other activities offered in normal times are scheduled to proceed as planned throughout the construction (please consult our website for the list of upcoming competitions).
Will competitions take place during construction?
Indeed, with the added training halls and classrooms, the GUIDES CANINS Complex capacity will provide greater availability for renting of training spaces.
Will jobs be added to the organization?
Yes, it is expected that new jobs will gradually be added to the team and some positions will be adapted according to the services (e.g. canine aquatic activities). New job opportunities at GUIDES CANINS will be posted on our website as soon as these positions are open for recruitment.
What water sports will be offered in the new pool?
The GUIDES CANINS indoor pool will offer all canine aquatic activities such as Aqua-Agility, Dock-Jumping (diving), fitness, swimming lessons, free swimming and other activities.
