'I'm an optimist:' Tory says he thinks Blue Jays will return to Toronto this season
Mayor John Tory says he is optimistic that the Blue Jays can return to Toronto this season so fans can watch the team on home soil.
Due to pandemic border restrictions, the Jays are currently playing home games at Sahlen Field in Buffalo.
When asked about whether the Jays will be able to return home later this summer, Mayor John Tory said he believes fans will be able to watch the team play at the Rogers Centre this year.
“I am an optimist about that and I think if you take the broader definition of summer, which I believe goes through until the 21st of September, that the answer will be yes,” Tory said during an interview with CP24 on Friday morning.
“I think that now that we have in Stage 2 some sports facilities open with some spectators, and I think if you look at the Montreal example from the playoff game last night, that that kind of thing is a possibility and I think the federal government can sort the border out so the other teams can come and go.”
Ontario will enter Step 2 of the Ford government’s reopening plan on Wednesday which will allow outdoor sports games to resume with 25 per cent capacity in the stands.
Indoor sports and recreational facilities will be permitted to reopen under Step 3 of the reopening plan, which is currently expected to begin in late July.
“We will keep our fingers crossed,” Tory said. “I'll certainly be advocating for that if the Jays want to come back here for the latter part of the season.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Couple randomly attacked, 1 stabbed, by group of teens in Toronto, police say
A man has been transported to hospital after police say he was stabbed in a random attack carried out by a group of teens in Toronto on Friday night.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Michael Cohen: A challenging star witness in Donald Trump's hush money trial
He once said he would take a bullet for Donald Trump. Now Michael Cohen is prosecutors' biggest piece of legal ammunition in the former president's hush money trial.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Millions of Canadians have been exposed to potentially toxic chemicals, and they're not going anywhere
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
As Israel pushes deeper into Rafah, Hamas regroups elsewhere in ungoverned Gaza
Israeli forces were battling Palestinian militants across the Gaza Strip on Sunday, including in parts of the devastated north that the military said it had cleared months ago, where Hamas has exploited a security vacuum to regroup.
Thousands of civilians evacuated from northeast Ukraine as Russia presses renewed border assault
Thousands more civilians have fled Russia's renewed ground offensive in Ukraine's northeast that has targeted towns and villages with a barrage of artillery and mortar fire, officials said Sunday.
Feds 'committed to doing more,' but minister offers no timeline for Canadian Disability Benefit boost
Amid significant criticism from advocates, Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities Minister Kamal Khera is defending her government's long-promised, newly unveiled Canada Disability Benefit, calling the funds an "initial step," but without laying out a timeline for future expansion of the program.
RCMP boss expresses desire for new law to deal with threats against politicians
RCMP commissioner Mike Duheme says he wants the government to look at drafting a new law that would make it easier for police to pursue charges against people who threaten elected officials.