Landmarks across Canada will be lit up in blue and white to mark return of Blue Jays
Landmarks across Canada, including Niagara Falls and the CN Tower, will be lit up in blue and white tonight to mark the return of the Toronto Blue Jays.
The Jays are playing their first home game at the Rogers Centre in nearly two years on Friday night and cities across Canada are celebrating the homecoming.
In Niagara Falls, the team’s colours will adorn a number of popular tourism attractions, including the Canadian Horseshoe Falls and the American Falls.
“Niagara Falls Tourism and our destination’s experiences are thrilled to join Canada in celebrating the return of the Toronto Blue Jays,” Janice Thomson, president and CEO of Niagara Falls Tourism, said in a statement released on Thursday morning.
“The illumination of Niagara Falls in blue [and] white is a breathtaking welcome home for Canada’s beloved Blue Jays and a unique symbol of the united support the team has received from both nations these past two years.”
The Skylon Tower and Fallsview Casino will also be lit up in blue and white on Thursday night.
Blue Jays flags will be raised in Yellowknife, Regina, and Fredericton, and at Fairmont Banff Springs today.
In Toronto, the CN Tower and the Toronto sign at Nathan Phillips Square will be illuminated in the baseball club’s colours and at Rogers Place in Edmonton there will be an LED display in honour of the team.
Due to border restrictions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Blue Jays played most of their home games at Sahlen Field in Buffalo during the 2020 and 2021 season.
On Thursday, Mayor John Tory thanked the City of Buffalo for hosting the team.
“We are so fortunate to have a supportive nearby U.S. city such as Buffalo that enabled our Jays to continue playing baseball during these difficult times. You and the residents of Buffalo opened your doors, your arms, and your hearts to our Jays and we are grateful for that,” Tory wrote.
“Seeing our Blue Jays playing again when the MLB season returned in 2020 and again this year has helped bring a much-needed sense of normalcy to Toronto fans while we worked to fight COVID-19 and get people vaccinated to bring this pandemic to an end and get on with reopening.”
Tory extended an invitation to Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown to visit Toronto and see a game at the Rogers Centre when border restrictions are eased.
“On behalf of the City of Toronto and its residents, I send my deepest thanks once again to you and your residents for ensuring Buffalo was the best ‘home away from home’ that the Toronto Blue Jays and their fans could ask for, Tory said.
“We have always been friends and this is just one more indication of a very special relationship.”
About 15,000 fans are expected to cheer on the team in Toronto on Friday when the Jays begin their three-game series against the Kansas City Royals.
The Jays said fans attending Friday’s game will receive a special T-shirt and mask upon entry. The team will also host staff from Toronto General Hospital’s intensive care unit to thank them for all they have done over the past 18 months.
Union Station and GO Transit are also preparing for the return of baseball fans to the downtown core.
Two extra GO trains will be on standby to accommodate increased ridership on top of regular hourly train service and trains are being upsized in anticipation of increased ridership.
There will be regularly scheduled 30-minute service along the Lakeshore East and Lakeshore West lines during the weekend games.
“The return of baseball also means a return of ridership,” the transit agency said in a written statement released Thursday.
“Metrolinx will be there to get fans to and from the game.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NDP motion regarding Palestinian statehood passes after major Liberal alterations
A motion from the federal New Democrats initially calling on Canada to recognize the 'State of Palestine' passed amid widespread acrimony on Monday, after the Liberals drastically altered its wording to see the government simply work towards that aim as part of a two-state solution.
'He didn't want to die': Family of Calgary man killed in standoff speaks out
Family of a Calgary man killed after a 30-hour standoff with police last week are speaking out, sharing details of the tense and heart-wrenching experience.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Ohio mom who left toddler alone 10 days when she went on vacation pleads guilty to aggravated murder
An Ohio mother whose 16-month-old daughter died after being left home alone in a playpen for 10 days last summer while she went on vacation was sentenced Monday to life in prison with no chance of parole.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
5 charged in Calgary kidnappings that targeted women
Calgary police have charged five men in a pair of kidnappings last year that targeted innocent victims.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Canadian commander of volunteer fighter group dies in Ukraine
A Canadian-born commander of the so-called Norman Brigade, a volunteer fighting group in Ukraine, has died.