MLSE plans for return to full capacity at Scotiabank Arena for upcoming Maple Leafs season
Toronto could soon see Scotiabank Arena packed with hockey fans as Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE) prepares to run at full capacity for the upcoming season, a spokesperson confirmed to CTV News on Friday.
In a statement, MLSE said now that all guests must be fully vaccinated to attend all MLSE venues, the organization hopes for a “return to full capacity.”
“We believe we are able to create the safest experience possible and are planning for a return to full capacity in 2021,” the statement read.
“Our ticketing rollout allows for flexibility in the coming weeks to meet the process required to achieve that. We expect more direction to be available to us in the coming days.”
Preseason tickets for the Toronto Maple Leafs officially go on sale this morning and in a tweet, the Leafs noted that “in the event that capacity allowances are impacted by public health and government regulations prior to the game” MLSE may cancel tickets and issue refunds.
Under the current provincial guidelines, indoor sports and recreational facilities can only host up to 1,000 spectators, well below the 20,000 seats available inside Scotiabank Arena.
The province has not yet commented on MLSE’s plan but last month, Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore suggested that he would support lifting capacity limits in some places that had mandatory vaccination requirements in place.
As part of the Ford government’s new vaccine certificate program, which comes into effect on Sept. 22, people must show proof of vaccination to attend indoor sporting events. Children under the age of 12 are exempt from the policy as they are not yet eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccines. A few medical exemptions have also been identified.
“I would think that the government should assess that if everyone in that environment is immunized then that's a very low risk event,” Moore said on Aug. 24 when asked about the possibility of lifting capacity restrictions.
“So I would hope that the government will make a decision to enable them to move forward even if we have other restrictions in place.”
Moore previously indicated that he would like to see 90 per cent of all eligible Ontario residents fully vaccinated but said that target should not be a “measure by which we can hold businesses back.”
Outdoor sports venues, including the Rogers Centre and BMO Field, were given the green light earlier this summer to host up to 15,000 fans per game.
Ontario is currently in Step 3 of the province’s reopening roadmap and the Ford government has pressed pause on lifting restrictions any further due to concerns over the more transmissible Delta variant, which is the dominant COVID-19 strain in the province.
-With files from CTV News Toronto's Ashley Legassic
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Rainfall warnings of up to 80 mm among weather alerts in effect for 6 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres and other alerts have been issued for six Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Bus plunges off a bridge in South Africa, killing 45 people. An 8-year-old child is only survivor
A bus carrying worshippers headed to an Easter festival plunged off a bridge on a mountain pass and burst into flames in South Africa on Thursday, killing at least 45 people, authorities said.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Calgary police shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers dealt with a distraught individual. The incident lasted almost 20 hours.