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
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.
'Reimagining Mother's Day': Toronto woman creates Motherless Day event after losing mom
Mother's Day can be a difficult occasion for those who have lost or are estranged from their mom.
Sherpa guide Kami Rita scales Mount Everest for 29th time, extending his own record again
One of greatest climbing guides on Mount Everest has scaled the world's highest peak for the 29th time, extending his own record for most times to the summit, expedition organizers said Sunday.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Balancing act: Canadian North’s first Inuk CEO juggles Arctic airline challenges
With carriers' flight volumes above the 60th parallel hovering below pre-pandemic levels, Canadian North’s first Inuk CEO now bears the task of balancing those financial and logistical challenges with the needs of communities for which she feels a deep affinity.