Toronto Blue Jays to return to Rogers Centre by month's end
The Toronto Blue Jays announced Friday that they will return to Rogers Centre starting July 30.
"After nearly two years away, the Toronto Blue Jays are finally coming home to Canada beginning July 30," a release issued by the team said.
"The club was granted a National Interest Exemption by the federal government that allows Major League Baseball games to be played at Rogers Centre, with robust health and safety protocols in place."
"Following a careful review by public health officials at every level of government, a National Interest Exemption has been approved that will permit the Toronto Blue Jays to return to Toronto and play home games at the Rogers Centre," Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino said in a statement.
"This decision was made in conjunction with the Public Health Agency of Canada, with the approval of provincial and municipal public health officials."
Mendicino added that the plan includes pre- and post-arrival testing of everyone crossing the border, along with additional testing four times a week for unvaccinated individuals.
The team said unvaccinated and partially vaccinated people on both home and visiting teams will only be permitted to leave their residence to participate in baseball activities at Rogers Centre for the duration of their first 14 days in Canada.
The Blue Jays haven't played at Rogers Centre since September 2019. They played home games during the shortened 2020 season in Buffalo and started this season in Dunedin, Florida before returning to Buffalo.
"First and foremost, the Blue Jays wish to thank Canadians for their unprecedented public health efforts and support for the team," the release said.
"Without you, Blue Jays baseball would not be coming home this summer."
The club says that 2021 and 2022 season ticket holders will receive communication directly shortly.
With files from The Associated Press.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
First court appearance for boy and girl charged in death of Halifax 16-year-old
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.