Toronto mayor jokingly calls for 'complete investigation' after CN Tower is lit up to honour Montreal Canadiens
Maple Leaf fans may have thought that things couldn’t get much worse after their team lost another first round series in heartbreaking fashion but a decision to light up the CN Tower in the colours of the rival Montreal Canadiens appears to be putting that theory to the test.
The local landmark, which is federally owned, was lit red, blue and white on Tuesday night after the Habs beat the Winnipeg Jets to become the only Canadian team left in the NHL playoffs.
The move prompted a significant outcry on social media with many Leafs fans wondering aloud whether somebody lost a bet and others using relatively choice words to question the decision and the motivations behind it.
“Clearly there is something here that needs to be looked into,” Mayor John Tory said during an appearance on CP24 on Wednesday morning. “Obviously there is somebody over there who is a Habs fan in which case there needs to be a full and complete investigation or somebody lost a bet.”
The CN Tower tweeted out a picture of the Canadiens-inspired lighting scheme on Tuesday night, noting that it was done to honour the team “that will go on to represent Canada’s hope for a 2021 Stanley Cup.”
But the decision did not sit well with many Leafs fans, including Tory who will soon have to raise a Habs flag at Nathan Phillips Square to fulfill a bet with Montreal’s mayor.
“I've had it in my possession (the flag) for two or three days and I just haven't been able to bring myself to go to the square, attach it to the rope and actually reel it up. In fact I even thought maybe somebody could do it in the middle of the night, take a picture and then just say it was done and we can get it back down again. But having said that, a bet is a bet,” Tory said Wednesday.
Tory did take to social media on Wednesday to confirm that the Toronto sign will not be lit up in Canadiens colours.
He also told CP24 that he expects the CN Tower to look into its decision to honour the Montreal Canadiens given the bad memories it has brought back for Leafs fans.
“You just think about any one of those games at the latter part of the series there if we've won that we'd gone on and taken those Jets out. We would be down to the final four and we would have so much momentum that I think we'd be getting organized for something much better but it is what it is,” he lamented.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'On the edge of failing': Most of Canada gets a 'D' on poverty report cards
Poverty and food insecurity have worsened in most of Canada in the past year and most provincial governments aren't doing enough to address the problem, according to a just-released series of report cards.
Woman found dead in Lake Ontario in 2017 matches identity of missing person in Switzerland
Genetic genealogy has helped Toronto police identify a woman who was found dead in Lake Ontario in 2017.
Fish oil supplements may raise risk of stroke, heart issues, study suggests
As an excellent source of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, daily fish oil supplements are a popular way to keep the risk of cardiovascular disease at bay.
Private island on Nova Scotia's South Shore listed for $15.8M
A private island on Nova Scotia’s South Shore has been listed for sale with a $11.5-million USD price tag.
U.K. prime minister calls national election for July 4
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called a national election on Wednesday, naming July 4 as the date for a vote his governing Conservatives are widely expected to lose to the opposition Labour Party after 14 years in power.
'Happy tears' of victim's sister after prison attack on serial killer Robert Pickton
Cynthia Cardinal said she was 'overwhelmed' with happiness when she received a text message on Monday with the news that serial killer Robert Pickton, who murdered her sister, was attacked in prison. She called it 'karma.'
Montreal photographer captures dramatic Canada goose vs. fox fight on video
A Montreal photographer captured the moment a Canada goose defended itself from a fox at the Botanical Garden.
Blood vial delivery prompts evacuation of Republican headquarters in Washington
The Republican National Committee's headquarters in Washington was briefly evacuated on Wednesday morning after a suspicious package containing two vials of blood was delivered to the building, the police and the RNC said.
World's most expensive feather sells at New Zealand auction
A feather from a long-extinct New Zealand bird has set a record after selling for $46,521 NZD (about US$28,400), the auction house handling the sale has said.