Woodbine Entertainment to celebrate Canada Day with some fans in stands for races
Ontario horse racing fans will be allowed back to watch live events starting next week.
Jim Lawson, the CEO of Woodbine Entertainment, says both Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto and Woodbine Mohawk Park in Campbellville, Ont., will allow spectators at 25 per cent capacity starting Canada Day (July 1).
The move comes after the Ontario government announced Thursday it will move into the second stage of its reopening plan next Wednesday.
The move to the second stage was slated to take effect July 2 but COVID-19 vaccination targets have already been reached, and other health indicators have improved since strict measures took effect in April to control the third wave of the global pandemic.
Under terms of the second stage, outdoor horse racing can be held at 25 per cent capacity.
The move to the second stage is also a very good sign for Ontario's three CFL franchises, with the 14-game schedule slated to start Aug. 5.
All three Ontario teams will open the '21 season on the road, with the Toronto Argonauts being the first to have a home game -- Aug. 21 versus the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
The Ottawa Redblacks will host the B.C. Lions on Aug. 28, with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats returning to Tim Hortons Field to face the arch-rival Argos on Sept. 6 in the annual Labour Day Classic.
Major League Baseball's Toronto Blue Jays and Major League Soccer's Toronto FC are playing out of temporary homes in Buffalo, N.Y., and Orlando, respectively. Because of border restrictions and the large amount of American teams in those two leagues, it is much more difficult for the Blue Jays and TFC to play in Toronto.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 24, 2021
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Three dead, two hospitalized, following collision in Fredericton: police
Three people have died and two have been hospitalized after a speeding car struck a tree and landed on another vehicle in Fredericton Sunday morning.
Nylander defends Leafs' core after playoff exit, Toronto again picks up the pieces
The Maple Leafs battled back from a 3-1 series deficit against the Boston Bruins with consecutive 2-1 victories - including one that required extra time - in their first-round playoff series to push the club's Original Six rival to the limit before suffering a devastating Game 7 overtime loss.
Amid climate change warnings, Canadians lukewarm on electric vehicles
Amid scientists' warnings that nations need to transition away from fossil fuels to limit climate change, Canadians are still lukewarm on electric vehicles, according to a study conducted by Nanos Research for CTV News.
Montreal man on the hook for thousands of dollars after a feature on his Tesla caused an accident
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
Madonna's biggest-ever concert transforms Rio's Copacabana beach into a massive dance floor
Madonna put on a free concert on Copacabana beach Saturday night, turning Rio de Janeiro's vast stretch of sand into an enormous dance floor teeming with a multitude of her fans.
Mexican authorities say thieves killed 2 Australians and an American to steal their truck
Thieves killed two Australians and an American on a surfing trip to Mexico in order to steal their truck, particularly because they wanted the tires, authorities said Sunday.
1 person killed and 23 injured in a bus crash in northern Maryland, police say
One person was killed and 23 others were injured when a bus crashed early Sunday on Interstate 95 in northern Maryland, police said.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
‘Love has no boundaries’: Sask. couple in their 90s and 80s get married
Eighty-two-year-old Susan Neufeldt and 90-year-old Ulrich Richter are no spring chickens, but their love blossomed over the weekend with their wedding at Pine View Manor just outside of Rosthern.