Ontario rejects call to allow health workers to attend Game 7
The Ontario government will not allow fans inside Scotiabank Arena Monday for the Game 7 showdown between the Leafs and the Habs — despite calls for the province to follow Quebec’s lead and let a limited number of spectators through the doors.
Ontario’s Ministry of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries confirmed Sunday that “no spectators are allowed to attend games in-person” — hours after Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown issued a call to allow 2,500 fully vaccinated health-care and essential workers to attend Monday’s big game.
“They have sacrificed so much during the pandemic and it would be great to recognize their heroic efforts,” Brown wrote in a letter addressed to outgoing chief medical officer of health Dr. David Williams.
Brown urged the province to follow the lead of Quebec Premier François Legault, who on Saturday allowed about 2,500 fans into Montreal’s Bell Centre to watch the Montreal Canadiens beat the Toronto Maple Leafs in overtime, forcing Game 7.
Quebec’s move was made after declining case counts saw public health officials loosen COVID-19 restrictions, allowing for about 12 per cent capacity in the Montreal arena.
But Dakota Brasier, spokesperson for Lisa MacLeod, Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries, said in a statement Sunday that no spectators will yet be allowed to attend games in person.
That decision is in accordance with Ontario’s chief medical officer of health’s review of the NHL’s return-to-play plan.
“The province will continue to follow the advice of the Chief Medical Officer of Health, other health experts and local public health to determine when and if it is safe for measures to be lifted based off the Roadmap to Reopen,” Brasier said.
Ontario’s “Roadmap to Reopen” does not allow for the reopening of indoor sports or recreational facilities until Phase 3, when 70 to 80 per cent of adults have received at least one dose of the vaccine and 25 per cent are fully vaccinated.
Brown, who also launched a petition to allow attendance at Monday’s game, suggested the move was safe because the health-care and essential workers would be fully vaccinated.
Reached Sunday afternoon, Brown said he was undeterred by the province’s no-spectator stance, noting last-minute changes have been made by the province before, including when Premier Doug Ford closed, then swiftly reopened, playgrounds last month.
“I think this is a unique opportunity to cheer on our Maple Leafs in what is a very unique moment in history, playing the Montreal Canadiens in Game 7, and an opportunity to thank our health-care heroes who have sacrificed so much over the last year,” Brown said.
In an email Sunday, Lawvin Hadisi, a spokesperson for Toronto Mayor John Tory, said the mayor “is hopeful there will still be lots of Leafs playoff hockey ahead beyond Monday night,” giving the province more time to consider allowing fans in to watch future games.
The presence of fans in the Bell Centre arena on Saturday night represented “a sign of progress for our country,” Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said.
“This is less about the game and our sport and the playoffs. It’s about the progress being made in the country and I think that’s a really good sign,” Keefe said.