Fans in the stands at Ottawa sporting event for first time in 495 days
For the first time in 495 days, fans attended a live sporting event in Ottawa on Saturday.
With Ontario moving into Step 3 of the economic reopening plan, up to 1,000 fans were allowed inside The Arena at TD Place for the Ottawa BlackJacks game against Edmonton Saturday afternoon.
"Extremely exciting. Obviously, we're the first sports franchise in Ontario to welcome back paid attendance, but when you're thinking about what it does for the community – everybody's happy," said Jevohn Shepherd, General Manager of the BlackJacks.
"The last year and a half has been extremely tough for everybody and we've been only able to get out and take walks. Now we're at a place where we can have live sports, we can enjoy live sports."
Shepherd says fans in the stands will be an "invisible" player on the floor for the team as the sixth man.
"I think it just means so much, one for our team, so much for the community that's been extremely supportive. We can feel the buzz, we can feel the energy," said Shepherd.
As part of increased safety measures, The Arena at TD Place has moved to electronic ticketing and paperless transactions, with no cash. Hand sanitizer stations will be set up throughout the building and face coverings will be required by all patrons.
The BlackJacks say Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group has set up a seating configuration in the arena in consultation with health authorities and the CEBL to ensure the comfort and safety of all patrons that enter The Arena at TD Place.
The 1,000 fans were seated on the north side of the court, including pairs of seats spaced out along the court. Pictures on social media showed fans sitting in groups of two and four people, spaced out in the seats through the upper and lower bowls.
Shepherd told CTV News Ottawa earlier this week that the BlackJacks and Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group made COVID-19 safety the priority as fans return to the stands.
"We're doing everything in our power to ensure the confidence with the health and safety protocols."
Under Step 3 of Ontario's reopen plan, up to 1,000 fans will be allowed inside TD Place for basketball.
Fans will also be allowed to attend the Ottawa BlackJacks game on July 26 against Saskatchewan and on Aug. 4 against Guelph.
For ticket information, visit www.theblackjacks.ca.
This is the first time fans have been allowed inside arenas and stadiums in Ottawa for a sporting event since the Ottawa 67's beat Niagara on March 10, 2020, at TD Place. The Ottawa Senators last game in front of fans in Ottawa was March 5, 2020 at Canadian Tire Centre.
The Ottawa Redblacks will be allowed to have up to 15,000 fans at TD Place for CFL games when the season starts in August.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
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.
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.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
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.
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.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.