Three CFL teams permitted to reopen facilities

The three Canadian Football League teams based in Ontario have been given the go ahead to reopen their facilities.

Lisa MacLeod, Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries, made the announcement on Friday morning:

“Our top priority remains the health and safety of all Ontarians. As we prepare for a safe and gradual reopening of the economy, we have been working closely with public health experts and our professional sport teams to prepare for a return to play when it is safe to do so.

I am pleased to announce that beginning today in Ontario, professional sport training facilities will be permitted to reopen, provided their respective sports leagues have established health and safety protocols in response to COVID-19. 

While it is imperative to do everything we can to stop the spread of COVID-19, we need to carefully and cautiously begin to reopen the economy. This is a critical sector for Ontario as sport represents more than $12.6 billion to Ontario’s economy and thousands of jobs across the province.

We are pleased to see professional sports teams take a leading role in producing new rigorous protocols to keep their athletes safe, while allowing them to train in a voluntary and individualized manner. 

We look forward to seeing our athletes return to play in the not-too-distant future.”

That means the Toronto Argonauts, Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Ottawa Redblacks can have coaches, management and players in as long as the strict guidelines are followed.