TORONTO – The federal government’s denial of the Toronto Blue Jays’ request to host regular-season games at Rogers Centre is more a rejection of Major League Baseball’s plan for the summer, than it is about the thorough protocol put together by the club.
Consider that for the better part of two months, president and CEO Mark Shapiro, occasionally with deputy commissioner Dan Halem, had been keeping the Public Health Agency of Canada updated on the protocols the sport has put in place for playing amid the pandemic. MLB has an 113-page Operations Manual for 2020. The Blue Jays added 54 more pages in their pitch to play in the city. They had Bo Bichette, Travis Shaw and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., address health officials this week, helping earn the support from governments in Toronto and Ontario for a modified cohort quarantine.
But the absurdly divergent, often negligent approach to COVID-19 in the United States — where containment efforts are an abject failure rooted in stubborn, intentional ignorance — stands in sharp contrast to the calculated caution employed by the federal government here.
The Blue Jays’ schedule includes three trips to the outbreak epicenter of Florida, including next week to open the season in St. Petersburg against the Tampa Bay Rays, as well as one to the hotspot of Georgia for a series against the Atlanta Braves. The Rays and Miami Marlins each make one visit to Toronto, while the other teams they’d be hosting will have also visited places where cases are spiking.
So even with Major League Baseball’s protocol featuring tests every other day, even with an additional test for everyone in Toronto – nasal swab instead of the less intrusive saliva to increase accuracy – the frequent border crossings were an impossible risk variable to resolve.
Hence, the travel element avoided by the NHL and NBA with their bubble-protocols — but that MLB chose to forge ahead with — ultimately sunk the Blue Jays’ endeavour. Marco Mendicino, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship, said in a statement Saturday that “based on the best-available public health advice, we have concluded the cross-border travel required for MLB regular season play would not adequately protect Canadians’ health and safety.”
“Of particular concern,” he added, is that “the Toronto Blue Jays would be required to play in locations where the risk of virus transmission remains high.”
In saying as much, Mendicino not only highlighted the dissonant paths taken by Canada and the United States in regards to the coronavirus, but also implied that the MLB plan isn’t foolproof enough to avoid the players acting as vectors for the disease.
The 2020 season, which starts Thursday despite a continuing spike in cases in the United States, will in due course determine that. Either way, the Canadian government wanted no part of having the experiment play out here.
“The list of concerns obviously changed as conditions in the U.S. changed. That’s just a reality,” Shapiro said of the asks from Canadian health officials, who drove the process, not vice-versa. “In the end, I’m confident that we satisfied every one of those concerns except for the one we could not control, and that is that the MLB model involves cross-border travel and in-and-out flights.
“We could not change that even though I feel confident that our plan mitigated the risk there, to the level that obviously the municipality and the province were comfortable with. Certainly respect and understand that we couldn’t ultimately satisfy that at the federal level.”
And so the Blue Jays, caught somewhat off-guard by the decision after Ontario Premier Doug Ford talked about the approval as if it was a done deal , are back in limbo.
The July 29 home opener against the Washington Nationals looms and while the Blue Jays have spent the bulk of their time planning on Buffalo’s Sahlen Field in recent days, Shapiro cautioned that “it’s not a done deal,” even though he’s “confident that Buffalo is a viable alternative.”
TD Ballpark in Dunedin, Fla., is “100 per cent seamless right now and ready to go” from a baseball perspective, “but from a player-health standpoint has some challenges,” said Shapiro.
“And then we have other alternatives that are real, that we continue to work through that may be better for us,” Shapiro added, but that he wouldn’t specify because “I don’t feel any of those are clear enough or we’ve done enough to provide you any more right now.”
“But I’m 100 per cent confident we’ll have some clarity on those in the next couple of days,” Shapiro continued, “and I’m 100 per cent confident we’ll be in the best possible situation that satisfies player health and competitiveness when we start our season.”
Time is, without a doubt, of the essence, particularly if the Blue Jays land on Buffalo, which needs significant infrastructure upgrades — particularly in terms of clubhouse spacing to meet MLB protocols and lighting. There are already club staff in the city doing the necessary legwork and the city’s mayor stumped for their arrival on Twitter, again underlining the disparity in outlooks between the two countries.
As Mayor of Buffalo, I would love to see the @BlueJays play at Sahlen Field.
Nashville is one alternative that’s churned among the chattering classes but at this point, but there’s so little time remaining to lock this down it’s hard to envision it being anywhere other than Buffalo or Dunedin.
The final decision will belong to the Blue Jays “but Major League Baseball is playing an integral role,” said Shapiro. “The commissioner has been extremely helpful in providing guidance and in helping us understand what alternatives exist.”
The union is being kept informed of the situation, with player-rep Matt Shoemaker doing some heavy lifting there, and a Blue Jays clubhouse that’s lived with more uncertainty than any other in the majors must overcome yet another hurdle.
Remember, they went from not knowing where their camp would be held, to spending it in lockdown at the stadium and attached hotel, to being surprised that a similar fate loomed for the season, to facing what in some ways will be a 60-game road trip, with home games potentially in a minor-league stadium.
The upheaval led the Blue Jays to plan for hardship compensation for their players, as first reported by ESPN’s Jeff Passan, that Shapiro said “took into consideration some of the logistical challenges they were dealing with.”
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The club’s Alternative Training Site — set to house nearly 30 players who don’t make the big-league roster — is also up in the air, likely to be “at a U.S. minor-league facility closest to wherever our site is,” said Shapiro.
So, there’s a lot for players to wrap their minds around, although ace lefty Hyun-Jin Ryu offered some sound perspective.
“First of all, COVID-19 still exists, and there are hard-working people on the frontlines trying to battle the virus,” Ryu said in comments interpreted by Bryan Lee. “So, you have to respect the Canadian government’s decision to keep the nation safe.
“… Obviously, you play half of the season at home, so, there is definitely some sort of comfort level you develop over time,” he added later. “But, honestly, right now the situation itself, we just have to deal with it as players. And one of our jobs is to adapt to new types of situations. And I think we just have to rally around — not just myself, but my teammates as well — we just have to get used to a new environment. Wherever we end up, we have to get used to that place.”
Improvisation and adaptation are inherent parts of life amid the pandemic, and all the more so for the Blue Jays in comparison to the other 29 big-league clubs. If American governments had treated the coronavirus as seriously as their Canadian counterparts, maybe that wouldn’t need to be the case.
MONTREAL – Canadian National Railway Co. told employees this week it plans to relocate its operations in Jasper to near Hinton, Alta., about 100 kilometres away.
In a memo sent to employees in the fire-ravaged town, the company said it’s aiming to increase efficiency by minimizing train stops between Edmonton and Blue River, B.C., which sits across the Rockies.
CN plans to close its Jasper bunkhouse and build a crew change facility east of Hinton, with workers slated to clock in at the new site starting in September 2025, according to the document obtained by The Canadian Press.
“CN has made the decision to implement operational changes to improve network fluidity,” regional vice-president Nicole James said in the memo.
The union representing rail workers criticized the relocation, which affects about 200 employees, though no layoffs are expected.
“This is another devastating blow to the town of Jasper, after this year’s catastrophic wildfires. Rail is one of the largest industries in Jasper, after tourism, and CN’s move will cripple this community even further,” said Paul Boucher, president of the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference.
“And for the workers who’ve already lost so much — some even their homes — this is a truly cruel blow.”
Union spokesman Christopher Monette noted that most residents or their spouses must work in town to qualify to live there under Jasper National Park’s residency rules. The company has told the union it will apply for an exception for the workers, he said.
CN spokeswoman Ashley Michnowski says the railway is committed to supporting employees through the transition and keeping them updated.
“These types of changes take time to fully plan out and implement. That’s why one of our initial steps was to have this discussion with our employees as well as advising the town of Jasper,” she said in an email.
A wildfire ripped through Jasper in July, destroying a third of the mountain town and displacing many of its 4,800 residents.
The blaze also caused smoke damage to the CN bunkhouse, which the company says it has worked to restore since it was allowed to re-enter the community with contractors on Aug. 16.
Engineers and conductors have been reporting for work in Hinton, roughly an hour away, since the wildfire.
With roots as a fur trade outpost, Jasper launched as a railway town in the early 20th century after tracks built by the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway — CN’s predecessor — paved the way for the municipality.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Red Wings made another investment this week in a young standout, signing Moritz Seider to a seven-year contract worth nearly $60 million.
The Red Wings announced the move with the 23-year-old German defenseman on Thursday, three days after keeping 22-year-old forward Lucas Raymond with a $64.6 million, eight-year deal.
Detroit drafted Seider with the No. 6 pick overall eight years ago and he has proven to be a great pick. He has 134 career points, the most by a defenseman drafted in 2019.
He was the NHL’s only player to have at least 200 hits and block 200-plus shots last season, when he scored a career-high nine goals and had 42 points for the second straight year.
Seider won the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie in 2022 after he had a career-high 50 points.
Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman is banking on Seider, whose contract will count $8.55 million annually against the cap, and Raymond to turn a rebuilding team into a winner.
Detroit has failed to make the playoffs in eight straight seasons, the longest postseason drought in franchise history.
The Red Wings, who won four Stanley Cups from 1997 to 2008, have been reeling since their run of 25 straight postseasons ended in 2016.
Detroit was 41-32-9 last season and finished with a winning record for the first time since its last playoff appearance.
Yzerman re-signed Patrick Kane last summer and signed some free agents, including Vladimir Tarasenko to a two-year contract worth $9.5 million after he helped the Florida Panthers hoist the Cup.
Veterans Tyson Beukeboom and Karen Paquin will lead Canada at the WXV 1 women’s rugby tournament starting later this month in the Vancouver area.
WXV 1 includes the top three teams from the Women’s Six Nations (England, France and Ireland) and the top three teams from the Pacific Four Series (Canada, New Zealand, and the United States).
Third-ranked Canada faces No. 4 France, No. 7 Ireland and No. 1 England in the elite division of the three-tiered WXV tournament that runs Sept. 29 to Oct. 12 in Vancouver and Langley, B.C. No. 2 New Zealand and the eighth-ranked U.S. make up the six-team WVX 1 field.
“Our preparation time was short but efficient. This will be a strong team,” Canada coach Kevin Rouet said in a statement. “All the players have worked very hard for the last couple of weeks to prepare for WXV and we are excited for these next three matches and for the chance to play on home soil here in Vancouver against the best rugby teams in the world.
“France, Ireland and England will each challenge us in different ways but it’s another opportunity to test ourselves and another step in our journey to the Rugby World Cup next year.”
Beukeboom serves as captain in the injury absence of Sophie de Goede. The 33-year-old from Uxbridge, Ont., earned her Canadian-record 68th international cap in Canada’s first-ever victory over New Zealand in May at the Pacific Four Series.
Twenty three of the 30 Canadian players selected for WXV 1 were part of that Pacific Four Series squad.
Rouet’s roster includes the uncapped Asia Hogan-Rochester, Caroline Crossley and Rori Wood.
Hogan-Rochester and Crossley were part of the Canadian team that won rugby sevens silver at the Paris Olympics, along with WXV teammates Fancy Bermudez, Olivia Apps, Alysha Corrigan and Taylor Perry. Wood is a veteran of five seasons at UBC.
The 37-year-old Paquin, who has 38 caps for Canada including the 2014 Rugby World Cup, returns to the team for the first time since the 2021 World Cup.
Canada opens the tournament Sept. 29 against France at B.C. Place Stadium in Vancouver before facing Ireland on Oct. 5 at Willoughby Stadium at Langley Events Centre, and England on Oct. 12 at B.C. Place.
The second-tier WXV 2 and third-tier WXV 3 are slated to run Sept. 27 to Oct. 12, in South Africa and Dubai, respectively.
WXV 2 features Australia, Italy, Japan, Scotland, South Africa and Wales while WXV 3 is made up of Fiji, Hong Kong, Madagascar, the Netherlands, Samoa and Spain.
The tournament has 2025 World Cup qualification implications, although Canada, New Zealand and France, like host England, had already qualified by reaching the semifinals of the last tournament.
Ireland, South Africa, the U.S., Japan, Fiji and Brazil have also booked their ticket, with the final six berths going to the highest-finishing WXV teams who have not yet qualified through regional tournaments.
Canada’s Women’s Rugby Team WXV 1 Squad
Forwards
Alexandria Ellis, Ottawa, Stade Français Paris (France); Brittany Kassil, Guelph, Ont., Guelph Goats; Caroline Crossley, Victoria, Castaway Wanderers; Courtney Holtkamp, Rimbey, Alta., Red Deer Titans Rugby; DaLeaka Menin, Vulcan, Alta., Exeter Chiefs (England); Emily Tuttosi, Souris, Man., Exeter Chiefs (England); Fabiola Forteza, Quebec City, Stade Bordelais (France); Gabrielle Senft, Regina, Saracens (England); Gillian Boag, Calgary, Gloucester-Hartpury (England); Julia Omokhuale, Calgary, Leicester Tigers (England); Karen Paquin, Quebec City, Club de rugby de Quebec; Laetitia Royer, Loretteville, Que., ASM Romagnat (France); McKinley Hunt, King City, Ont., Saracens (England); Pamphinette Buisa, Gatineau, Que., Ottawa Irish; Rori Wood, Sooke, B.C., College Rifles RFC; Sara Cline, Edmonton, Leprechaun Tigers; Tyson Beukeboom, Uxbridge, Ont., Ealing Trailfinders (England);
Backs
Alexandra Tessier, Sainte-Clotilde-de-Horton, Que., Exeter Chiefs (England); Alysha Corrigan, Charlottetown, P.E.I., CRFC; Asia Hogan-Rochester, Toronto, Toronto Nomads; Claire Gallagher, Caledon, Ont., Leicester Tigers (England); Fancy Bermudez, Edmonton, Saracens (England); Julia Schell, Uxbridge, Ont., Ealing Trailfinders (England); Justine Pelletier, Rivière-du-Loup, Que, Stade Bordelais (France); Mahalia Robinson, Fulford, Que., Town of Mount Royal RFC; Olivia Apps, Lindsay, Ont., Lindsay RFC; Paige Farries, Red Deer, Alta., Saracens (England); Sara Kaljuvee, Ajax, Ont., Westshore RFC; Shoshanah Seumanutafa, White Rock, B.C., Counties Manukau (New Zealand); Taylor Perry, Oakville, Ont., Exeter Chiefs (England).
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 18, 2024.
