Oilers had hoped for fans back in Rogers Place by last February: documents
The Edmonton Oilers pitched Alberta Health a plan to have fans back at Rogers Place for the 2021 season as early as last February, according to internal emails and documents.
The initial plan was outlined in an email from an Oilers executive to Alberta Health and called for a select few fans to be in attendance at Battle of Alberta games in Calgary and Edmonton on Feb. 19 and 20.
“What about a first responders night on those dates with 1,000 first responders in attendance (vaccinated) as a thank you from [the] Oilers [and] Flames,” the email reads.
“Then rollout 1,000 fans a game, building up over the course of the season to whatever is a reasonable number,” it reads.
“We have a comprehensive plan to ensure we can do it safely, but we also need to ensure we get the timing right from a public perception perspective.”
The email is among documents obtained by CTV News following a freedom of information request filed in March of 2021.
SECOND WAVE PLANS
Another email from the team states it had “built a detailed building attendance manifest” for Rogers Place based on six-foot physical distancing that resulted in a capacity of 3,700.
- Oilers chairman hopeful team can play in front of fans by May
- Oilers hockey set to return with raised expectations but without fans
Team chairman Bob Nicholson told CTV News in January of 2021 that the team needed more than double that number from a financial perspective.
"Really, for the numbers to really start to make any sense to us, probably about 9,000 people, but we will certainly have less in than that when we can,” said Nicholson.
The plans were crafted as the COVID-19 pandemic’s second wave began to dissipate in Alberta in January of 2021, with the number of new cases as well as the number of patients in hospital and intensive care units decreasing throughout January into early February.
By then, the provincial government had announced it was relaxing several COVID-19 restrictions, first in early February and then again in early March.
- Infographics: COVID-19 in Alberta by the numbers
- COVID-19 in Edmonton: Numbers broken down by neighbourhood
But by mid-March, the province’s COVID-19 situation began to worsen, as the Alpha variant pushed case counts back up at the start of what would grow into the third wave.
THIRD WAVE SETBACK
The documents show that by March 16, a new plan to welcome fans back to NHL games in Alberta had been developed by the team and provincial government.
It called for a “front line workers celebration” on April 1 and April 11, general ticket sales running between April 12 and May 7, and playoff tickets slated to go on sale May 9.
“We are requesting approval by March 22,” reads a briefing note outlining the updated plan.
“Once approval is granted we would like to officially announce the front line salute as soon as possible during the week of March 22.”
Tickets for frontline workers were to be distributed to health-care workers, police officers, firefighters, EMS crews, and transit workers as well as to those working in front line service industries such as grocery stores, according to the note.
It also outlines messaging around COVID-19 precautions at Rogers Place and the Scotiabank Saddledome.
“We will use our in-game experience to educate fans on health and safety guidelines inside the arena,” it reads.
This included developing “pay it forward messaging that engages fans to follow the rules and not congregate.”
“We are working on a deeper, Oilers-centric PSA strategy on responsible fan behaviour,” an Oilers executive wrote to Alberta Health officials. “It will be a very important piece of the plan.”
On April 6, the province reintroduced a series of public health measures. And on May 4, more restrictions were announced, including moving schools to online learning, lmiting outdoor social gatherings to five people, and banning indoor dining and recreation.
Those changes rendered any return-of-fans plan moot and the duration of the Oilers season and playoffs was played out without spectators.
Last October, fans returned to Oilers home games without any capacity limits in effect.
Attendance at Rogers Place is currently limited to 50 per cent of capacity under new health restrictions announced on Dec. 21.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
NEW More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Polar ice is melting and changing Earth's rotation. It's messing with time itself
One day in the next couple of years, everyone in the world will lose a second of their time. Exactly when that will happen is being influenced by humans, according to a new study, as melting polar ice alters the Earth’s rotation and changes time itself.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
NEW 'Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire': A crowd pleaser that turns it up to 11
Hot on the heels of last year's 'Godzilla Minus One' comes 'Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,' the first ever Academy Award winner in the giant reptile's decades-long film career.