"We still have lots of work to do, we will never put our fans, our staff, our players, at any type of risk. We know things could change but things look so much better than they did a few weeks ago." — B.C. Lions president Rick LeLacheur
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This week’s confirmation that the province is on a course toward allowing fans back into stadiums and arenas this summer was warmly welcomed by the B.C. Lions and Vancouver Whitecaps, who both call B.C. Place Stadium home.
“We’re certainly encouraged,” B.C. Lions president Rick LeLacheur said about the provincial government’s restart plan, which was announced on Tuesday.
Teams will be allowed a “limited” number of fans in the stands beginning July 1. If all goes well with the province’s vaccination program, and case rates and hospitalization counts remain low, the plan is for the province to move into Stage 4 on Sept. 7, which would allow in-stadium attendance to increase, possibly even to maximum capacity
LeLacheur and his staff met with officials from Vancouver Coastal Health on Wednesday to go over their plans to get back on the field.
“We still have lots of work to do. We will never put our fans, our staff, our players, at any type of risk,” LeLacheur said. “We know things could change, but things look so much better than they did a few weeks ago.”
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The CFL’s season is expected to kick off in early to mid-August, each team playing a 14-game schedule. The Lions will play seven home games and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see more of those games at B.C. Place scheduled for September and October.
“Plus playoffs,” LeLacheur added, his ambitious grin practically audible over the phone.
“We don’t know exactly what that next step will be after Sept. 7,” he said of in reference to crowd capacity numbers. They’ve pitched starting with about 4,500 fans in the stands, which is about 1/6th the usual lower-bowl capacity.
“We’re very hopeful that any game after Sept. 7, we’ll be able to have a lot more fans,” he said.
The Lions are expected to start training camp in Kamloops July 10, though LeLacheur wouldn’t confirm that. The CFL has been working with the federal government to set up a group quarantine situation, similar to what was approved for the NHL and MLS before their current seasons began.
Training camp will once again be at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, with the players staying in student residences there, a setup that inherently lends itself to dealing with quarantine.
“Exactly,” LeLacheur said. “We have a pretty good setup anyway.”
The Lions’ fellow tenants at B.C. Place were also positive about the news, though the fact they play in a U.S.-based league means they’re still waiting on a big hurdle before they can really make any plans to play games in front of fans again.
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“It’s encouraging,” said Axel Schuster, CEO and sporting director for the Whitecaps, who are currently based in Salt Lake City.
“It gives us some light at the end of the tunnel. But obviously there are some steps and some barriers that have to be reached.”
The main barrier, of course, is quarantine requirement for people arriving from abroad, including the U.S. Once there’s clarity on when that requirement is changed and the Whitecaps and their MLS opponents can travel back and forth, the Whitecaps will be able to talk about returning home.
In the interim, the team has taken advantage of being based in the U.S. and all 30 players, four coaches and 19 support staff have now received two doses of COVID-19 vaccine and are all considered fully vaccinated.
“We are really thankful for the way people treat us here. It is a place where we feel good to stay,” Schuster said. “But nothing is comparable to being at home.”
Schuster pointed to the Whitecaps’ youth teams as being the big beneficiaries of the reopening that began this week.
“Our organization is bigger than the first team,” he said. “(The news) is important for all of our programs. It’s been more challenging for all of those (youth) players than our pro players, because we were always able to find a solution for the pro team. The kids, we had to stop.”
The Whitecaps’ youth programs have been on a total pause for several weeks, Schuster noted, out of caution during the province’s third wave of infections.
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“It was our responsibility to the young players,” he said. “There’s now a clear path to return to full training, full competition. These kids all have lost one to one-and-a-half years. They’ve lost a lot in their development. We’re going to do all we can to help them. Get them back on the pitch, staff up again with the performance team, to have everything in place at UBC.”
Duncan Blomfield, B.C. Place’s marketing and communications manager, echoed the sentiments of both teams.
“We’re cautiously optimistic,” he said. They’ve been in touch with all their clients, from trade shows to music promoters to sports teams.
They’re also seeking clarity on what things will truly look like once the province moves into Stage 4 and the increased crowds that a rock concert, for instance, would bring.
That said, it does seem that masks are unlikely to be required, nor will fans be asked to show vaccination passports.
“We will be following the guidance and recommendations of B.C.’s provincial health officer,” he said.
DROP KICKS — B.C. Premier John Horgan told CHEK TV that the Canada Sevens’ plan to host their tournament again at B.C. Place in September has been approved, and now needs the province’s vaccination rates to hit the targets laid out over the coming months so fans can be in the stands in large numbers.
B.C. Lions, Vancouver Whitecaps hopeful for fans' return to B.C. Place - The Province
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