‘Immediately reopen outdoor activities’: Sports associations urge Ford to let the people play

Thestar.com
May 19, 2021
Robert Benzie

Premier Doug Ford is getting gang-tackled for his pandemic prohibition on outdoor sports.

The heads of Athletics Ontario, Golf Ontario, the Ontario Soccer Association, the Ontario Tennis Association, the Ontario Volleyball Association, and Pickleball Ontario say the ban is offside.

“We represent a coalition of sports and recreational organizations across Ontario. We are urging your government to follow the advice of your own health experts and immediately reopen outdoor activities such as tennis, golf, basketball, pickleball, volleyball, soccer and others,” they wrote in an open letter to Ford on Tuesday.

“There is … not a single documented COVID-19 infection anywhere in the world from casual outdoor interactions,” the sports executives continued.

“We understand the importance of reducing the strain on Ontario’s health-care capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic and appreciate the significant burden you face when making decisions,” the industry representatives wrote.

“In fact, we believe it is critical that all Ontarians continue to take this virus in a very serious manner and adhere to protocols aimed at protecting public health. That, too, is our goal,” they continued.

“At the same time, we cannot overstate the mental health crisis facing our children and youth, and the alarming studies and reports emerging about the mental and physical well-being of adults.”

They emphasized that “much of this is due to despair, lack of physical activity, and the inability for individuals to participate in normal, everyday life activities, particularly in the outdoors.”

The missive was signed by Paul Osland, CEO of Athletics Ontario; Golf Ontario executive director Mike Kelly; Johnny Misley, CEO of the Ontario Soccer Association; Ontario Tennis Association president and CEO James Boyce; the Ontario Volleyball Association’s executive director Jo-Anne Ljubicic; and Pickleball Ontario president Peter Milovanovic.

Ford said last Thursday his restrictions on sporting activities were designed to “limit mobility” to curb the spread of COVID-19, which has killed more than 8,500 Ontarians.

In the legislature Tuesday, Health Minister Christine Elliott said it is not yet time to “open the outdoors for all of the recreational amenities” because hospital intensive care units are still under strain from patients with COVID-19.

“But we encourage everyone to go outdoors to enjoy this warm weather. The parks are open. Please use them. Please go for a walk, a run. Walk your dog. Take your children and grandchildren out. We want people to go outside and enjoy the outdoors,” said Elliott.

“We still have high levels of hospitalizations, high numbers of people in our ICUs. We want to make sure that when people do go out, they use the proper public safety measures that we’ve asked people to do and that they have been doing for over the last year,” she said.

Independent MPP Roman Baber (York Centre), turfed from the Tory caucus by Ford in January for opposing lockdown measures, said “all of this would be funny if it weren’t tragic for our kids” longing to play sports.

“The doctors already told them that the outdoors are safe,” Baber told the legislature, motioning toward the PC benches where he used to sit.

“They don’t need to wait for that. So when will you capitulate, own your failure and open the outdoors?”