North Bay hosts OFSAA AA Boys Volleyball tournament
While the number of teams attending is a little less than usual, North Bay will still play host to some of the province’s top volleyball teams as OFSAA officially kicks off its 2021 tournament.
With team attendance down, Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) officials split the tournament to half its regular capacity.
“Unfortunately not every athletic association was able to commit a team to the championship. So we’re down to 10, which is a half sized championship but the teams that are here are competing hard and having fun,” said Craig Nodwell this OFSAA convenor.
“We just have elevated levels of safety precautions put in place to make sure covid-19 isn’t a factor.”
Host school Chippewa Secondary is embracing the experience even though no fans are allowed in the stands.
“I’ve loved being in the city, and just having the atmosphere. Even though we aren’t allowed fans I feel like being in our city has been a major advantage for us,” said Vaughn Thompson a grade 11 right side hitter on Chippewa.
“Knowing even just the volunteers, having some people in the gym supporting us has been huge.”
Chippewa head coach Mason Truswell told CTV News his team is playing for more then themselves.
“Everyone is at home cheering us on. To see the amount of views we’re getting on our YouTube pages says a lot to the boys. We know what this is about, it’s more than just us, this is something we’re doing for North Bay.”
The tournament is also a boost for the local economy.
“I was talking to people, they were attending local restaurants last night they enjoyed it. Hotels are full right now, so I think we’re doing our part to spark the North Bay economy and I’m proud of that,” said Nodwell.
The gold medal game will take place Saturday at 1:00 p.m.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Suspect sought after fatal slashing in downtown Toronto
Police are searching for a suspect in a homicide investigation after a man was slashed in downtown Toronto on Sunday.
Mother's Day movies that pull at ALL the heartstrings
This Mother's Day Weekend, take a look at some of the most emotional movies inspired by moms.
Putin replaces Russian defence minister in rare cabinet shakeup
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin began a Cabinet shakeup on Sunday, proposing the replacement of Sergei Shoigu as defence minister as he begins his fifth term in office.
Edibles, armchairs and adapters: Here are the recalls for this week
Health Canada announced various product recalls this week, including electric adapters, armchairs, cannabis edibles and vehicle components.
Wildfire near Fort McMurray more than triples overnight, several evacuation alerts remain in place
The fire burning near Fort McMurray grew from 25 hectares to 5,500 hectares over the weekend.
WATCH Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.