University athletes want the province to change its mind and deem them 'elite'
Players participating in Ontario University Athletics launched a new video campaign this week to get them back on the court and on the ice.
“The purpose of the campaign is to show the different facets in which the news has affected different athletes in the OUA,” said Taijon Graham, a basketball player with Nipissing University.
“In the video, you see athletes, coaches, those in the administration and even alumni who have participated in the Olympics and the Grey Cup, and how this has affected stakeholders.”
University athletes are not participating in games because of provincial restrictions that went into effect Jan. 5. Those health measures are set to expire Jan. 26.
University athletes have also launched an online petition to get the Ford government to reverse course and let the OUA resume play.
“It really started to see how many signatures we could get," said Graham. "We started to see 500, 1,000 and then it started to creep up to 5 000 signatures … It really shows that people are sympathizing with us and want us to get this elite status.”
Graham said university athletes are hoping the petition along with the video campaign, which has been viewed more than 50,000 times, will get provincial lawmakers to act.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
Body of Quebec man who died in Cuba found in Russia, family confirms
A Montreal-area family confirmed to CTV News that the body of their loved one who died while on vacation in Cuba is being repatriated to Canada after it was mistakenly sent to Russia.
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
Saskatchewan isn't remitting the carbon tax on home heating. Why isn't my province following suit?
After Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government would still send Canada Carbon Rebate cheques to Saskatchewan residents, despite Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe's decision to stop collecting the carbon tax on natural gas or home heating, questions were raised about whether other provinces would follow suit. CTV News reached out across the country and here's what we found out.
Montreal actress calls Weinstein ruling 'discouraging' but not surprising
A Montreal actress, who has previously detailed incidents she had with disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, says a New York Court of Appeals decision overturning his 2020 rape conviction is 'discouraging' but not surprising.
RCMP officers had no legal authority to enter man's home, make arrest: B.C. court
A B.C. man has been found not guilty of assaulting two RCMP officers – with the court finding he was resisting an "unlawful entry and arrest" in his home before he was tasered, taken down and hauled away in handcuffs.
'Deep ignorance': Calls for Manitoba trustee to resign sparked after comments about Indigenous people and reconciliation
A rural Manitoba school trustee is facing calls to resign over comments he made about Indigenous people and residential schools earlier this week.