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
Trudeau acknowledges charges in Nijjar killing, calls for commitment to democracy
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has acknowledged the charges laid Friday in relation to the murder of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Bodies recovered in Mexico likely 2 Australians, 1 American who went missing: officials
Three bodies recovered in an area of Baja California are likely to be those of the two Australians and an American who went missing last weekend during a camping and surfing trip, the state prosecutor’s office said Saturday.
Princess Anne lays wreath at B.C. veteran's cemetery; receives 21-gun salute
Princess Anne paid tribute to veterans buried at a cemetery in British Columbia today, laying a wreath to honour the more than 2,500 military personnel and family members buried there.
Mystik Dan wins the 150th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in a three-horse photo finish
Mystik Dan won the 150th Kentucky Derby in a photo finish, edging out Forever Young and Sierra Leone for the upset victory.
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.
London Drugs begins 'gradual reopening' on 7th day after cyberattack
Almost a week after all London Drugs stores across Western Canada abruptly closed amid a cyberattack, they began a "gradual reopening" on Saturday.