Hometown hero Rebecca Leslie helping power Ottawa Charge in PWHL playoffs
Ottawa-born Ottawa Charge forward Rebecca Leslie, signs autographs outside of TD Place Arena, ahead of Tuesdays shutout win against Montreal Victoire. Ottawa. May 13, 2025. (Tyler Fleming/CTV News Ottawa).
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Toronto Blue Jays brass used all the bells and whistles when they tried to land two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani in the fall of 2023. The once-in-a-lifetime pursuit of the Japanese free agent, as author Keegan Matheson writes in his new book, 'The Franchise: Toronto Blue Jays,' included taking Ohtani, his agent and interpreter at the time on a tour of the team's renovated player development complex, complete with a few special touches. Three lockers in the clubhouse were set aside for Ohtani, along with jerseys, gear, hats, bags and accessories. It was all part of an elaborate effort to sell him on the team. An impressed Ohtani — whose camp wanted total secrecy throughout the process — walked out of the Dunedin, Fla., facility with bags of team gear and a Blue Jays hat on his head, Matheson writes. Ohtani stopped to take pictures with his interpreter, who was also sporting some Toronto kit. The superstar's dog, 'Decoy,' came running out to join them in a Canadian dog jacket the Blue Jays had bought for him. 'I think that the presentation they gave Ohtani was incredibly impressive and they were not the No. 2 team just to be strung along and used as the other person at the bargaining table,' said Matheson. 'They were No. 2 because they almost signed him.' The behind-the-scenes colour and details from Matheson's interviews and descriptions bring an intriguing, memorable and downright surreal chapter in the team's near half-century history to life. Ohtani would eventually sign a 10-year, US$700-million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. It was a big blow for Canada's lone big-league team and its countrywide contingent of supporters. The Blue Jays would eventually sign a big fish of their own, locking up star first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to a 14-year extension last April worth a team record $500 million. The megadeal helped soothe any lingering pain from the Ohtani situation and also showed the franchise was willing to spend big in an effort to be a consistent contender. But that Ohtani off-season — from a bizarre Zoom call with general manager Ross Atkins to the erroneous report that Ohtani had chosen the Blue Jays and was on a plane to Toronto — was the 'strangest experience' Matheson expects to have as a reporter. 'The game that went into it was really fascinating,' Matheson said in a recent interview. 'Trying to operate in secrecy in a world where we want to know everything that's going on with your favourite team and with your favourite player. 'This was more of a TV drama and the amount of work that went into keeping it secret fascinates me.' The book also explores the team's early days, the playoff successes in the early 1990s, the near-misses in the previous decade, and many of the players — on and off the field — who made it all happen. The stories and anecdotes are not always the obvious ones. From players sipping chicken noodle soup at a frigid Exhibition Stadium, to amusing tales of manager-athlete dynamics, to the homecoming after a 670-day break between home games due to COVID-19, Matheson touches all the bases. 'Instead of asking a pitcher why he lost or asking someone why they struck out three times, this was an opportunity to ask someone, 'Hey, tell me about the best days of your life,'' said Matheson, who covers the team for 'Tell me about that memory that everyone always asks you about at the bar, at golf tournaments and coffee shops.' 'The Franchise: Toronto Blue Jays,' a 302-page book published by Triumph Books, is available now at a retail price of $38.
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Halifax's permanent stadiums inch closer to becoming a reality
The push to build a new permanent outdoor stadium in downtown Halifax is gaining momentum. The city has taken a step closer to making a new venue a reality, to replace the Wanderers Grounds temporary pop-up stadium as council has decided to examine design and construction proposals. 'I see the need for a stadium, but I see the need for a proper stadium,' said Halifax Regional Municipality Councillor Patty Cuttell, who would like city planners to choose a different location to preserve the community green space and she's concerned the project may require a bigger seating plan. 'We are a growing city, and we can't undersize that stadium and we need the right size.' In its current state, the Wanderers Grounds is the home field for men's and women's professional soccer. Sellout crowds have been consistent, which has resulted in a push for a permanent facility to be built on the same site. There are potential roads blocks, with some arguing that using public land to house a stadium for professional soccer is a bad idea. 'If it should pass, I know for sure there would be a court action challenging in that decision,' said Friends of Halifax Commons board member Howard Epstein. The current pop-up stadium version of the Wanderers Grounds seats roughly 6,000 people. Saint Mary's University head football coach Steve Sumarah hopes a new stadium will have a capacity of at least 20,000, to open the door for Halifax to one day have a team in the Canadian Football League. 'If you're going to talk about a stadium, then you have to talk about all the extras with it like the CFL,' said Sumarah. 'What are the sports and the other use?' Size and space are also ongoing concerns. Some council members argue the Halifax Wanderers Grounds is too small of a footprint to build a permanent stadium and say the city should search for different locations.
