logo
Can't make it to Rimouski? Dundas Place has you covered

Can't make it to Rimouski? Dundas Place has you covered

CTV News31-05-2025

If you couldn't make it to Rimouski to see the London Knights in playoff action, you could always head to downtown London.
About 100 Knights fans turned up for Friday night's watch party on Dundas Place to see the Knights face off against the Moncton Wildcats in the Memorial Cup semi-finals.
The event is a chance for fans to see action on the big screen while taking in the outdoor surroundings.
Fans enjoyed the opportunity.
'Well, we went to about a dozen games this year, and we just wanted to continue to support them,' said Jamie, who was there with his son, Jack.
'It's a good atmosphere. It's fun to see everybody. It's outside. You get to bring whatever you want with you, and bring your own comfortable chair,' commented another fan.
The Dundas place watch-parties are hosted by the London Knights, Downtown London, Canada Life Place and Tourism London.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Montreal Grand Prix fans stuck paying turbocharged prices for accommodation
Montreal Grand Prix fans stuck paying turbocharged prices for accommodation

CTV News

timean hour ago

  • CTV News

Montreal Grand Prix fans stuck paying turbocharged prices for accommodation

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc of Monaco, right, and Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain steer their car at the hairpin during the first practice session, Friday, June 7, 2024, at the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot Paula Wadden has been a huge Formula One fan ever since she got hooked on the Netflix show 'Drive to Survive' a few years ago. But the Halifax-area health-care worker says watching the Grand Prix in Montreal this weekend comes with high-octane prices. The Montreal hotel where she's spending the first part of the week doubles in price for the weekend. Instead, she'll spend the weekend at a hotel outside the city, near the airport, for about $600 a night. 'The tickets (prices) are OK, it's the accommodation and the means that are getting expensive,' she said Tuesday in Old Montreal. 'I don't know how the average Joe can afford it.' Wadden said the trip, which she's taking with her daughter and her daughter's partner, will cost $6,000 to $7,000. And that's despite the switch in hotels and the decision to save money by driving the 12 hours from Halifax rather than flying. While looking up hotels online, she said she saw even more eye-watering hotel prices ranging between $1,200 to more than $2,000 a night, as well as $4,000-per night Airbnbs. The Grand Prix is Montreal's biggest tourist event, expected to attract some 350,000 visitors and generate $162 million for the city, according to the head of Tourisme Montreal. Yves Lalumière estimates average hotel room prices on Grand Prix weekend at $600 to $800 per night — although some wealthy CEOs will pay $8,000 for a suite. 'This year's prices will probably stabilize quite a bit, maybe a two to three per cent increase over the previous year,' he said in an interview. 'But the last five years I've seen an increase year after year, and a substantial increase as well.' A ticket package for the three race days starts at $360, according to the Canadian Grand Prix website — though well-off fans can pay much more. Packages with perks such as VIP concierge service, reservations at popular restaurants and parties, and access to areas like pit lanes and paddocks can cost tens of thousands of dollars. However, Lalumière noted that the city also offers plenty of free entertainment, including a Grand Prix party on Crescent Street. He said hotel room prices are still 'very competitive,' especially for those paying in U.S. dollars or euros. Crowds, meanwhile, are not only growing but also becoming more diverse, he said. 'I think F1 has done a great job in selling the sport over the media,' Lalumière said. 'And, therefore, now you're attracting a lot more ladies, you're attracting a lot more young people as well to the race.' Black-and-white checkered banners were already fluttering on Saint-Paul Street in Old Montreal on Tuesday, as tourists lined up to photograph a Formula One car on display outside Max Bitton's racing-themed store, Fanabox. Bitton said he brought in the car as a gift to fans after last year's Grand Prix, which was marred by mishaps on and off the track that left a bad taste in some fans' mouths. Those issues included traffic headaches, flooding from rain, fans turned away from a practice session they were led to believe was cancelled, and restaurants ordered to suddenly close their patios on one of the busiest evenings of the year. 'I'm trying to give back because last year was so tough,' Bitton said. While Grand Prix fans are generally well-off, Bitton also worries about rising prices, especially now that the city has imposed tougher new rules on short-term rentals for primary residences. Next year, the Grand Prix will be held from May 22 to 24, which is outside the June-to-September window in which primary residence rentals are allowed. 'A lot of the fans love to flock here because of the heritage and they love this place,' Bitton said. 'They're willing to pay more but at some point it doesn't make sense.' At Bitton's store, tourists said attending the Grand Prix was costly, but worthwhile. Max Harrison, from Bournemouth in southern England, said he managed to find a spot in a hostel for about $40 a night early in the week. For race weekend, he's spending $200 a night to stay in a room in an Airbnb shared with several others. 'It's a bit much, you can tell they've spiked (the prices),' he said. He believes the Netflix show Drive to Survive has brought new fans to the sport, which means prices will only continue to go up. But for him, it's worth it to check the Montreal Grand Prix off his bucket list. 'The championship this year is looking really close, so it's going to be a really good race,' he said. 'And Canada is a beautiful place and I've always wanted to come.' Denise Beevor and Mark Omerod, from West Sussex in England, say they're spending 'a small fortune' for a 10-day trip that includes Sunday's race as well as stops in Quebec City and Mont-Tremblant. 'I think, particularly since COVID, it's important to have things to look forward to and to take memories away with you, and you can't replace that,' Beevor said. 'Possessions come and go, memories don't.' The CEO of the greater Montreal hotels association said the occupancy this weekend is expected to be around 90 per cent, similar to last year. Dominique Villeneuve said the industry was prepared to meet the demands of Grand Prix weekend 'enthusiastically and with the same professionalism that characterizes our industry.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 12, 2025.

Toronto hosting the FIFA World Cup is a ‘once-in-a-generation-opportunity.' Here's why
Toronto hosting the FIFA World Cup is a ‘once-in-a-generation-opportunity.' Here's why

CTV News

timean hour ago

  • CTV News

Toronto hosting the FIFA World Cup is a ‘once-in-a-generation-opportunity.' Here's why

The countdown has begun. Toronto will host the first ever FIFA World Cup game on Canadian soil exactly one year from today on June 12, 2026. It will be one of six World Cup matches slated for the city – including a round of 32 match - with Vancouver set to host another seven matches. An expanded BMO Field will be temporarily rebranded as Toronto Stadium for the occasion, in keeping with a FIFA policy. And fans can expect a host of other events around the city, including an official fan festival. 'This is just enormous. Ever since FIFA awarded the World Cup to Canada, (the United States) and Mexico back in 2018—seems so long ago, really—we've never been more excited in anticipation, as this is one of the world's largest sporting events,' Ontario Soccer CEO Johnny Misley told CTV News Toronto in an interview. 'We're preparing behind the scenes to take full advantage of this. It really is a once-in-a-generation opportunity.' Here is what you need to know about the FIFA World Cup and what it could mean for the city: The economic impact of the 2026 World Cup—both in how much it costs, and how much it'll bring in Toronto is looking at a hefty bill to host the tournament next year, as it is projected to cost around $380 million to hold the six games here. The federal government is putting up $104.3 million to help cover the costs with the provincial government providing around $97 million—meaning Toronto is on the hook to front around half that tab, at $178.7 million. The city had hoped the province would contribute money toward tournament expenses but a report prepared by city staff recently revealed that nearly half ot of the province's contribution comes in the form of services it is providing, like health care, policing and transportation. The latest estimate for those services—still in negotiation—cost around $39 million leaving less cash than expected to offset city expenses. That said, Mayor Olivia Chow tabled a motion, approved by council, directing the city manager to curb World Cup expenses to around $340 million until the city has found savings or secured enough money (through intergovernmental funding or other revenue sources) to front the full $380 million budget. While hosting the tournament comes with a hefty price tag, the World Cup is also expected to generate considerable revenue for Toronto's economy. The city says the major sporting event is expected to generate serious cultural and economic benefits, from tourism growth to job creation. Last December, Deloitte Canada released an economic impact assessment estimating the World Cup could generate up to $940 million for the Greater Toronto Area's economy. Broken down, $520 million is projected to come in GDP growth, $340 million from labour income and $25 million from government revenue. It is also forecast to bring more than 6,600 jobs until 2026. 'If you look at the impact of past World Cups, I think those numbers seem very reasonable,' Daniel Tisch, president and CEO of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce told CTV News Toronto. With the last World Cup in Qatar in 2022, held nearly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, FIFA reported selling around 3.18 million tickets across the tournament's 64 matches. The organization said it generated US$686 million in revenue from ticket sales, with average attendance rate hovering around 96.3 per cent. Outside of an injection of revenue into the local economy, there will also likely be some long-term impacts for Toronto too—a 'lasting legacy,' as Tisch describes it. BMO Field, as an example, is receiving a $146 million makeover to boost capacity and 'enhance stadium infrastructure, technology and overall appeal.' 'If you look at something like the Ontario Line that's being built right now or upgrades to Pearson Airport (…) the lasting legacy includes better infrastructure, it includes a stronger global brand that will have a long-term benefit for tourism and repeat business because people want to come back to somewhere where they've had a great experience,' Tisch adds. What could the next World Cup be like for tourists and locals in Toronto? Building on that lasting legacy, Destination Toronto's Andrew Weir says the FIFA World Cup will also have a long-lasting impact on the city. 'This has a significant long tail, this event, because the profile and reputation lift that Toronto experiences when you host these global mega events is significant and that stimulates more travel demand for the future,' Weir told CTV News Toronto. With millions of soccer fans tuning into World Cup games in Toronto, Weir says the televised broadcasts will provide that 'perfect destination postcard shot,' capturing part of what the city hast to offer for out-of-towners. 'Think about that (overhead) shot from BMO Field with the entire downtown core, the Princess Gates at Exhibition Place, the whole downtown core, the lake, the islands,' Weir said. The tourism company's president also noted Toronto's vibrancy as playing a factor for drawing fans in to watch the game. Already there is a FIFA Fan Festival announced, where music, food and live broadcasts of the game will take over Fort York National Historic Site and The Bentway. The city said the goal is to deliver an 'outstanding' host city experience to showcase all Toronto hast to offer, adding it remains 'open to hosting major international events' aligned with the city's goals. 'I've always said Toronto is the place you want to be for a World Cup because whatever team is playing, or whatever two teams are playing, there's an energy around that game because there's a community here to celebrate those teams,' Weir said. 'You can move around the city and go experience any (…) matches at restaurants and bars with that community—there's not a lot of cities you can experience that.' Torontonians may be concerned about the influx of tourists clogging up their roadways—the city's FIFA secretariat is even proposing restricting traffic in the neighbourhoods surrounding BMO Field—Weir says he hopes locals take advantage of the momentous occasion. 'When we've had celebrations in the past, when Taylor Swift was here, when the Pan-Am Games were here, it may cause come inconveniences because of either traffic rerouting or street closures, but that's part of why we live in a big city—because we want to be where big things happen,' Weir said. Local soccer leagues hope for boost with Toronto FIFA World Cup Holding the World Cup in Toronto will act as 'catalyst' in boosting numbers for local soccer leagues—at least that's what the president of Toronto Soccer Association hopes. 'It's going to represent the pinnacle of what's possible in our own backyard. I'm hoping that there's going to be a surge in interest after this because our clubs—our community clubs—they deserve this,' Ross Cannone told CTV News Toronto. 'Like all sporting events that happen—like the Olympics or if we win the World Series—it always helps the sport that it belongs to, and we're hoping this pushes us back because we lost a lot of numbers after COVID.' Ontario Soccer, meanwhile, has launched a years-long campaign to take full advantage of the excitement expected to be generated by the World Cup. 'We impact a million households in Ontario, 500,000 players play the game in this province, I every community, so we wanted to make sure that we get people excited this year and do a number of activities to get them sort of focused,' Misley said, adding there are two main objectives to get people into the ball game. 'One is to engage Ontarians in every community and second is to really celebrate the culture of the sport, which can mean viewing parties, it can mean playing, wearing your favourite colours even, participating in local homes and barbecues and restaurants and doing parties (…) all around the province.' With files from CTV News Toronto's Laura Sebben

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store