CFL strike pauses preparation plans for Mosaic stadium vendors
Some food vendors at Mosaic Stadium are pausing preparations for the preseason as the CFL strike has potential to postpone the first exhibition game of the year.
Darren Zawyrucka owns Campfire Grill, which operates 45 tills across the concourse. The kitchens are cleaned and the concessions have passed their health inspections he said. However, he is holding back on ordering the food.
“In order to get the food that we need in and have the prep work done, we’d have to know (if the game is going ahead) by Thursday,” Zawyrucka said.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are set to host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Monday afternoon at Mosaic Stadium.
However, the ongoing CFL strike could cancel the game.
The uncertainty means vendors have to be ready, or at least almost ready, to host thousands of fans in less than a week, Zawyrucka said.
“We have to be clean, we have to be prepared and make sure all the equipment is working, otherwise we just wouldn’t be ready in time,” he said.
Besides food, vendors need to make sure workers are in place.
Campfire Grill needs 150 volunteer workers to operate its concession stands on game days, according to Zawyrucka.
Staffing is a concern for vendors around the concourse, including Milu.
Luanne Truong, owner of Milu, said she might have to lay off some of her employees if CFL games are cancelled.
However, she said food and supplies are less of a concern because she can use those at their other three restaurants in the city.
“We have to make adjustments,” she said.
“There is no certainty in any events. Anything may come up just like the last two years we’ve had with COVID.”
Missing one preseason game would result in “significant revenue loss,” according to Zawyrucka.
But there will be bigger financial implications if the strike lasts longer than the preseason.
“If it carries on further into the summer, into June and July, then there are significant issues we’d have to deal with,” he said.
Zawyrucka said his catering company has built their summer schedule around Roughrider home games and there could be scheduling conflicts if games are cancelled or postponed.
Ideally, he said the strike would not impact the regular season, and if an exhibition game is missed, he hopes it can be made up in the next week or two.
CTV News reached out to the CFL to ask when the league would make a decision about Monday’s game but did not hear back by the time of publishing.
However, according to CFL insider Dave Naylor, the two sides would likely have to reach a collective bargaining agreement by Wednesday in order for Monday’s preseason game to go ahead.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.