“I Don’t See A Soccer Season Happening,” Says Canniff

As reported earlier this week, Chatham-Kent council made the difficult decision to close arenas for the summer, and reduce maintenance on sports fields.

Chatham-Kent Mayor Darrin Canniff spoke to 99.1 CKXS FM following news spreading of these decisions. Although he thinks a season is unlikely on Chatham-Kent’s sports fields, the possibility will remain if conditions change.

“I don’t see a soccer season happening, but if next week they said yes, we can play soccer, well then we’d start cutting the grass and get the fields ready so the kids can play soccer,” Canniff told CKXS 99.1 FM.

Canniff is listening to and following the advice of Chatham-Kent’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. David Colby, who told CKSN.ca earlier this month that summer field sports were unlikely to happen.

“Summer field sports require a lot of planning…probably not this summer,” Colby said in a May 4 interview with CKSN.

“According to Dr Colby, he doesn’t see anything opening up through this summer,” the Mayor told CKXS 99.1.

“Now, if things change, in the next couple of weeks for some crazy reason, we would certainly re-think everything.”

Although officials remain optimistic for sports to return this Fall, it is no guarantee if future waves occur, or guidelines and restrictions are not followed.

““I am hopeful that kids can play hockey this winter,” Dr. Colby told CKSN. “It all depends on getting this pandemic damped down and avoiding future waves. A vaccine cannot come fast enough.”