Senators to host socially distanced Halloween festival at Canadian Tire Centre

The Senators Community Foundation and the Ottawa Senators are doing what they can to provide a safe place for kids to enjoy what is expected to be a bit of a different Halloween this fall.

They announced Monday, that they'll be opening the Canadian Tire Centre on October 31 for “Sparty's Safe and Not So Scary Halloween Party.”

“As a father, I know firsthand how much children and adults alike look forward to Halloween, and this year should be no different,” said Senators Owner and Governor Eugene Melnyk. “The Senators are excited to welcome the community to Canadian Tire Centre for a special night of physically-distanced trick or treating.”

“During these unprecedented times, it is important to provide as much normalcy as possible for the youngest members of our community,” said Chris Phillips, Executive Director of the Senators Community Foundation. “We want to ensure those parents that are already trying to decide how to manage Halloween this year that we have a safe and weather proofed option for them.”

The party will be held on Saturday, October 31, between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., and there will be no admission fee.

The foundation and the hockey club say they will be working with Ottawa Public Health, the City of Ottawa and the Province of Ontario to ensure that the final event plans are based on the most stringent COVID-19 safety policies.

“We are currently in discussions with a variety of stakeholders to ensure that our festival will be the safest possible,” said Anthony LeBlanc, Senators President of Business Operations. “Our festival will have health and safety at the forefront which will include, for example, temperature checks before entering, mandatory masking, proper social distancing, hand hygiene, and touchless trick or treating to name just a few of the safety measures that will be in place. We will also be utilizing pre-registration and staggered time slots to ensure we always follow approved capacity limits.”

More event details are expected to be released over the coming weeks, as the foundation and the club continue to work with the City of Ottawa, Ottawa Public Health and the Province of Ontario. 

The festival will be held on Saturday, October 31, between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., and there will be no admission fee.