Should upcoming soccer friendly between Canada and Iran be cancelled?
Should upcoming soccer friendly between Canada and Iran be cancelled?
Should upcoming soccer friendly between Canada and Iran be cancelled?
It’s a soccer match that’s turning political.
On June 5, the Canadian men’s national soccer team will play its first match on Canadian soil since qualifying for the 2022 World Cup. The team is set to host #21-ranked Iran in an international friendly at BC Place.
Although it’s already proving to be a hot ticket, some, including the prime minister, believe organizers should have chosen a different opponent.
“This was a choice by Sport Canada, by Soccer Canada,” said Justin Trudeau Tuesday during a media scrum. “It wasn’t a very good idea to invite the Iranian soccer team here to Canada.”
On Jan. 8, 2020, Ukrainian Airlines Flight 752 was mistakenly shot down by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps just minutes after taking off from the Tehran airport.
“It’s like we have been betrayed by the government and Soccer Canada,” said Hamed Esmaeilion, a spokesperson for an advocacy group seeking justice for families of victims of Flight 752
Esmaeilion’s wife and daughter were among the 176 people who died that day, 55 of whom were Canadian. He says visas for the Iranian team should never have been granted in the first place.
“I think the best thing to do is to cancel it,” said Esmaeilion via Zoom in Toronto. “Choose another team. This is outrageous for the families, this is very disappointing for the families.”
In a statement to CTV News, Canada Soccer says it “believes in the power of sport and its ability to bring people from different backgrounds and political beliefs together” for a common purpose. “Canada soccer continues to follow all international protocols in staging this match.”
Meanwhile, Esmaelion says the game sends a mixed message, as several Canadian families and the federal government are still seeking justice for their loved ones.
“When we want to take them to international court of justice or international forum — what does it mean to invite a soccer team here and play a friendly game?”
Esmaelion says he and other families of victims plan to stage a protest during the match outside BC Place.
G7 leaders opened their summit Sunday with a discussion about shaping the global economy at a time when conflict and unrest are driving up prices and access to key goods around the world.
Hundreds of protesters descended on the U.S. Supreme Court on Saturday to denounce the justice's decision to overturn the half-century-old Roe v. Wade precedent that recognized women's constitutional right to abortion.
Russia attacked the Ukrainian capital early Sunday, striking at least two residential buildings, the mayor of Kyiv said, as elsewhere Russian troops fought to consolidate their gains in the country's east.
New research looking at the frequency of heavy rainfall across the globe shows that a drastic increase in downpours is expected over the years to come.
Cat and dog owners who cuddle their pets when infected with COVID-19 could end up making the animals sick with the virus, according to a Canadian study.
The higher parts of Angelique Beauchemin's land, she said, are sinking an inch or two a year as they slope ever more steeply toward the river. While she's not a scientist, she says her biggest fear is that one day there will be a landslide and the white house at the top of the hill where she's lived for decades will tumble down.
The latest on the G7 summit: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says attacks by Russia on residential buildings in Kyiv show the importance of international unity in supporting Ukraine.
The federal public safety minister says he is 'deeply committed' to enhancing oversight of the RCMP by strengthening the role of the national police force's management advisory board.
A 15-month dispute in British Columbia's film and television industry has ended with the ratification of a new contract for creative and logistical staff working on productions shot in the province.
Quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell threw for 321 yards and Malik Henry scored a third-quarter, go-ahead touchdown for the Calgary Stampeders in a 30-23 win over the visiting Edmonton Elks on Saturday.
Nearly 100 Ukrainian members of Calgary’s community marched in protest calling for the release of Azovstal Iron and steel workers, defending Mariupol from Russian attacks.
After the U.S. Supreme Court stripped away constitutional protections for abortion Friday by overturning Roe v. Wade, NDP Leader Rachel Notley demanded that everyone running to become the next leader of the UCP clarify their stance on the issue.
Fans leaving the Garth Brooks concert at Commonwealth Stadium Friday night were happy and smiling, despite some logistical issues that delayed the show and frustrated some.
A Member of Parliament from rural Alberta went live on Facebook Friday to celebrate a United States Supreme Court vote to end constitutional protections for abortion.
Hundreds of people gathered in front of Edmonton City Hall Saturday to celebrate the first large Pride event in the city in four years, and the first one in Churchill Square in eight.
Tens of thousands of people are expected to march in today's Pride parade in downtown Toronto, marking the return of in-person festivities for the annual LGBTQ celebration.
The higher parts of Angelique Beauchemin's land, she said, are sinking an inch or two a year as they slope ever more steeply toward the river. While she's not a scientist, she says her biggest fear is that one day there will be a landslide and the white house at the top of the hill where she's lived for decades will tumble down.
Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) issued a heat warning for the islands of Montreal and Laval in addition to the Vaudreuil and Valleyfield-Beauharnois areas.
Using a trailer or an RV is an easy way for people to get out of the city and into the outdoors, but with soaring gas prices, the cost of driving with one has gone up drastically.
When Ennio Muzzolini walked into Christies Mayfair Bakery in 1965 interested in purchasing the small bakery on 33rd Street, he never imagined he’d one day be looking on as hundreds of people lined the block to get their hands on a baguette, cinnamon bun or wood-fired pizza.
The inquiry into Nova Scotia’s 2020 mass shooting, says four pages of handwritten notes that sparked a political firestorm in Ottawa this week, weren’t immediately submitted when subpoenaed by its investigators.
After a week of criticism and anger at the Mass Casualty Commission in Nova Scotia, and outcry in a rural area of New Brunswick, there are questions about the RCMP’s role in community policing.
G7 leaders opened their summit Sunday with a discussion about shaping the global economy at a time when conflict and unrest are driving up prices and access to key goods around the world.
With hundreds of students from India who attend Northern College, and other professionals from India who've moved to the city to work, organizers said they felt it was time to bring everyone together to celebrate their culture with the rest of the community.
