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What comes next for BMO Field and BC Place after the FIFA World Cup? Canada's first men's World Cup has ended, but the country's two host stadiums are already entering very different post-tournament chapters. Toronto's BMO Field is shrinking back to its everyday dimensions. Vancouver's BC Place is returning to its multi-purpose routine. What remains in both cities is not a FIFA showpiece frozen in time, but a mixture of permanent improvements, dismantled infrastructure and an urgent question: can a six-week spectacle produce a durable sporting return? The answer will depend on whether upgraded amenities generate more events and revenue, whether local clubs benefit, and whether governments disclose credible results against their pre-tournament promises. Concrete, steel and screens matter, but a genuine legacy must extend beyond the stadium gates too. BMO Field returns to its regular identity. For the tournament, BMO Field became "Toronto Stadium," complying with FIFA's rules on commercial naming. Its most dramatic alteration was also temporary. The north and south expansions added 17,756 seats and lifted capacity to 45,736, allowing Toronto to stage six matches, including Canada's opening game and a round-of-32 contest. Those scaffold-supported grandstands began coming down after Toronto's final match on July 2. The venue has now reclaimed its BMO Field name and its primary tenants, Toronto FC and the CFL's Toronto Argonauts. Toronto FC returned home on August 15, restoring the more intimate configuration familiar to regular supporters. Yet the stadium has not simply reverted to its pre-World Cup condition. The City of Toronto and Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment invested C$157.9 million in the project, with C$132.9 million coming from the city and C$25 million from MLSE. Permanent additions include new video boards, improved lighting and sound, upgraded broadcast systems, better Wi-Fi, renovated player areas, an expanded kitchen, lounges, hospitality spaces and accessibility improvements. These assets should make BMO Field more attractive for international soccer, concerts and premium-event business. They also improve routine matchdays for Toronto FC and the Argonauts. Still, the scale of public spending will remain under scrutiny because the defining image of the transformation - the expanded seating bowl - was never intended to survive. BC Place keeps the building, not the grass. Vancouver's transition is less visible from outside. BC Place already possessed the required capacity and enclosed scale, hosting seven World Cup matches, more than any other Canadian venue. Its costly transformation concentrated on the field, technology, accessibility and commercial spaces. The hybrid grass surface, grown in Abbotsford and installed to meet FIFA standards, was temporary. After the tournament, it was removed and the artificial turf used by the Vancouver Whitecaps and BC Lions returned. A permanent natural surface is difficult to reconcile with an enclosed, heavily programmed venue that must rapidly switch among soccer, Canadian football, concerts, conferences and community events. Most other BC Place improvements remain. The provincial renovation introduced high-definition video boards, stronger Wi-Fi, renovated locker rooms, three new passenger elevators, more gender-neutral washrooms, a permanent merchandise store and new premium areas such as the Corner Club and Field Club. Those spaces can operate independently for corporate and private events, creating revenue beyond game days. BC Place's immediate future confirms that strategy. Its calendar again combines Whitecaps and Lions fixtures with major concerts, including Guns N' Roses, Foo Fighters and Bruno Mars. Provincial officials are counting on that versatility to strengthen the publicly owned stadium's financial sustainability and attract additional global events. The real legacy test. The largest uncertainty in Vancouver concerns the Whitecaps. The club has pursued negotiations for a soccer-specific stadium at Hastings Park after years of dissatisfaction with its commercial arrangement at BC Place. If that project advances, the World Cup venue could eventually lose its principal soccer tenant even after receiving soccer-driven investment. Toronto faces a different challenge. BMO Field will remain the country's leading soccer-specific stadium, but its reduced capacity limits the scale of future spectacles. Reinstalling temporary stands for another major tournament would require fresh money and planning. The World Cup therefore leaves Canada with two improved venues, not two permanently enlarged soccer palaces. Their success will be measured less by what FIFA required than by what follows: fuller domestic crowds, more national-team matches, stronger club revenues and sustained public access. The temporary structures are disappearing. The obligation to justify the investment is only beginning.

Raptors clinic brings sport, health and community together for Treaty 3 youth. 28 July 2026 More than 70 young people from across Treaty 3 gathered in Kenora last week for a basketball clinic that organizers say was about much more than learning the game. The Courtside Care event, hosted by the Youth and Family Wellness Camp in partnership with Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE), the Toronto Raptors and Sun Life, combined basketball instruction with a community health fair designed to connect youth and families with local support services. The clinic welcomed participants between the ages of 6 and 20, with youth travelling from several Treaty 3 communities, including Wabauskang, Niisaachewan, Wauzhushk Onigum, Grassy Narrows, Naotkamegwanning, Northwest Angle No. 33, and Washagamis Bay First Nation, as well as families from Kenora. Katie Root, camp director at the Youth and Family Wellness Camp, told the Miner and News the day exceeded expectations. "It was amazing," Root said. "It was filled with so much happiness and joy, fostering relationships, building connections, and learning about some of the wonderful services we offer here in Kenora." Alongside basketball drills led by coaches from the Raptors 905 organization, families had the opportunity to visit booths hosted by local organizations offering health, wellness and support services. Representatives from the Northwestern Health Unit, WNHAC, the Canadian Mental Health Association, Lake of the Woods District Hospital, and the Youth Hub itself all participated in the event. In total, nearly 100 people attended, including parents and guardians. Root said one of the highlights was watching young people who had never met before quickly form friendships. "They're all giving each other high fives and walking out just sharing a sense of pride," she said. "At the end of the day, everyone felt like they were supposed to be there." She said bringing the Raptors organization to Kenora offered youth a chance to see opportunities beyond their own communities while reinforcing the power of sport to connect people. "I think it's important for people to see what's possible," Root said. "The power of sport is amazing. It can bring people together, build community and create opportunities." One moment that stood out came at the end of the clinic when a young camper with additional support needs received the event's overall all-star award and a signed Raptors jersey. "It was so amazing to see," Root said. "He got to come back to camp the next day and tell everyone what he had won." The clinic was the first Courtside Care event hosted by the Youth and Family Wellness Camp and, according to Root, the largest one held through the program so far. She hopes it will be the first of many. "We'd love to see more clinics come," she said. "We just want to keep growing." Beyond special events like the basketball clinic, the Youth and Family Wellness Camp operates year-round, offering seasonal celebrations, after-school programming, the Indigenous Rookie League baseball program, summer camps and employment opportunities for youth throughout the region. Root credited Sun Life, MLSE, the Toronto Raptors, the camp's Right To Play and Indigenous Rookie League teams, staff and volunteers for making the event possible. "If people want to find out more about what we do, visit our new website at wellnesscamp.ca," she said.

Rogers to assume 100% control of Raptors' parent company. By Luke Adams | at July 6, 2026 3:54 pm Rogers Communications, the Canadian communications/media giant that previously owned 75% of Maple Leafs Sport & Entertainment, has reached a deal to assume full control of the Raptors' parent company, per a press release from Rogers. Rogers held a 37.5% share of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment up until September 2024, when it bought out BCE (Bell)'s 37.5% stake in MLSE to increase its share of the company to 75%. The ownership agreement gave Rogers the right to buy out the remaining 25%, primarily held by Larry Tanenbaum's Kilmer Sports Inc. Previous reporting indicated that Tanenbaum was obligated to began that sale process by July 7, 2026, so this news comes right on time. According to Rogers' announcement, the purchase agreement is subject to the approval of the various leagues that MLSE teams are part of, but the sale is expected to close before the end of 2026. Rogers is paying $4.35 billion Canadian for the remaining 25% of the company, which is the equivalent of roughly $3.06 billion in USD, notes Kurt Badenhausen of Sportico. The Raptors are considered the most valuable asset in MLSE's portfolio, with a Sportico valuation of $5.22 billion. The company also controls the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs, the MLS club Toronto FC, and a handful of smaller sports teams, such as the Toronto Argonauts (Canadian Football League) and Raptors 905 (G League). The company also owns and operates Scotiabank Centre and OVO Athletic Centre, the Raptors' home arena and practice facility, respectively. Tanenbaum has long been the Raptors' governor and the MLSE chairman, as well as the chairman of the NBA's board of governors. However, the plan is for him to formally exit those roles later this year. According to Doug Smith of The Toronto Star, Tanenbaum will step down as the Raptors' governor and the NBA's board of governors chairman at the end of September and will leave his MLSE position once the sale closes. Tanenbaum published a farewell letter to fans on Monday morning, as Simon Bennett of 680 NewsRadio Toronto relays (via Twitter). Rogers' statement also included a thank you message for the longtime Raptors governor. "We want to recognize Larry Tanenbaum for his contributions to MLSE and to sports in Toronto," executive chair Edward Rogers said. "For decades, Larry has helped shape MLSE and we thank him for his partnership and his lasting impact."