Regina to host Raptors viewing parties

The City of Regina is jumping on the Toronto Raptors bandwagon.

The city and the Regina Downtown Business Improvement District (RDBID) are teaming up to hold viewing parties in City Square Plaza for games 4 and 5 of the NBA Finals on Friday and Monday, respectively.

Both games between the Raptors and Golden State Warriors are to begin at 7 p.m.

Admission is free to the viewing parties, which will be similar to Jurassic Park — the events that are held outside Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena during Raptors games.

In Regina, a 14-foot LED screen will be placed in City Square Plaza, just north of Victoria Park.

“The fact that the Raptors are this far in the playoffs has got the whole country excited,” Mayor Michael Fougere said during a media conference Wednesday.

“Young kids who are playing basketball, they get motivated. If they can come down here and watch a game with their parents and see this, it’s doubly effective that way.”

Fougere said he received emails and messages on social media from people requesting the outdoor viewing parties. Eventually, the city and RDBID agreed to put them on.

RDBID executive director Judith Veresuk said there were scheduling conflicts that kept the viewing parties from happening before — including for Wednesday’s Game 3. As well, she admitted officials “were kind of taken aback” by the response in other cities.

“We saw it happening in Toronto and then slowly creeping up throughout Ontario,” Veresuk said. “It’s making its way west and we’re just happy to be a part of that wave.”

There will be music and pre-game activities in the plaza for Regina’s viewing parties and food trucks will be on site. Beer gardens aren’t in the offing, however.

Chairs will be available for those patrons who need to sit, but Veresuk noted that people in Toronto’s Jurassic Park usually prefer to stand from start to finish anyway.

Fougere noted the city and RDBID will do everything possible to stage parties for as long as the series goes on. The Raptors and Warriors are tied 1-1 in the best-of-seven series entering Wednesday’s game in Oakland.

The mayor noted that similar events also could be held for future sporting activities — including away games featuring the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders. However, those conversations haven’t been held yet.

Veresuk agreed that the two upcoming viewing parties may not be the last of their kind.

“We are exploring options for doing viewing parties during NHL week in October (when the NHL’s Heritage Classic is to be played at Mosaic Stadium), so I think this is going to be a great dry run for that,” she said.

The rental of the screen is between $3,000 and $4,000, but Veresuk said the event is worth the investment.

“We’re here to support the city, we’re here to support Canadian sports and we’re very happy to do it,” she said. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime event right now (and) hopefully it will become the norm.

“My biggest fear is next year having the Raptors and the (NHL’s Toronto Maple) Leafs in the finals (at the same time) and having to do this every day for two weeks.”

— With files from 980 CJME’s Britton Gray