Empire Unveils Sobeys Stadium in Toronto, Part Of Enhanced Partnership With Tennis Canada
STELLARTON, N.S. – The next time you watch top-level tennis from Toronto, you’ll be seeing a familiar Nova Scotia-based company adorning the venue.
Empire Company Limited, the Stellarton based parent company of Sobeys, announced an expansion to its existing sports partnership with Tennis Canada, unveiling “Sobeys Stadium” in Toronto last week.
The stadium, formerly Aviva Centre and Rexall Centre, features a 12,500-capacity centre court, the largest stadium at the tennis complex.
Sobeys Stadium hosts one of the top tennis tournaments in the world, the National Bank Open presented by Rogers, which is played annually in Toronto and Montreal.
This August, the women’s event will take place at Sobeys Stadium in Toronto, and the men’s event will take place at IGA Stadium in Montreal.
“We celebrate Tennis Canada for the tremendous work they do to advance tennis, making it more accessible across Canada. We are proud to be their partner and host both sites of the National Bank Open, in Toronto and Montreal,” said Erika DeHaas, Vice President of Marketing Communications at Sobeys Inc.
“We are one of the biggest supporters of sport in Canada, and building on our success in Montreal with STADE IGA, we know these stadiums create a great opportunity for us to connect with fans, cheer on Canada’s champions and fuel the passion for the game,” stated DeHaas on the announcement this week.
With the Sobeys Stadium name now official, the Sobeys brand will also be highlighted throughout the entire stadium.
Voilà by Sobeys will also become the official “in seat ordering experience” at Sobeys Stadium, delivering food to fans directly to their seats.
Growing the game at home
Beyond tennis, Sobeys Stadium is a multipurpose sports and entertainment complex, spread over 15 acres and located in York, just north of Toronto.
“Sobeys shares our values and commitment to making tennis more accessible for families across Canada and we will unveil exciting programming to support this in the coming weeks,” said Michael Downey, the CEO of Tennis Canada.
“Their support will help us accomplish the mission that we established for our facility in Toronto, which is to give youth access to quality facilities and encourage more young people to pick up a racquet and play.”
Tennis Canada owns and operates the premier National Bank Open WTA and ATP Tour events, four professional ATP and ITF sanctioned events in addition to operating junior national training centres and programs in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Calgary.
As part of its cooperation, Sobeys will also continue to collaborate on new grassroots programs and support the growth of tennis in Canada.
“I’m incredibly excited about the clinics that will benefit from Sobeys’ support,” said Daniel Nestor, 12-time Grand Slam Doubles Champion and Olympic Gold Medalist, who added the impact that large investments like the Sobeys announcement have on the sport are not only needed, but invaluable in terms of access.
“Creating a space for younger players to gain exposure and an appreciation for tennis will help continue to grow the sport across Canada for many years to come,” said Nestor.