Strike means ticking clock for Mosaic Stadium vendors

With the CFL strike now into its third day, vendors at Mosaic Stadium are growing concerned about if they’ll be working a game on Victoria Day or not.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders are set to host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Mosaic Stadium on Monday.

Western Pizza owner Spiro Bonis said the clock is ticking on his side of the fence.

“Basically for us, if we don’t know by Wednesday, I’d have to pull out,” the business owner shared.

Bonis explains he needs to get food and supplies all ordered, organized and ready to go in advance of Monday’s game.

“We have to set up the concessions and booth like we’re going to have a game, but we also have to make a decision if it’s not going ahead,” he said.

“If we have to order a bunch of supplies, we have to make sure we’re able to use them. If there’s no game, then we can’t use the supplies.”

Bonis added the inconvenience of this being the first game of the year, with everyone needing time to get readjusted to working a game day.

Prairie Donair COO Tyler Morrissette also sees the situation as frustrating — for everyone.

“We don’t know what is going to happen,” he said. “We just know it’s disappointing and we’re just going to play it day by day, I guess.”

Morrissette said no game on Monday won’t just hurt his company’s wallet, but also those of volunteers.

“We’ve got 20 volunteers for our booth that we don’t know what to tell them,” Morrissette said. “As far as the food goes, there (are) thousands of dollars worth of food that once we buy, we can’t return it. It doesn’t make us too happy right now.”

Morrissette said he will need to know Tuesday by 4 p.m. if there will be a game on Monday.

Bonis felt no game on Monday hurts more people than just his business.

“Coming off the short season (in 2021) and the missed season prior (due to COVID-19), I think worst (case) possible is a missed season,” he said.