A new no re-entry policy at Rogers Place has some Edmontonians outraged.
As per the new policy, no one will be allowed back inside the arena if they leaving during an event, whether they have a ticket or not.
“Please be aware that guests will not be permitted to exit and re-enter the venue during events,” the policy on the Rogers Place website reads.
While many automatically think of smokers being affected by the policy, they’re not the only ones impacted by the change.
Kerri-Anne MacFarlane suffers from anxiety and said the thought of not being able to leave a building is “very scary.”
“It can create, for somebody like me who has panic attacks, a point where I can’t breathe and if I can’t get out for five minutes even then I won’t even go because it’s just so overwhelming, the pain and the pressure in the chest.”
READ MORE: Smokers won’t be able to re-enter Rogers Place once they leave for a cigarette
Tim Shipton with the Oilers Entertainment Group said while the policy is meant to prevent a steady stream of re-entry for safety and security reasons, exceptions will be made when it comes to people with medical conditions.
He said the OEG is training its customer service representatives to use good judgment when it comes to who they can and cannot make exceptions for.
Shipton said the no re-entry policy is in line with safety best practices in venues across North America, adding Montreal, Ottawa and Vancouver all have similar policies in place. The Air Canada Centre in Toronto, for example, does not have a no re-entry policy in place, neither does the Calgary Saddledome.
Watch below: Edmontonians weigh in on the new smoking policy at Rogers Place
The new policy at Rogers Place is a change from the policy at Rexall Place, the Edmonton Oilers’ former home, where event-goers were allowed to enter and exit the building as long as they showed their ticket to arena staff.
By early Friday afternoon, Global Edmonton’s Facebook post about the policy had garnered hundreds of comments and more than 7,000 people voted in our online poll.
Watch below: Global News coverage of the official opening of Rogers Place