NHL not alone in making parents purchase tickets for infants
Numerous Winnipeg entertainment venues don't allow babies to sit on parent's lap without ticket
The NHL has been under scrutiny for not allowing a pair of Winnipeg parents to bring their six-month-old son to next month's Heritage Classic without his own ticket, but it's not the only organization that has the same requirement.
A number of entertainment venues in Winnipeg require all patrons to have a ticket. Rainbow Stage states on its website this includes children and infants. Parents aren't allowed to simply hold babies in their arms.
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Similar rules apply for performances at Winnipeg's Centennial Concert Hall, which hosts the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and the Manitoba Opera. For children's shows, all children must have a ticket, including those babies held in a parent's arms.
'Children should be able to sit quietly'
The Manitoba Theatre Centre's (MTC) website asks for discretion when deciding to bring a child to a performance. It's policy says the theatre welcomes guests of all ages but acknowledges "very young children can be disruptive to the performance and to other patrons."
"Children should be able to sit quietly throughout the performance. Children unable to do so, along with their accompanying adult, will be asked by an usher to leave the auditorium or may be asked not to attend the performance," the website states.
MTC requires every patron, regardless of age, to have their own ticket and holding babies in arms is not permitted.
The Winnipeg Fringe Festival requires all children under 12 to be accompanied by an adult. Parents may have children in their lap but that's only permitted at Kids Venue performances.
Free for kids under 3
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers, who play at Investors Group Field where the Heritage Classic is being held, allows any child who has not reached their third birthday to enter without requiring their own ticket.
The Winnipeg Jets have the same rule for children up to two years old.
Cineplex and Landmark Cinemas also allow for children under two years old to enter without paying admission. If seats are required, the child may be asked to sit on the parent or guardian's lap.