Football fans from across Canada celebrate ‘glory and beauty of the CFL’ in Vancouver for the Gray Cup

When Winnipeggers Barbara and Sylvia Main traveled to Vancouver for their first Gray Cup in 1990, there was no zipline.

But being back on the West Coast for this weekend’s Gray Cup match brings a sense of nostalgia for the mother-daughter duo.

“It’s where we first started – the first mother-daughter Gray Cup … so it’s a little sentimental for us to be here together again and enjoy the Gray Cup,” daughter Sylvia said Friday. “We’re ready for the Bombers to take home (one more).”

The Mains are among the football fans from across the country who have flocked to Vancouver, eager to build relationships and strengthen their camaraderie with like-minded fans who are passionate about the Canadian Football League.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Toronto Argonauts will battle it out for the 111th Gray Cup on Sunday. Winnipeg and Toronto fans, along with those representing the league’s other seven teams, took part in activities at the Gray Cup Festival, including concerts, parties, a drone show and a zipline through the harbour.

B.C.’s Ministry of Tourism says it expects the festivities to attract 30,000 fans from outside the province and provide an economic boost of $125 million.

The Mains, who have been Bombers season ticket holders since 1987, have been in the stands together for an estimated 20 Gray Cup games over the past 35 years, including each of Winnipeg’s last three victories.

In the 1990 game they saw, Winnipeg, led by the CFL’s top defense, defeated Edmonton 50-11 for the Bombers’ 10th Gray Cup title. But Bombers fans had to wait until 2019 for Winnipeg to lay claim to the CFL’s holy grail again, before notching another championship victory in 2021 after the pandemic canceled the 2020 season.

The Mains say they have made many friendships over the decades of games – a big reason they have participated in so many Gray Cups.

“We’ve met so many great fans across the league. This is our time to get back together with fans to celebrate the CFL and our friendship, and hopefully cheer on our team when they’re in the Gray Cup,” said Sylvia. .

They’ve already invited some friends to their tailgate party at next year’s Gray Cup, which will be played at Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg.

40th Gray Cup for Winnipegger

Hans Stasiuk won’t have to travel to next year’s match either, but this year’s edition is a milestone for the Winnipegger: Sunday will be his 40th Gray Cup match.

“When my dad started taking me in 1980, I liked it, but I never thought I would reach this stage of 40 Gray Cups,” he told CBC News on Friday, calling it “an amazing feeling.”

Stasiuk said he loves reconnecting with the same people year after year, including CFL Hall of Famer Wally Buono.

“Every Gray Cup I would run into Wally Buono, and I saw him (Friday) and I said, ‘You know, Wally, it’s not the same if I don’t see you at a Gray Cup,’” Stasiuk said.

“The people are just so friendly. I’ve never met anyone who wasn’t nice in my 40 years at Gray Cups.”

Like Stasiuk and the Mains, Montreal’s Dino Mazzone plans to be in Winnipeg for the 2025 Gray Cup.

He has been to six Gray Cups, dating back to the late 1970s when he went with his father.

He was so confident that his beloved Alouettes would defend the title they won against the Bombers last year that he booked his hotel room for this year’s Gray Cup a week after the final game.

“It was a little disappointing, but we are proud CFL fans and I still go to a CFL game every year,” Mazzone said. “For me, the Gray Cup is now part of my life.”

Without the Alouettes in the game, following the team’s Eastern finals loss to the Argos, he will be rooting hard for the Bombers on Sunday.

“I’m a big fan of Brady Oliveira, the most outstanding Canadian and the most outstanding player,” he said. “I think they will definitely beat Toronto this year.”

Regardless of who plays, Mazzone wishes more Canadians would come out and experience Gray Cup week.

“The people were great, and all these Canadians from all over the country were just really nice to each other, enjoying our culture, our camaraderie and our love for this game,” he said.

“It’s been a beautiful thing, and I think that’s the glory and beauty of the CFL.”

Toronto fans are confident

Toronto fans in Vancouver this week, meanwhile, say they have confidence in their team.

The Argonauts lost starting quarterback and 2023 CFL Most Outstanding Player Chad Kelly to a leg injury in the East finals, but fan David Brown said he has confidence in backup Nick Arbuckle.

“(I’m) very optimistic and feel very strongly about it. Arbuckle has this,” Brown said.

“We have a very strong team through and through. I mean, the loss with Kelly is a big, big loss for this team, but they’re going to do this for Chad.”

Fan Glenn Stevenson understands why Winnipeg is considered the favorite to win, but warns against underestimating Arbuckle and the underdog Argos.

“I think it’s going to be a lot closer than people expect. I think Arbuckle is ready. He’s got a good, strong arm. He knows the offense. He’s going to do extremely well,” Stevenson said.

Toronto was also the underdog in 2022, when the team earned a 24–23 Gray Cup win over the Bombers on a last-minute blocked field goal, preventing a three-peat in Winnipeg.

Regardless of Sunday’s result, Stevenson is enjoying his 14th Gray Cup week with CFL fans from across Canada.

“It’s great because even though fans come from all over the country and cheer on different teams, it’s always very friendly,” he said. “It’s a great time, great atmosphere.”

WATCH |Winnipeg Blue Bomber fans arrive in Vancouver ahead of Gray Cup match:

Winnipeg Blue Bomber fans gather in Vancouver ahead of the 111th Gray Cup

The excitement continues in Vancouver, where Winnipeg Blue Bombers fans have landed ahead of Sunday’s big Gray Cup match against the Toronto Argonauts.