On Gray Cup weekend you can meet just about anyone, including the Prime Minister of Canada.
Mark Carney, who was elected as the country's 24th prime minister in March 2025 and leads the current Liberal government, made a surprise appearance at the RBC Convention Center in Winnipeg on Saturday night to attend the 112th Gray Cup. The 60-year-old was spotted at the event chatting with fans as he moved between team parties and even wore a Riders cap at one point.
Carney is in Winnipeg this weekend for political talks with Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew and is rumored to be at Sunday's game. His party appearances put him in the heart of CFL fandom, where he rubbed shoulders with the passionate, the obsessive and the drunk without a luxury suite to protect him.
While Carney may be the man in charge now, he is not the only prime minister to make his presence known this week. His predecessor Justin Trudeau recorded a video in support of the Montreal Alouettesalthough former Prime Minister Stephen Harper is also in town and reportedly attended 2026 Gray Cup preview events in his hometown of Calgary..
Canadian politicians have long recognized the value of the Gray Cup photo-op, and many prime ministers have attended the game over the years, emphasizing its importance as a national tradition. From the 1950s to the 1970s, prime ministers often held the opening ceremony for the game.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders (13-6) and Montreal Alouettes (12-8) will meet in the 112th Gray Cup at Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg on Sunday, November 16, with kickoff scheduled for 6:00 pm EST.
The Alouettes defeated the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the East final by a score of 19-16, while the Roughriders came back to defeat the BC Lions in the West final by a score of 24-21. The teams split their two regular-season meetings, although Montreal quarterback Davis Alexander missed both games with a hamstring injury.
The weather forecast for Winnipeg calls for a high of two degrees, sun and clouds. The game will be broadcast on TSN, CTV and RDS in Canada, CBS Sports Network in the US and CFL+ worldwide.
This is the fifth time the Gray Cup will be held in Winnipeg and the second time it will be held at Princess Auto Stadium. The stadium's first Gray Cup was held in 2015, when the Edmonton football team defeated the Ottawa Redblacks 26–20 and Michael Reilly was named the game's MVP.
