On game day Sunday, Montreal and Saskatchewan football fans were ready to cheer for their teams as the Alouettes and Roughriders battled each other in Gray cup in Winnipeg.
Many of these fans were already rushing around before the game with food and drinks at the ready, and Winnipeg Blue Bomber fans were among them, even though their team wasn't playing.
“All the teasing is good fun – we all make fun of each other – but then we go to the game together, drink beer together and have a good time,” said Dennis Giesbrecht, a Bombers fan who organized a tailgate in the parking lot next to Princess Auto Stadium.
The 112th Gray Cup is in Winnipeg for the fifth time, but it's been 10 years since the city last hosted the big game.
Montreal hopes to win its second CFL title in three years after winning in 2023.
Receive daily national news
Get the day's top news, political, economic and current affairs headlines delivered to your inbox once a day.
Meanwhile, Saskatchewan hopes to end a 12-year drought and win its first Gray Cup championship since 2013, which would also be the fifth in franchise history.
Even though they were in Blue Bomber territory, many Roughrider fans were there to watch their team play and there was a lot of green in sight.
Some Alouette supporters also traveled to Manitoba.
Estimated numbers for each fan were not available at the time of publication, but Saskatchewan may not receive the warmest welcome.
About 75 per cent of ticket holders for the sold-out Princess Auto Stadium were Bomber fans, according to Winnipeg Blue Bomber President Wade Miller.
Many of the fans in attendance on Sunday morning, like Giesbrecht, were wearing Bomber uniforms, but they are divided on who they will support.
“As much as we hate the Riders, and I can’t root for them today, they’re bearable,” Giesbrecht said.
Some say they retain pride in Western Canada, even though it won't be Winnipeg in the finals.
“Being from the West, I think we need to fight for Saskatchewan,” Bombers fan Kevin Kull said. “We also have a couple of former Bombers there, as well as Harris and Hardrick, so I think our hearts will be with them today.”
Even though the Bombers were out of contention, Sunday's Gray Cup championship was the 15th straight game at Winnipeg Arena that was sold out.
—with files from Melissa Ridgen and Vasilios Bellos of Global News
© 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
