WINNIPEG – Their teams might not be vying for this yr’s Grey Cup, but that hasn’t stopped some dedicated Canadian football fans from descending on the centre of the country to witness the championship game.
The 112th Grey Cup will see the Saskatchewan Roughriders tackle the Montreal Alouettes at Winnipeg’s Princess Auto Stadium on Sunday.
Longtime Hamilton Tiger-Cats fan and season-ticket holder Sheree Bashak donned a head-to-toe ensemble she handcrafted herself that included a big foil hat with handles to represent the coveted trophy, while her husband, Steve, wore a blow-up football costume as they took part in Friday’s street festival.
Bashak has been has been travelling to absorb Grey Cup games since 2014, and it’s the sixth yr she has dressed up because the cup. This yr’s costume required a brand new hat after her old paper mache one took a beating from making five prior trips.
“It’s community and fun and love, and we want more of that on the planet,” the Brampton, Ont., resident said when asked what brings her back annually.
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Bashak accomplished her outfit with a pair of personalized earrings. On one ear, a football player outfitted in green dangles above her shoulder to represent Rider nation. The opposite ear has a player in blue with a white ‘M’ emblazoned on the jersey to pay homage to the Alouettes.
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But when asked who she’s cheering for on Sunday, she needed to go together with the Prairie team.
“I believe I’m going Saskatchewan, because I’m still crying over our Ticat loss against Montreal last week. So I don’t know if my heart can bring me to cheer for them.”
Other events include live shows and cooking competitions.
Attending the annual championship has change into a family affair for one father and son.
Barry Ryan, who’s from Toronto, has been going to the games together with his son, Kevin, for the past 25 years. Ryan’s grandson James Salverda, who now lives in Winnipeg, began joining them about 12 years ago.
This Grey Cup game is special because Kevin Ryan’s daughter is joining the trio for the primary time.
The three men haven’t only made the games a custom, but have also created outfits to showcase the tradition.
They each wear a mechanics jumpsuit with patches that display annually they attended the Grey Cup and the situation it was held in, together with various football-related pins.
Kevin Ryan said the championship provides a possibility for fans to return together in a way that just isn’t seen in other sports.
“You see everyone seems to be wearing their team colors, but there’s no fights,” he said. “I even have a button that claims ‘Argos suck,’ but it surely doesn’t cause a fight or anything. Some other sport I might wear a button like this, there’d be a fight breaking out.”
For Surrey, B.C., resident Kyle Dunn, attending the championship is a 23-year ritual. The B.C. Lions superfan has drawn his partner, Heather Smith, into the fandom, together with her attending her second Grey Cup this yr.
“It’s just a fantastic atmosphere,” Dunn said. “It’s a spot where you possibly can go and all of us have similar interests. We’re all here for football. We’re all here to have a superb time, and it’s uniquely Canadian.”
When fascinated with his favourite moment, Dunn said it has to go to the 2011 game when the Lions defeated the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at BC Place Stadium.
Along with his team out of the running for this yr’s trophy, Dunn is barely cheering for a game that comes right down to the last second.
“I’m cheering for each teams to lose,” he said with amusing.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 15, 2025.
© 2025 The Canadian Press