Snowfall adds to the drama in thrilling Grey Cup battle
OTTAWA Snow shovels, a dog sled and Mounties in red serge helped make the 105th Grey Cup a quintessential Canadian spectacle, and Toronto football fans couldn’t be happier.
Blue and white-clad Argonaut devotees screamed their excitement from the stands at Ottawa’s TD Place Stadium — and later in the streets — as their Canadian Football League franchise handed Calgary a stunning loss to an underdog team for the second year in a row, defeating the Stampeders in a nail biter Sunday 27-24.
The snow started as a few light flakes a couple of hours before Gov. Gen. Julie Payette tossed a coin to start the game, but continued all evening, forcing stadium crews to use shovels, snow plows and gaspowered blowers in a relentless battle to clear the field.
“Welcome to Canada,” said Argos fan Darel Mack, adding that he didn’t believe the snow hurt either team.
“It was an awesome game,” said Mack. “It was super close, as close as you can get it.”
Rags-to-riches Canadian country music icon Shania Twain took advantage of the blanket of white to enter the stadium for the halftime show atop a sled pulled by dogs.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also remarked that it wouldn’t be Canadian football without the white powder.
Trudeau, who brought his family to this year’s game, was nostalgic after watching a video clip of himself, his brothers and father discussing the Grey Cup as kids, calling the championship a “huge part of Canada’s heritage.”
“Yes, we’re a hockey country and yes, yes, the Stanley Cup,” Trudeau told TSN.
“But the Grey Cup is all ours. Playing football in the snow, no matter where you are in the world, we can relate to that better than just about anybody else.”