Football fans from across Canada in Vancouver for Grey Cup celebrate 'glory and beauty of the CFL'
CBC
When Winnipeggers Barbara and Sylvia Main travelled to Vancouver for their first Grey Cup in 1990, there was no zip line.
But being back on the West Coast for this weekend's Grey Cup match brings a sense of nostalgia for the mother-daughter duo.
"It is where we first started — first mother-daughter Grey Cup ... so it is kind of sentimental for us to be back here again together enjoying the Grey Cup," daughter Sylvia said on Friday. "We're ready for the Bombers to bring [another] one home."
The Mains are among the football fans from across the country who have converged on 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 are vying to win the 111th Grey Cup on Sunday. Winnipeg and Toronto fans, along with those representing the league's other seven teams, have taken in activities at the Grey Cup Festival, including concerts, parties, a drone show and a zip line that runs down the harbour.
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The Mains, who have been Bombers season-ticket holders since 1987, have been in the stands together at an estimated 20 Grey Cup games over the past 35 years, including each of Winnipeg's last three triumphs.
In that 1990 game they saw, Winnipeg, led by the CFL's top defence, crushed Edmonton 50-11 for the Bombers' 10th Grey Cup title. But Bombers fans had to wait until 2019 for Winnipeg to lay claim to the CFL's holy grail again, before earning a repeat championship victory in 2021 after the pandemic cancelled the 2020 season.
Over the decades of games, the Mains say they've forged many friendships — a big reason they've attended so many Grey Cups.
"We've met so many amazing fans across the league. This is our time to get together with fans again just to celebrate the CFL and our friendship, and hopefully cheer on our team when they're in the Grey Cup," Sylvia said.
They've already invited some friends to come to their tailgate party at next year's Grey Cup, which will be played at Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg.
Hans Stasiuk won't have to travel to next year's game either, but this year's edition is a milestone for the Winnipegger — Sunday will be his 40th Grey Cup game.
"When my dad started taking me back in 1980 I enjoyed it, but I never thought I would get to this stage of 40 Grey Cups," he told CBC News on Friday, calling it "a wonderful feeling."
Stasiuk said he loves getting the opportunity to reconnect with the same people year after year, including CFL Hall of Famer Wally Buono.
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