Red tide swept into BC Place as Voyageurs bolster team Canada to World Cup win

Team Canada’s unofficial supporters group led a boisterous procession into BC Place for the Canada-Qatar game.

Vancouver’s no stranger to festivals, international sporting events, and diverse fandoms, but Thursday afternoon saw a spectacle unlike any other as the Voyageurs marched into BC Place stadium as a boisterous red tide.

Even hours before team Canada faced of against Qatar, pummelling them with a 6-0 win, fans were ready to do their part in lifting up the team.

• Related: Canada defeats Qatar 6-0, earns first-ever win at men’s tournament

Thousands of the boisterous team Canada supporters chanted, cheered, and fired flares trailing crimson smoke as they walked from an Irish pub south of Science World to the venue clad in red shirts, jerseys, hats, and any other crimson item they could get their eager hands on – all part of the “last mile” tradition to show their support and enthusiasm.

Some of the die-hard soccer fans were local, but a significant number came from across the country to show their support for Alphonso Davies and his squad. CTV News spoke to one fan who trekked all the way from Iqaluit in Nunavut who proclaimed she “came all the way from up north to watch Canada win!”

The fan club organized a colourful gathering in Toronto for the Canada-Bosnia Herzegovina match last week, but one of the Voyageurs said he’d been there and Vancouver’s turnout was “10 times bigger.”

Organizers invited supporters without tickets to join them until they got to the venue checkpoint, which was appreciated by several fans who soaked in the energy before going to nearby pubs and restaurants to watch the match.

“I just needed to be part of everybody here,” said one man who couldn’t stop smiling at the wave of humanity he’d joined for more than an hour.

Those who’d been in the city for the 2010 Olympics insisted this experience was different.

“Nothing compares to this,” said a bearded man with face paint. “This is bringing everybody together and loving life.”