‘It’s community and fun and love:’ Grey Cup superfans descend onto Winnipeg

CTV’s Daniel Halmarson gets into the spirit of the Grey Cup, chatting with fans who travelled across the country, and even around the world, for the big game.

WINNIPEG — Their teams may not be vying for this year’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 take on 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 large 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 take in Grey Cup games since 2014, and it’s the sixth year she has dressed up as the cup. This year’s costume required a 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 need more of that in the world,” the Brampton, Ont., resident said when asked what brings her back each year.

Bashak completed 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 other ear has a player in blue with a white ‘M’ emblazoned on the jersey to pay homage to the Alouettes.

But when asked who she’s cheering for on Sunday, she had to go with the Prairie team.

“I think 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 concerts and cooking competitions.

Attending the annual championship has become a family affair for one father and son.

Barry Ryan, who is from Toronto, has been going to the games with his son, Kevin, for the past 25 years. Ryan’s grandson James Salverda, who now lives in Winnipeg, started joining them about 12 years ago.

This Grey Cup game is special because Kevin Ryan’s daughter is joining the trio for the first time.

The three men have not 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 each year they attended the Grey Cup and the location it was held in, along with various football-related pins.

Kevin Ryan said the championship provides an opportunity for fans to come together in a way that is not seen in other sports.

“You see everyone is wearing their team colours, but there’s no fights,” he said. “I have a button that says ‘Argos suck,’ but it doesn’t cause a fight or anything. Any other sport I would 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, with her attending her second Grey Cup this year.

“It’s just a great atmosphere,” Dunn said. “It’s a place where you can go and we all have similar interests. We’re all here for football. We’re all here to have a good time, and it’s uniquely Canadian.”

When thinking about 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.

With his team out of the running for this year’s trophy, Dunn is only cheering for a game that comes down to the last second.

“I’m cheering for both teams to lose,” he said with a laugh.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 15, 2025.

Brittany Hobson, The Canadian Press