Fans in The Pas get close-up look at Grey Cup

Posted: 12:00 PM CDT Monday, Oct. 19, 2015 Last Modified: 12:36 PM CDT Monday, Oct. 19, 2015 | Updates

Grey Cup fever is alive and well in The Pas.

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Grey Cup fever is alive and well in The Pas.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 19/10/2015 (3728 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

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Grey Cup fever is alive and well in The Pas.

Hundreds of people, ranging from school kids to grandparents, showed up to the local Legion Monday morning for a chance to get an up-close-and personal look at the CFL’s holy grail in what is the first stop on an eight-day tour across northern Manitoba with the Grey Cup.

“It’s awesome. It’s awesome that it’s in our community again,” said Joanne Basson, a high school teacher at Maragret Barbour Collegiate.

Jeff Hamilton / Winnipeg Free Press
Two fans look on at the Grey Cup, which was hosted at the local Legion in The Pas, Man Monday morning. It's the first stop in an eight-day tour across northern Manitoba with the Grey Cup. — Jeff Hamilton / Winnipeg Free Press Two fans look on at the Grey Cup, which was hosted at the local Legion in The Pas, Man Monday morning. It's the first stop in an eight-day tour across northern Manitoba with the Grey Cup.

Basson, who grew up in a family, who adores the Blue and Gold and was a season-ticket holder for years growing up in Winnipeg, was dressed to impress, wearing an outfit that included a Bombers jersey and tight gold pants.

“My mom is the huge fan. She’s 85 and she still goes to games,” said Basson, who added her greatest Bombers memory was when she got the chance to see the Bombers beat the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the 1984 Grey Cup in Edmonton.

“And the only reason I could get time off was because I said it was my honeymoon. So I went to the Grey Cup game with nine of my husband’s buddies and that was my honeymoon.”

Bomber alumni Doug Brown and Brett MacNeil were on hand to pose for pictures and share stories with a lineup of people that at times seemed endless.

“I think it just goes to show you the phenomena of the Winnipeg Football Club is obviously a provincial thing,” said Brown. “In events like these you see how it affects people and we just had a fantastic show.”

Jeff Hamilton / Winnipeg Free Press
Former Bomber Brett MacNeil signs autographs at the local Legion in The Pas, Man. Monday morning. It's the first stop in an eight-day tour across northern Manitoba with the Grey Cup. — Jeff Hamilton / Winnipeg Free Press Former Bomber Brett MacNeil signs autographs at the local Legion in The Pas, Man. Monday morning. It's the first stop in an eight-day tour across northern Manitoba with the Grey Cup.

Mixed in between taking photos, members of the community shared their appreciation of having the Grey Cup in town, including mayor Jim Scott. The last time the cup made an appearance in The Pas was 24 years ago during a tour put on by the Hudson Bay Company back in 1991.

“That’s just it, it just doesn’t come up here,” said Scott. “We do a lot of travelling to Bombers games, we put on a lot of miles on every year and it’s nice to see them up here.”