Photo courtesy: Saskatchewan Roughriders
You can meet almost anyone on Grey Cup weekend, including the prime minister of Canada.
Mark Carney, who was elected as the country’s 24th prime minister in March 2025 and leads the current Liberal government, made an unexpected appearance at the RBC Convention Centre in Winnipeg on Saturday night to take in the 112th Grey Cup Festival. The 60-year-old was spotted at the event chatting with fans as he cycled between team parties and, at one point, even donned a Riders hat.
Photo courtesy: Tatum Lee on Facebook
Carney is in Winnipeg this weekend for political talks with Manitoba premier Wab Kinew and has been rumoured to be attending Sunday’s game. An appearance at the parties put him at the heart of the CFL fandom, rubbing shoulders with the passionate, the obsessive, and the inebriated without the benefit of a luxury suite for protection.
While Carney may be the man in charge now, he isn’t the only prime minister to make his presence felt this week. His predecessor, Justin Trudeau, recorded a video in support of the Montreal Alouettes, while former prime minister Stephen Harper is also in town and reportedly attended functions previewing the 2026 Grey Cup in his hometown of Calgary.
Canadian politicians have long recognized the value of a Grey Cup photo-op, and many prime ministers have attended the game over the years, emphasizing its importance as a national tradition. From the 1950s through the 1970s, prime ministers often performed a ceremonial opening kickoff at the game.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders (13-6) and Montreal Alouettes (12-8) will meet in the 112th Grey Cup at Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg on Sunday, November 16, with kickoff scheduled for 6:00 p.m. EST.
The Alouettes defeated the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the East Final by a score of 19-16, while the Roughriders came back to defeat the B.C. Lions in the West Final by a score of 24-21. The teams split their two regular-season meetings, though Montreal franchise quarterback Davis Alexander missed both games due to a hamstring injury.
The weather forecast in Winnipeg calls for a high of two degrees with a mix of sun and cloud. The game will be broadcast on TSN, CTV, and RDS in Canada, CBS Sports Network in the United States, and CFL+ internationally.
This marks the fifth time the Grey Cup will be played in Winnipeg and the second time it will be hosted at Princess Auto Stadium. The venue’s first Grey Cup was held in 2015 when the Edmonton Football Team defeated the Ottawa Redblacks by a score of 26-20, and Michael Reilly was named the game’s Most Valuable Player.
