Canadian Crossing

2016 CFL Week 8 preview

ESPN2 carries the week's opener as the Montréal Alouettes travel west to Edmonton. Winnipeg hopes to have better luck with its first visit to BMO Field on Friday on TSN. Hoping to catch the Friday night game live in person.

TSN has a Saturday doubleheader with tough West battle with Calgary at Saskatchewan. In the nightcap, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats go out west in Vancouver.

If you missed the news, the ESPNews telecast for Saturday was dropped.

The Ottawa RedBlacks get to rest in the nation's capital.

ESPN2

Thursday
Montréal @ Edmonton, 9p

TSN

Thursday
Montréal @ Edmonton, 9p
Friday
Winnipeg @ Toronto, 7:30p
Saturday
Calgary @ Saskatchewan, 7p
Hamilton @ BC, 10p

Bye week: Ottawa

---

Wednesday night's game in Winnipeg might have been the latest start for a CFL game in recent memory. The game started just past 10 pm Central, 11 pm Eastern. None of the announcers or studio crew could remember a game being delayed this much. The only Pacific Time Zone team has a dome.

The wait took over 2½ hours thanks to lightning in a thunderstorm that seemed to linger on radar. When the broadcast open, you had a lightning delay but since the rain hadn't started, you had the studio crew in Winnipeg on the field during a lightning delay. Didn't seem safe with a bunch of electric equipment.

Was fun to see Andy Fantuz helping out the TSN crew during the delay. You look at current players and you can guess which ones might coach or go into broadcasting. Fantuz seems destined for broadcasting after his wonderful career is over.

---

Team	Last hosted Grey Cup	Previous time
Ottawa	2017	2004
Toronto	2016	2012
Winnipeg	2015	2006
B.C.	2014	2011
Saskatchewan	2013	2003
Edmonton	2010	2002
Calgary	2009	2000
Montréal	2008	2001
Hamilton	1996	1972

The West outside Vancouver has hosted very few Grey Cups. Even with that bias, the East may hang onto the Grey Cup for awhile if balance is desired. 

The two teams that have gone the longest since hosting the championship game are in the East. Olympic Stadium is a logical place to pay and Montréal is truly a world class city. Yet the Alouettes haven't hosted since 2008 and the status of Olympic Stadium in November is uncertain.

Hamilton hasn't hosted the Grey Cup since 1996. Jean Chrétien was the prime minister back then. Pierre Trudeau was the PM the previous time Hamilton hosted. In a parallel universe, the 1996 Grey Cup was the debut of Robin Daggers from How I Met Your Mother.

Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, and Regina have combined for 15 Grey Cups. When Ottawa hosts the Grey Cup in 2017, the combined championships in Ottawa and Montréal will be 15.

The West, including Vancouver, has hosted the Grey Cup 2009-2011 and 2013-2015.

Edmonton offers a large capacity. Calgary might need a new stadium as has been talked about there.

Hamilton has a brand new stadium but would have a really small Grey Cup crowd, one that would make 2015 in Winnipeg look huge. Ottawa will have increased capacity but we are skeptical about how many more seats can fit into those spaces.

---

The return of the CFL drew 148,000 viewers for the Montréal-Toronto game. Americans are used to Monday Night Football though not in July.

The lightning-delayed Winnipeg game in Edmonton drew 127,000, a decent number for a 9 pm Eastern start with a delay.

The B.C.-Calgary game on a Friday night had a U.S. TV audience of 136,000. The Sunday night battle of Eastern Ontario in Ottawa drew a rather nice 193,000 mark on ESPN2. The Sunday night option, which happened in Canada because of the long weekend, might fit in well in the States.

---

Chris Cuthbert, Glen Suitor: Saskatchewan @ Calgary
Rod Black, Duane Forde: BC @ Montréal; Edmonton @ Ottawa
Rod Black, Matt Dunigan: Hamilton @ Winnipeg

Saskatoon berries a great reason to visit the Prairies

The visits to Manitoba and Saskatchewan were more about football and provincial legislatures, but the legacy of the trip definitely involved Saskatoon berries.

By themselves, the Saskatoon doesn't have much flavor. Inside a pie or a shortbread cookie, they were the taste of the Prairies.

They were all around farmers markets, alone and in delicious baked goods.

This beautiful pie came from the Regina Farmers Market in Victoria Park. Tasting even better than the looking, the pie was simple and magical all at once.

For more of this eating adventure in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, click here to read our story in BalanceofFood.com.

photos credit: me

CTV will air Game of Thrones uncensored

We have mentioned that Canadians can cope with language on over the air television that Americans couldn't possibly handle. Bleeping out innocent swear words on Republic of Doyle reruns feels rather lame.

CTV will test those boundaries in the next 2 weeks as the network will show Season 1 of Game of Thrones. The over-the-air network will air the 10 episodes of Season 1 over the next 2 weeks at 10 pm Eastern. Unlike with the CBC, the program airs at 11 pm in the Maritimes and 9 pm in the Central Time Zone.

The network says it will air the episodes unedited, which allows for nudity, sexuality, and plenty of violence.

As the Bell Media press release notes:

"As the fantasy series portrays a world with violence, sexuality, and nudity, it is therefore not a program for children, and some adults may also find it too strong for their taste. With strict adherence to CBSC standards, CTV will ensure the program airs with the appropriate viewer disclaimers and AGVOT rating throughout each episode."

CBSC stands for Canadian Broadcast Standards Council. AGVOT stands for Action Group on Violence On Television.

Melissa Leo, Ryan Kesler prove Canadians can handle TV swearing much better than Americans

Unlike CBC, Americans have a more difficult time watching CTV. Buffalo; Bellingham, WA; areas south of Montréal. Seattle doesn't get CTV on cable and Detroit doesn't likely get CTV on cable. You can consult this unofficial list of Canadian TV stations near the U.S. border to see if you can find one near you.

photo credit: Bell Media

CFL in the Prairies is where the league shines

Even casual CFL fans know the most passionate fans are in the Prairies. I had been to every other CFL stadium so I needed to find out firsthand whether the axiom was true.

I first saw Winnipeg on my television through the old Canad Inns Stadium on the northwest side of the city. But I had watched football and women's World Cup soccer at Investors Group Field on TV. So I was excited to see the new stadium.

While the old stadium was on the northwest side, along with the old Winnipeg Arena, IGF is pretty far south of downtown. You will travel a great distance to get there. The #160 bus takes you from downtown right to the stadium. Even driving will take awhile. The stadium is at the outer edge of the University of Manitoba campus.

Then again, there is plenty of room for tailgating. The Blue Bombers take full advantage with a really nice setup. Winnipeg pride reigns supreme: cheerleaders, mascots, eating, drinking, fun but family fun.

The concourses are wide and very clean. You can make it to the bathroom, do what you need to do, wash your hands, and not miss a play. The roof will cover most fans to protect them from rain, though we saw earlier this year that a lightning storm requires seeking shelter.

The sightlines are rather good, which will be especially helpful during the Heritage Classic in October when the Winnipeg Jets play outdoors.

The sign on the sidelines says Winnipeg is the home of the loudest CFL fans. Winnipeg fans would say "First Down" really loud when the Blue Bombers make a first down and the PA announcer gives the appropriate cue. Sadly, for Winnipeg fans, they don't get to say "First Down" often enough.

When it comes to food, Winnipeg is an international city. You can find perogies all over the city. Finding butter chicken and naan is pretty easy. Shawarmas are easily available. You can find all of that and fresh veggies at the stadium.

I sat in the lower deck around the 10-yard line. The upper deck appears to have a good perspective. I sat higher up in Edmonton and Calgary and you can get a better appreciation from up high.

The Blue Bombers fans have been through very rough times, but they still love their team. An anecdote but still telling. The next day, I was in a barbecue place in St. Boniface. The guys at the next table were breaking down last night's game and what they would have done differently in the game and with the team. I haven't heard that in Toronto, Montréal, or Vancouver after a game.

Taylor Field is a very short walk from anywhere in downtown Regina. You can access the stadium off of 9 Avenue west of Albert Street or you can follow the green wave headed in that direction.

No matter how many times you have seen Taylor Field on television, your eyes can't prepare for what you are about to see. The architecture, the colour scheme of the seats, the intimacy of being surrounded by so many people yet are close to the action.

If IGF is Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Taylor Field is Fenway Park. The rust has rust down below the stands. You are standing in history even before you get to your seats. Figure that Saskatchewan became a province in 1905 and Taylor Field was born in 1910. There were female fans who were in the stadium in the early years before they could vote.

Before you walk in, tailgating is virtually mandatory. The grassy knoll alongside the stadium doubles as the Roughriders practice field. You are eating and drinking between 2 legitimate-sized goalposts. If you are colour-blind, you miss the amazing show of Saskatchewan green against the green of the grass. The greens battle to see which green is more green.

The colour mosaic of the seats is a rare moment where a peacock would get very jealous. The home side has an upper layer while the visiting side is all one layer.

The food and serving setup is pretty fancy in Winnipeg. In Regina, you have a couple of guys frying up onions in the middle of the concourse under the stands. I've never seen anything like that moment. Beautiful sauteed onions right before your eyes.

The food choices are less exotic but you have sauteed onions right before your crying eyes. This beats mustard packets in Ottawa.

When you make your way up the stairs, you realize you have stepped into what will seem as the HD version of a CFL field. You are very up close to the action, like in no other football stadium I have ever been. Like in Winnipeg, I sat about the 10-yard line at one end but felt a lot closer to the game.

The Winnipeg fans are loud but Saskatchewan has them beat. Loud cheering and applause as the opposition was getting their play started. Chants against B.C. coach Wally Buono.

The late afternoon start produced a rough sun in the eyes of those on the visiting side, especially Buono.

The team has a drum corps that made things louder throughout the game. The CFL has 9 incredible fan bases but Saskatchewan has helmets above all the others.

The new stadium is just to the west of Taylor Field and will open next year. Try if you can to see the old barn before the new one is open for football.

Regina offers plenty of food and drink options after the game, all within walking distance of the stadium. No messy commute or parking to go through in your game experience.

---

photos credit: me

TIFF 2016 releases Canadian film lineup

 

Xavier Dolan. Deepa Mehta. Bruce McDonald. Kim Nguyen. Anne Émond. We have a few recognizable names from the Canadian film lineup of the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival.

The focus will be on the Cannes Grand Prix winner It’s Only the End of the World, even if the film feels more about France than Quebec. Dolan is shooting his first film in English: The Death and Life of John F. Donovan.

A pair of films on our radar are the Kim Nguyen project Two Lovers and a Bear with Tatiana Maslany and Bruce McDonald working again with Molly Parker on Weirdos set in 1976 in Nova Scotia. Nguyen, who directed the Oscar-nominated War Witch, switches from Africa to the North Pole in the film that played at the Cannes Film Festival.

Here are some of the highlights of the 26 full-length feature films that will play in the festival.

• Mean Dreams from Nathan Morlando played at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival. Sophie Nélisse and Josh Wiggins are teenagers from broken homes who take off with drug money. Colm Feore is one of those chasing the teens in the film shot around Sault Ste. Marie.
• Anne Émond is once again at TIFF with Nelly on the prostitute-turned-novelist Nelly Arcan. The film features Mylène Mackay and Sophie Nélisse, two of TIFF’s Rising Stars this year. We wrote about her film Our Loved Ones last year.
• Window Horses from Anne Marie Fleming is an animated feature that follows the journey of a young Canadian poet featuring the voice work of Sandra Oh and Don McKellar.
• Below Her Mouth from April Mullen is about two women in an unexpected affair that inevitably derails their lives.
• Hello Destroyer from Kevan Funk stars TIFF Rising Star Jared Abrahamson as a young junior hockey player whose life is torn apart after an in-game act of violence.
• Boundaries (Pays) is about a female president (Macha Grenon from The Year Dolly Parton Was My Mom) in an imaginary country. Chloé Robichaud, who also directed Sarah Prefers to Run, shot the film in Newfoundland.
• Deepa Mehta is back with Anatomy of Violence about a gang rape in New Delhi.
• Alanis Obomsawin’s documentary We Can’t Make the Same Mistake Twice examines the 2007 court case of the Child and Family Caring Society of Canada and the Assembly of First Nations against the Indian Affairs and Northern Development Canada.

This list does not include the Canadian premiere of Arrival from Denis Villeneuve. The science fiction film stars Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, and Forest Whitaker.

In addition to the 26 full-length films, there will be 37 short films by Canadian directors. For a complete list and description of the Canadian films at TIFF 2016, click here.

CanadianCrossing.com film coverage

Toronto International Film Festival also announced its TIFF Rising Stars for 2016. Grace Glowicki is the only one we didn't mention earlier; Glowicki is joined by Jared Abrahamson, Mylène Mackay, and Sophie Nélisse. Nélisse, who won a Genie for her role in Monsieur Lazhar, is in a pair of films in TIFF 2016. She will begin filming her latest role in Lea Pool's Et Au Pire On Se Mariera.

Some notable past winners include Orphan Black veterans Tatiana Maslany (2012) and Evelyne Brochu (2013), Alexandre Landry and Julia Sarah Stone (2014), and Stephan James and Karelle Tremblay (2015)

For more details on this year's Rising Stars, click here.

The 2016 Toronto International Film Festival runs September 8-18.

video credit: Movieclip Trailers

2016 CFL Week 7 preview

"Take care of this, it's Canada's 🏆" - @JustinTrudeau
The #GreyCup is coming to the Nation's Capital! #CFLhttps://t.co/FutYzTLVVD

— CFL (@CFL) July 31, 2016

We get another Wednesday start with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats crossing over to Winnipeg. ESPN2 will have both ends of the Thursday doubleheader with the longest road trip in the CFL with the B.C. Lions in Montréal. The Saskatchewan Roughriders are in Calgary in the nightcap.

Edmonton is in the nation's capital on Saturday.

Toronto gets a relaxing week in the summer.

ESPN2

Thursday
BC @ Montréal, 7p
Saskatchewan @ Calgary, 10p

TSN

Wednesday
Hamilton @ Winnipeg, 8:30p
Thursday
BC @ Montréal, 7p
Saskatchewan @ Calgary, 10p
Saturday
Edmonton @ Ottawa, 7p

Bye week: Toronto

---

ESPN2 confirmed for us that Winnipeg defeated Edmonton for the first time in the Alberta capital since 2006 thanks to actual Canadian Adnan Virk at Baseball Tonight. With 17 seconds remaining and Edmonton having just scored a TD, the onside kick was seconds away when the U.S. lost the feed. Maybe Canada lost the feed as well. The timing stunk but at least U.S. viewers heard which team won. A glitch here and there is understandable but this was ridiculous.

A bizarre end to a game delayed by lightning in Edmonton. Lightning doesn't strike twice unless you are the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The game in Edmonton was delayed 30 minutes by lightning. Winnipeg sat through another lightning storm in a home game earlier this season against Montréal.

Winnipeg jumped out to a 11-0 lead before the lightning break. To the Blue Bombers credit, the team kept that momentum after the break. Matt Nichols made a big difference at quarterback, but the whole team played well. Adarius Bowman could do no wrong when the teams played earlier this season in Winnipeg, but the Blue Bombers became the first team to hold Bowman to fewer than 100 yards with 43 yards on 3 catches.

---

The NHL is considering an outdoor game in Ottawa in late 2017. While a pop-up setup on Parliament Hill would be amazing, TD Place Stadium would be the place. The extra seating for the 2017 Grey Cup in Ottawa will help, now that we know the nation's capital will host the 2017 Grey Cup. The announcement was made Sunday night as the 1976 Ottawa Rough Riders were honoured as the last Grey Cup champs from Ottawa. This is likely why the U.S. audience got that game.

The pregame video showed the Grey Cup trophy going from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The RCMP constables took the trophy from Trudeau's office past Environment and Climate Change Minister Catherine McKenna (Ottawa Centre). The trophy then went to the Rideau Canal where a pair of lumberjacks rowed the trophy south to the stadium. The lumberjack mascot brought the Grey Cup to the stadium where a pair of RCMP constables took the trophy onto the field. The other Ottawa area MPs were already on the field.

---

The B.C. Lions and Calgary Stampeders were set for a great game. The actual game was way more thrilling than the expectations. The teams traded points back and forth. Calgary had the huge comeback, scoring a late TD and a 2-point convert after a Jonathon Jennings interception.

The Stamps kicked a FG in overtime and intercepted the ball in the end zone to seal the win. This was the 4th overtime game in the CFL this year; the record is 8 OT games in a season. Calgary is now 1-0-1 in OT.

---

The Alouettes played really well on Ben Cahoon Night in Montréal. Saskatchewan was also the opponent when Anthony Calvillo was honoured.

The score last week was 41-3; 40–9 was the score when Calvillo was in the spotlight. The Montréal Alouettes defeated Saskatchewan in the 2009 and 2010 Grey Cup title games thanks to Calvillo and Cahoon.

---

We almost saw the 5th OT game of the season Sunday night in Ottawa. Interceptions proved costly. When Toronto went for the final FG, the Argos left the door open for a RedBlacks comeback. Toronto is an astounding 5-0 in games after Ricky Ray gets injured. Logan Kilgore is the latest backup to excel.

---

Chris Cuthbert, Glen Suitor: Winnipeg @ Edmonton; BC @ Calgary
Rod Black, Duane Forde: Saskatchewan @ Montréal; Toronto @ Ottawa

---

tweet credit: @CFL

Finding my own personal Winnipeg

Is Winnipeg a composite of Guy Maddin's My Winnipeg? Is Winnipeg a rough and tumble city? Is Winnipeg worth a 3-day trip? Like a BuzzFeed article, the answer may surprise you.

Guy Maddin's My Winnipeg shows us his vision of his hometown. I wanted to discover within the Manitoba capital what I would find in My (own version of) Winnipeg.

Winnipeg's reputation is a bit rough, especially if you are Metis or aboriginal, and economically poor. You can definitely see bits of that coming in from the airport on Sargent Avenue on the #15 bus or walking down Portage Avenue into downtown. If that is all you see, you will have missed a lot.

You also see a tremendous energy. Winnipeg is a city where you can experiment without too much pressure. When you are the largest city for hundreds of kilometres around in two countries, you are the creative centre of the region.

The Forks are fun to explore whether that be the actual national park or the extensive network of food and art in the market building. Chicago has a lot more with food but nothing even remotely close to the Forks Market.

The Forks area is right next to the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. The intensity of the museum could require a break, and that is allowed in the admission price. A couple of people told me they hadn't gone because those who are Metis and aboriginal got in for free.

I didn't know what to say in response. Now having been in the museum, there are areas that affect the First Nations but plenty of material on other areas. There is plenty of Canadian history that centers around human rights issues from internment of Japanese-Canadians to French language rights in Manitoba to Bill 101 in Quebec. The human rights museum presents an international perspective as well.

There is an interactive element where you can weigh in on cases before the Canadian Supreme Court. You can compare your positions to how the Supreme Court ruled in those cases.

The Thursday downtown farmers market was small but lively. The conversation over Saskatoon berries was loud and joyous.

I attended a Winnipeg Blue Bombers football game and a Winnipeg Goldeyes baseball game. The baseball tickets are surprisingly expensive for minor-league ball, but wanting to avoid the rain added to that price. Order before game day and you will save money. Still, the view is great and the action was good.

The excitement around the Winnipeg Fringe Festival added to the energy of the Exchange District, a good destination otherwise. Interesting cafes, restaurants, and used bookstores sparkle throughout this area. The cafe filled with games was a fun highlight.

St. Boniface is the French-speaking neighbourhood across the Red River, a very short walk from the Forks and the museum. The neighbourhood was a source of great fun. Unfortunately, the Blue Bombers game coincided with the Bastille Day celebration, so that would have added to the fun.

You visually see a lot of French, especially on street signs and stop signs. The tour guides did point out Jonathan Toews' high school. I found a cute French bookstore and some nice cafes. I even found a "maid cafe" in an otherwise Japanese cafe. Even if the signs are in French, the neighbourhood is still international.

Learning more about Guy Maddin and his Winnipeg

Gord Miller and Pierre McGuire reunite for lone NBCSN trip to Winnipeg

2015 Women's World Cup notebook: Canada on the world stage

Americans who are soccer fans found themselves with extra tourist time in Winnipeg in June 2015 with the Women's World Cup. I speculated at the time about what Americans did with their time in Winnipeg.

The Forks and the Canadian Museum of Human Rights were specifically cited as not open past their normal hours. The museum does take quite a bit to fit everything in before leaving. And the Forks offer a lot of choices.

I now get the distance between the stadium area and downtown. FIFA kept the tourist events around the stadium at the University of Manitoba, very far from downtown. Even with a car, you will be traveling for awhile.

Getting around the downtown area is very easy by walking. You should explore the infamous Portage and Main intersection, but know 2 crucial points: 1) that may be the windiest area in an already windy city, and 2) you can't cross the intersection as a pedestrian above ground; underground is your only option.

3 days was not enough to explore Winnipeg though a week might have been stretching the time. The people were amazingly friendly. There were eccentric moments, all of them good. And the food was very nice.

I was worried about the dreaded mosquitoes, but I was told that the mosquitos didn't penetrate the perimeter, which seemed like the equivalent of the Beltway in the U.S. capital.

The customs officer was very friendly even as he was double-checking to make sure I wasn't there to work. He said that we don't get too many American tourists in Winnipeg.

Cooler temperatures. Friendly people. Great exchange rate. Decent flight in terms of cost. Atypical foods. And a lot of creative energy. Those are enough reasons to spend a few days in the Manitoba capital.