The CFL had plans for a much larger Touchdown Atlantic experience culminating in the first regular season CFL game in Nova Scotia on Saturday. The game had sold out, something that didn't always happen.
The COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic might take out the first year without a Canadian football season since 1918. COVID-19 did take out the 2020 Touchdown Atlantic game and celebration.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders and Toronto Argonauts were scheduled to play at Saint Mary's University in Halifax. Chris Cuthbert did regret in his departure from TSN that he never got to call a regular-season game in Halifax. Cuthbert's TSN debut was a preseason game in Halifax.
They were bringing in temporary seats to fill the capacity to 10,000. There would have been a festive atmosphere given the proximity to downtown Halifax.
The Touchdown Atlantic has had regular season games in Moncton, New Brunswick in 2010, 2011, 2013, and 2019. A scheduled 2006 exhibition game in Halifax was cancelled in 2006 since the Ottawa Renegades folded. Saint John, New Brunswick hosted preseason games in 1986 and 1987 before Touchdown Atlantic was a concept.
Having a regular season game in Halifax was supposed to be a major step in the formation of the Atlantic Schooners.
The CFL had planned a 3-day “mini Grey Cup festival” featuring music, parties, and family-friendly fun. Today would have been Day 3. I have not been to a Grey Cup week but reportedly the people who have the most fun are the Atlantic Schooners gatherings. They don't even have a team. Yet.
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We did propose the CFL play a limited season in Moncton, Saint John, and Halifax to bring attention to the sport in Atlantic Canada. Not a genius but the timing of a July and August season in that part of Canada would have been glorious.
There wouldn't have been fans at the games but the attention to that part of Canada would have looked so good on television.
I visited Moncton and New Brunswick in 2013 in part because of Touchdown Atlantic. That was a wonderful trip that had a CFL game in the mix. I have seen a lot of Canada in part because of the CFL.
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We know the next full and relatively normal CFL season will have a Touchdown Atlantic in Halifax. The celebration may be extra special because of what has happened. I would have done some morning shopping at the Halifax Seaport Farmers Market, a short distance from the stadium. A good time of year to get a real lobster roll (butter, not mayonnaise). The streets will be filled with the green of the Saskatchewan Roughriders. They travel well. There will be some Toronto Argonauts fans, too. I remember seeing Ottawa Rough Riders jerseys in 2013, a year before the Ottawa RedBlacks made their debut.
There will even be some Atlantic Schooners jerseys in the mix.
photo credits: CFL; Google maps
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