Toronto, Ontario, Sunday, November 27, 2106

What a thrill to be here for Grey Cup weekend with all of you!

Now, as governor general, it’s very important that I remain non-partisan, and that includes when it comes to picking sides in today’s big game. 

And no, I’m not just hedging my bets—this is my constitutional duty!

The Grey Cup final is truly one of Canada’s great sporting events, and here we are in one of our country’s great cities, too. I know the atmosphere at BMO Field is going to be electric.

The championship for the Grey Cup has made for some of Canada’s most memorable sporting moments.

It’s the culmination of a long, tough season of teamwork, passion and dedication by the players, the officials, the members of each organization and the league itself.

And of course, it’s a wonderful day for the fans, who care so deeply about their teams and the game of Canadian football.

My congratulations to all of you on a wonderful season, including our host, Commissioner Orridge, who quarterbacks the whole league, so to speak!

But as he would be the first to admit, the CFL season and the Grey Cup final truly are team efforts from start to finish.

I’ll be delighted to see Lord Grey’s cup hoisted again today, as would Lord Grey himself!

In fact, I think he would be very proud of what a symbol of excellence the trophy has become. A remarkable amount of talent and dedication goes into a Grey Cup win.

The Grey Cup is a wonderful part of our heritage, and it meaningfully speaks to who we are as a people.

It’s appropriate that next year’s final will be held in Ottawa, during the 150th anniversary of Confederation. 2017 is just around the corner, and I hope you will all join in the celebrations.

Now, I want to wrap up my remarks by introducing a very special guest.

A 104-year-old guest that, remarkably, gets better with every passing year!

The one and only Grey Cup!