Murray Wood: Who's hot... and who's not
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Regina Mayor Chad Bachynski was about 10 years old when the Grey Cup first came to Regina in 1995, but he still remembers the buzz in the community.
He’s hoping the Queen City will be even more electric when the biggest night in Canadian football returns. On Monday, CFL commissioner Stuart Johnston announced that Regina’s Mosaic Stadium will host the 114th Grey Cup on Nov. 7, 2027. Johnston said the city, which also hosted the 2022 Grey Cup, put in a “truly outstanding” bid for 2027.
Read more:
- Saskatchewan to host 114th Grey Cup in 2027
- REAL CEO Rick Bennett says organization’s financial situation is improving
- Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age set to rock Mosaic Stadium in September
“It’s absolutely incredible. What an announcement today for our city,” Bachynski said. “This is the best place to have a Grey Cup, hands down. Best stadium in the country.”
The mayor said the major event will bring big economic benefits to the city and the region.
“The economic spinoff of an event like this for our city is incredible,” Bachynski said. “We’ll be filling hotels, we’ll be filling restaurants, and the city will come alive.”
Regina Mayor Chad Bachynski said the city will try to surpass the economic spinoff from the 2022 Grey Cup Festival. A report published by Sport Tourism Canada found the event had a $67.8 million economic impact and added $25.7 million to the province’s GDP. (Nicole Garn/980 CJME)
The mayor said Regina will provide $1.5 million to help give the event a boost. That total includes direct funds and “in-kind” funding like Regina Public Service support and public transit.
Bachynski said the announcement on Monday is more good news for the Regina Exhibition Association Ltd. (REAL) District — the city’s entertainment hub — which has been struggling financially for some time.
“We’re turning a corner,” he said. “We’re getting more events. The organization is strong. We have strong leadership. I think this is another positive step in the direction for REAL.”
The festival is taking full advantage of REAL’s facilities, and all events in 2027 will be hosted indoors, including the street festival, to keep everyone out of the chilly November weather.
Bachynski said the city will be well positioned to host the 2027 Grey Cup, with some major construction projects like the Dewdney Avenue and 11th Avenue Revitalization Projects nearly complete.
Saskatchewan premier highlights work of volunteers
While the Grey Cup festivities rely heavily on volunteers, Saskatchewan’s premier said hosting the big game also comes with a big cost for the provincial government.
“It’ll be in the neighbourhood of about $5 million that the province will be supporting (for) this week-long event and the build-up to it, alongside the City of Regina and a number of other organizations, and I’d say most importantly, alongside each and every volunteer and fan that are going to be looking forward to this,” Premier Scott Moe told reporters on Monday.
He said the financial support for the Grey Cup is similar to the funding shared for events like the Brier or the World Juniors.
“We know how to do it,” Moe said. “The volunteers certainly will come out, as will the fans, and put on a world-class celebration.”
