WINNIPEG — The great annual Canadian party better known as the Grey Cup Festival has come to an end.
Thousands of visitors from across Canada poured into Winnipeg for the 103rd Annual Grey Cup.
But visitors from across the country, and fans of different CFL stripes had nothing but rave reviews about Winnipeg and the city’s hospitality, as thousands flew out from Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport Monday.
Betty Woods, a fan of Ottawa football teams for over 30 years said despite the loss, she felt the love, rating the weekend, “a 10 out of 10.”
Joey Thompson, another RedBlacks fan, said he was welcomed with open arms.
“That’s real prairie hospitality. And I’ll be taking it home. When they come up in two years, when Ottawa has it, I’m going to do the same thing. Because I’ve never seen anything like that before,” Thompson said.
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The Blue Bombers had a season to forget but the football club said they are happy with the turnout.
“From footballs shooting out of a luggage carousel at the airport, to a sold-out 2000-person Gala Dinner and a sold-out 4000-person Touchdown Manitoba party, to a precedent-setting halftime show and everything in between, it was an incredible week,” Wade Miller, President and CEO of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers said.
No final numbers are available yet, but before the game, Economic Development Winnipeg estimated an impact of $85.5 million.
On Monday, crews were busy tearing down Grey Cup signs and the over 3,000 temporary seats that had been installed for the game.
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