Premier Christy Clark brought $550,000 to the Grey Cup party Thursday, promising an event closer in spirit to the family-friendly Olympics than the riotous Stanley Cup.
Clark said the Nov. 27 football championship and the street party that will continue for three days gives Vancouverites a chance to make up for the hockey black-eye of June 15.
“The Grey Cup has such a long history as a family event,” said Clark, pumping the CFL championship that’s expect to inject $100 million into British Columbia’s economy. “A lot of people think the Grey Cup is an opportunity for people to step up and keep their city safe.
“I think it will be more like the Olympics.”
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Football fans, cheerleaders and corporate sponsors attended Thursday’s feel-good kickoff for the 2011 Grey Cup Festival, which includes 17 free concerts over three days along with both the Grey Cup – Canada’s professional football championship – and the Vanier Cup, Canada’s amateur football championship.
Clark said she doesn’t believe the Grey Cup – which attracts passionate, often drunken, football fans from across the nation – will end in trouble.
“The crowds will be dispersed,” said Clark of the festivities, which will be split between B.C. Place Stadium and the Vancouver Convention Centre some 10 blocks away. “It’s highly organized.”
Grey Cup Festival general manager Scott Ackles said two years of planning have gone into organizing a festival to outdo even the highly regarded 2005 Grey Cup in Vancouver.
“There will be 17 free concerts right on the doorstep of BC Place,” said Ackles. “We’re taking advantage of Canada’s finest facilities – the stadium and the convention centre.”
“We have a big festival, and we have a lot of fun planned for 41 days from now.”
The Grey Cup alternates each year between different Canadian cities – 2011 in Vancouver is the 99th Grey Cup, with Grey Cup No. 100 set for Toronto in 2012.
Early on, it looked as if the hometown B.C. Lions wouldn’t be in the final, but a seven-game winning streak has the Lions in first place.
If the home team makes the big game, fan interest and ticket prices will jump for the Nov. 27 championship game, which sold out in late July.
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