ManitobaFor one day and one day only, Jeremy Remillard is going to cheer for the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Remillard and a group of his friends started tailgating outside Princess Auto Stadium beginning at 10 a.m. on Sunday, gearing up for the 112th Grey Cup game. Some Bomber fans say they might even cheer for the rival Roughriders Dave Baxter · CBC News · Posted: Nov 16, 2025 6:09 PM EST | Last Updated: 2 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 4 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.Jeremy Remillard, front left, and a group of his friends started tailgating outside Princess Auto Stadium beginning at 10 a.m. on Sunday, gearing up for the 112th Grey Cup game. (Gavin Axelrod/CBC)For one day and one day only, Jeremy Remillard is going to cheer for the Saskatchewan Roughriders.“It’s tough, it’s hard to kind of accept as a blue and gold die-hard Bomber fan like everyone else here,” Remillard said, referring to the fact that the Winnipeg Blue Bombers will not play in the 112th Grey Cup at Princess Auto Stadium on Sunday. “But at the same time, there’s a little bit of solace in the fact that Saskatchewan is here, they’re kind of like our little brother that lives next door and we’re just here to watch over him and hope things go his way, because we want the Grey Cup to stay in the west.”Remillard and a group of his friends started tailgating outside the stadium beginning at 10 a.m. on Sunday, gearing up for the game that is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. in Winnipeg, and see the Roughriders battle the Montreal Alouettes for the coveted trophy. “We’re doing what we normally do here as Bomber fans, tailgating and having a great time,” he said. He said he’s excited for the game because of what the Grey Cup means to Canada. Winnipeg Blue Bombers fan Jeremy Remillard says he will cheer for the Saskatchewan Roughriders at the 112th Grey Cup game in Winnipeg on Sunday. (Gavin Axelrod/CBC)“Having this as a celebration of Canadian football, and a celebration of Canadiana period, has been outstanding,” he said. “We are celebrating the Canadiana that is the Grey Cup.”And while he says he’ll cheer for the Roughriders during the game, his loyalty will stay with the Blue Bombers. “For one day, and one day only and at 10 o’clock when the game is over that will all be over,” he said “It’s not anything against Montreal, they’re still Canadian, but there’s a little bit of a brotherhood on the Prairies. “For one day we will wear our Bomber gear and cheer for our little brothers next door.”Bomber fan Jared Zanewich was also out early tailgating before the big game, but said he was taking his tailgating to a whole new level for the Grey Cup when it comes to the food. Winnipeg Blue Bombers fan Jared Zanewich was out early tailgating before the 112th Grey Cup. (Gavin Axelrod/CBC)“We tailgate every game, we’ve been tailgating forever,” Zanewich said. “And today we’re setting up and we’re probably going to get 100 people.”We’ve got eight bacon-wrapped tenderloins, we’ve got 180 wings, we’ve got six pizzas coming.”Zanewich said when he bought his ticket to the Grey Cup he was hoping the Blue Bombers would be in it, but said he still plans to have a great time celebrating Canadian football. “The Bombers aren’t playing, but the CFL is playing and we support that,” he said. Despite living in Winnipeg, Saskatchewan-born Trent Wagner said he, his wife Maricel and their two sons Kai and Cade always cheer for the Roughriders, and will be cheering them on Sunday at the Grey Cup.Despite living in Winnipeg, Saskatchewan-born Trent Wagner said he, his wife Maricel and their two sons Kai and Cade always cheer for the Saskatchewan Roughriders, and will be cheering them on Sunday at the Grey Cup. (Gavin Axelrod/CBC)“He’s just definitely bleeding green all the time,” Maricel said about her husband. “So we can’t really change his mind about that.”Trent said he was excited to bring his sons to their first Grey Cup, and it was a bonus that the Roughriders will play in the game, and so many Saskatchewan fans were at the stadium on Sunday. “It’s absolutely phenomenal, my boys are two big football fans, and any time we get to see the Riders it’s a big deal for them as well.”There’s a lot of great spirit here, and lots of great Roughriders fans.”Hamilton Tiger Cats season ticket holders Steve and Sheree Bashak travelled from their home in Ontario to be at Sunday’s game, and Sheree loves the Grey Cup so much that she even dressed up as the cup.Hamilton Tiger Cats season tickets holders Steve and Sheree Bashak were all decked out at the Grey Cup game in Winnipeg on Sunday. (Tyson Koschik/CBC)“Grey Cup is so much fun, we get our pictures taken with fans everywhere we go, because everybody wants to have their picture taken with Grey Cup mama,” she said. Steve, who was dressed as a football on Sunday, said for him the Grey Cup is special because it is a uniquely Canadian experience. “You don’t have this in the states, you don’t have this in the NFL,” Steve said. “It’s Canada, we are different, our game is different and we celebrate our game.”WATCH | Hardy tailgaters gear up for Sunday’s Grey Cup in Winnipeg:Festivities ramp up in Winnipeg ahead of Sunday Grey CupFans tailgated outside the Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg from the beginning of the day on Sunday, gearing up for the game between the Roughriders and the Montreal Alouettes for the coveted trophy. ABOUT THE AUTHORDave Baxter is an award-winning reporter and editor currently working for CBC Manitoba. Born and raised in Winnipeg, he has also previously reported for the Winnipeg Sun and the Winnipeg Free Press, as well as several rural Manitoba publications.With files from Gavin Axelrod and Cameron MacIntosh
Hardy tailgaters gear up for Grey Cup in Winnipeg
