It’s a sentiment expressed over and over on social media Sunday night: “This is so Canadian.”
Adding it up, it’s not hard to see why:
The Nation’s Capital.
A sold-out crowd singing O Canada in a mini blizzard.
What a snowstorm, and during the #GreyCup in #Ottawa . And to top it off, the entire crowd singing O Canada in that snowstorm, truly Canadian
— Sidney Sefa (@TheSidneyVoice) November 26, 2017
Shania Twain.
It doesn't get much more Canadian than Shania Twain arriving to the #GreyCup half-time show with sled dogs and then greeting a Mountie. pic.twitter.com/ro8M8ODj2M
— BarDown (@BarDown) November 27, 2017
Shania Twain arriving in a dog sled, flanked by Mounties in Red Serge.
Watching @ShaniaTwain come in on a dog sled, in a blizzard, in Ottawa to perform the half time show at the Grey Cup is the most Canadian thing I’ve ever seen. Unreal
— Matt Duchene (@Matt9Duchene) November 27, 2017
It’s nothing other than the Canadian Football League’s championship game between the Toronto Argonauts and the Calgary Stampeders.
Perhaps the only downside to the snow was the cancellation of a planned CF-18 flypast just before kickoff.
But, by all respects, the game, and the week-long party leading up to it were a huge success. Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson says an estimated $100 to $105 million was pumped into the local economy by visitors from across Canada here to take in the festivities.
There were team parties, family-friendly events, and even a couple of swankier shindigs that cost a pretty penny.
All worth it, says Watson.
“The Grey Cup is a phenomenal economic generator. It’s also, obviously, a great football game,” he tells CTV News. “I’ve met so many people who haven’t been back to Lansdowne, from out of town, since the rejuvenation and they’re just blown away with how beautiful the site is. I’m very proud that we’re hosting the 105th Grey Cup in the 150th anniversary of Confederation.”
And fans seem to think so, too.
@REDBLACKS. Great #GreyCup and it’s only half over. Fantastic venue and city for the 105th edition.
— Allan Etmanski (@allanetmanski) November 27, 2017
The game ended with a nailbiter of a score. The Toronto Argonauts won 27-24, robbing the Stampeders of their second Grey Cup in a row.
With files from CTV Ottawa and The Canadian Press.