Photo courtesy: Canadian federal government
Former Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau never had much support in the province of Saskatchewan, but he’ll have even less after this week.
The long-time politician, who led the country from November 2015 until March 2025, donned a Davis Alexander jersey in a promotional video for the Montreal Alouettes on Saturday, headlining a long list of Quebec celebrities offering their support ahead of the 112th Grey Cup.
Speaking in French, the 53-year-old wished the team good luck and stated that the entirety of his home province was behind the team. He ended his clip with an emphatic “Go Als Go.”
An impressive list of notable names joined Trudeau in the video, showing their support for the East Division champs. Montreal Canadiens forward Cole Caufield, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Lu Dortz, former Montreal Expos right fielder Vladimir Guerrerro Sr., UFC legend Georges St-Pierre, tennis star Eugenie Bouchard, and rock band Simple Plan all offered words of encouragement, along with dozens of regional media personalities and several junior hockey teams.
Trudeau’s father, former prime minister Pierre Trudeau, was not a football fan and is best remembered in CFL circles for shanking a ceremonial kickoff at the 1970 Grey Cup. However, Justin has long claimed to be an Alouettes fan.
He may not be the only prime minister to make his voice heard during the 112th Grey Cup. Trudeau’s successor, Mark Carney, is in Winnipeg this weekend for meetings with Manitoba premier Wab Kinew and is rumoured to be making an appearance at the game.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders (13-6) and Montreal Alouettes (12-8) will meet in the 112th Grey Cup at Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg on Sunday, November 16, with kickoff scheduled for 6:00 p.m. EST.
The Alouettes defeated the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the East Final by a score of 19-16, while the Roughriders came back to defeat the B.C. Lions in the West Final by a score of 24-21. The teams split their two regular-season meetings, though Montreal franchise quarterback Davis Alexander missed both games due to a hamstring injury.
The weather forecast in Winnipeg calls for a high of two degrees with a mix of sun and cloud. The game will be broadcast on TSN, CTV, and RDS in Canada, CBS Sports Network in the United States, and CFL+ internationally.
This marks the fifth time the Grey Cup will be played in Winnipeg and the second time it will be hosted at Princess Auto Stadium. The venue’s first Grey Cup was held in 2015 when the Edmonton Football Team defeated the Ottawa Redblacks by a score of 26-20, and Michael Reilly was named the game’s Most Valuable Player.