HUMBOLDT — The Grey Cup Community Tour had Humboldt beginnings.

The first of many stops was Elgar Petersen Arena, where the Saskatchewan Roughriders celebrated their 2025 CFL championship at the Humboldt Broncos’ SJHL home game against the Estevan Bruins.

“We’re in the first stages of it,” Roughriders President-CEO Craig Reynolds said on the arena’s concourse. “We’re trying to get to all four corners of the province.

“There’s more dates to be announced and more events to be planned, but it’s so great to see the excitement from the communities as we work with them to plan events to bring the Grey Cup there. There’s a buzz and an excitement in the communities.

“I can hardly wait to see how the next two months unfold.”

Reynolds and the Roughriders organization honoured a promise by visiting Humboldt to kick off the formal tour. After the Humboldt Broncos’ bus accident in 2018, Reynolds had promised to bring the Grey Cup to the community at the earliest opportunity after the Roughriders next won a championship.

Accordingly, supporters of the Broncos were able to be photographed with the trophy and two Roughriders receivers — Samuel Emilus and Mitch Picton — on Saturday.

The trophy subsequently made stops in Nipawin (Sunday), Melfort (Monday) and James Smith Cree Nation (Monday).

Next on the agenda is Thursday’s visit to Saskatoon’s Midtown mall. The trophy will be on display near the Rider Store, where players will be on hand to sign autographs.

Regina’s Cornwall Centre will be the venue for a Friday morning appearance that is to begin at 10 o’clock and continue until 11:30.

Then it will be time to hit the road once more, with stops in Weyburn (Feb. 16), North Battleford (Feb. 17) and Meadow Lake (Feb. 18). For more information, CLICK HERE.

“It’s something that we do here in Saskatchewan,” Reynolds said. “But in order to do that, you’ve got to win the Grey Cup.

“It never gets old for me when the Grey Cup is in our possession. In this role, you get to see the Grey Cup several times during the year, but it’s the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ Grey Cup right now to bring across the province.

“It’s special. There’s no other way to describe it.  We’re fortunate to have the season we did and for the guys to accomplish the goals that were set out.”

Although there wasn’t a formal Grey Cup Tour after the Roughriders’ ice-breaking win in 1966, players and coaches were in demand across the province during the winter that ensued.

The process became more formalized after the 1989 Grey Cup win. Saskatoon’s Circle Centre Mall was one of the early stops, in December of that year.

In the weeks that followed, John Gregory may have set a record for communities visited by a Roughriders Head Coach in one winter.

“I remember that John and some of the guys went all over the province and they were well-received, obviously,” recalled Dave Ridgway, who kicked the game-winning field goal in the 1989 Grey Cup Game. “It had been a long time.”

One highlight of the 1989-90 off-season was an exhibition hockey game between the Roughriders and Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Shortly after the Feb. 10, 1990 event, the trophy was returned to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame for the duration of the off-season.

The current Tour concept was adopted after the 2007 Grey Cup victory.

“Where didn’t we go?” Roughriders linebacker Anton McKenzie told the Regina Leader-Post in late January of 2008. “We went to La Ronge, Melfort, Humboldt, Swift Current, Lloydminster, Macklin …”

Then-President-CEO Jim Hopson told the L-P’s Darrell Davis that the trophy had been to “dinners in Yorkton and Lloydminster” and “every WHL rink in the province.”

Hopson was also the President-CEO when Saskatchewan won a league championship in 2013. Reynolds, who succeeded Hopson two years later, was the community-owned team’s Senior Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer during its fourth championship season.

As one who hails from Foam Lake, Reynolds is especially attuned to the importance of visiting smaller communities.

“It means a ton,” he said. “I think that’s what makes the Roughriders the Roughriders.

“The Roughriders aren’t just Regina. The Roughriders aren’t just Saskatoon. They’re the entire province. The entire province gets behind the team and supports the team.

“It’s literally the least we can do to bring the Grey Cup to as many communities as we can get to in order to support their communities.”