Breadcrumb Trail Links
Published Sep 26, 2025 • Last updated 1 day ago • 3 minute read
Guy Theriault and Nadine Robinson enjoy an Ottawa Redblacks CFL game on Sept. 20, 2025. Article content
I hadn’t been to a CFL game in at least a decade, maybe two. The last time I sat in the Landsdowne Park stands in Ottawa, The Simpsons was still in its prime, and the Canadian Football League was still the punchline to one of its jokes: a league so quirky it had two teams called the Rough Riders.
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How did that happen? Ottawa’s team adopted the name “Rough Riders” back in 1898 as a nod to their rough play nickname and for the loggers who drove timber down the Ottawa River. Saskatchewan, meanwhile, took on the “Roughriders” name in 1924, honouring a North West Mounted Police regiment nicknamed the Roughriders in the Spanish–American War. Oddly, the league never forced a change, so for decades both teams coexisted with nearly identical names.
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It wasn’t until 1997, when Ottawa’s franchise folded, that the duplication finally ended. And when Ottawa rejoined the league in 2014, they returned with a fresh start as the Redblacks, again paying homage to the city’s lumberjack heritage, but this time with red-and-black plaid and a circular saw blade logo. The new branding is so much more on brand, because I never understood why the old logo was of a rider on a bucking stallion in a city with no stampede, no ranches, and no cowboys… other than the political kind on Parliament Hill.
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Thanks to Ottawa Tourism, I found myself back in the stadium recently, three friends in tow, ready to rediscover something I hadn’t experienced in years. As we took our seats, I heard a familiar chant echoing in my brain: “South side sucks!” I hadn’t thought about that in ages. Of course, the south side didn’t really suck, but as a lifelong north side spectator, I’d never had the perspective to judge.
Ottawa opened the scoring with a touchdown in the first quarter, and the stadium erupted. We were on our feet, clapping and cheering under a perfect late-summer sun. It struck me that there really isn’t a bad seat in this stadium. You feel part of the action no matter where you sit.
But as quickly as Ottawa gained momentum, it shifted away. A missed field goal attempt turned into a 128-yard Winnipeg return, which was devastating to Ottawa’s momentum. My own focus wandered to my popcorn and the quirky entertainment sprinkled in-between plays. My favourite sideshow of the day was the baby race. Yes, there was an actual crawl-off featuring little George and Fergus in the final heat vying for the title of fastest baby in Ottawa.
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Ottawa managed to score one more touchdown with seconds left. It wasn’t enough to pull off the win against Winnipeg, but it did bookend the day nicely with one touchdown to start and one to finish.
When the game ended, we strolled back along the canal, with a breeze carrying the first hints of fall. The leaves were only just beginning to turn, offering a glimpse of the colour show to come. Soon this very walk will be lined with brilliant reds and oranges, but for now, it was enough just to feel summer bowing out gracefully.
I’ve missed this: the ritual of a football game, the company of friends, the simple joys of shared popcorn, and sunshine on your face. Sports, at their best, are less about wins and losses and more about the connections. Being back in Ottawa, back at the stadium, reminded me of all that. It felt like coming full circle, rediscovering something familiar as well as finding something better than I remembered.
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Nadine Robinson’s op-ed column and travel writing for Postmedia runs Saturdays. You can reach her at the.ink.writer@gmail.com or follow her on Facebook and Instagram @theinkran.
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