Santa, Kids Gifts Amongst Plans for CFL Western Final in Winnipeg – Winnipeg | The Canadian News

There will be more than just football for fans to enjoy when the Winnipeg Blue Bombers host the CFL Western Final Game next month.

Bombers president and CEO Wade Miller says the team has some extras planned for the first league game to be played in Winnipeg in December.

“It doesn’t matter because the Winnipeggers are used to this weather,” Miller told 680 CJOB on Tuesday when asked if he was concerned about the freezing temperatures in the game.

“We can layer up for the weather.”

The CFL Western Final begins at 3pm at IG Field on December 5.

The league is pushing games further into Canada’s winter season than normal due to a later start due to COVID-19. This year’s Gray Cup match will be on December 12 in Hamilton.

Miller says the possibility of cold and snow won’t stop Blue and Gold from throwing a proper party for the western championship.

He says the tailgating area, complete with warming huts and fire pits, will open at 1:30 p.m. with cold-weather experts from the Festival du Voyageur serving maple toffee to the first 500 fans to arrive.

Once the game starts, Miller says the team expects a special visitor, Santa Claus, who will be taking photos with fans at Gate 2 throughout the day.

And kids in the game who have been good can even get a gift from Santa, says Miller.

“For all the little kids, there will be little helpers from Santa, Buzz and Boomer walking around, handing out little gifts for the kids in the stands,” he said.

“So until their bags are empty, they are just going to hand them over to the kids.”

Miller said the Bombers are also planning “something special” to mark the retirement of legendary CJOB sportscaster Bob Irving, who is set to call his final game in the western finals.

“We are going to honor Bob Irving as he should be; I’m not sure there is anything we can do that honors someone who has been on the team for 50 years; that’s pretty amazing, and I don’t think you will. ‘”I’ll see that again,” Miller previously told Global News.

The Bombers will face the Saskatchewan Roughriders or the Calgary Stampeders in the final.

The Riders host the Stamps in the Western Division semifinal on November 28.

Miller is encouraging Bomber fans to pick up tickets for the early December 5 game.

“Tickets are moving very hard,” he said.

“But we have to sell more tickets now because we don’t want those western people to buy tickets there in the end. We can’t have that. “