Tourism Winnipeg

Sports can pull a community together in an instant. The strength of a city's sports team often reflects the strength of a city and its people. If that's the case, 2019 was one of Winnipeg's strongest. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers ended its 29-year drought and helped put our city on the national map with the 32-12 win over the Hamilton Tiger Cats at the 2019 Grey Cup. The long run without a win, injuries, quarterback change-ups and underdog themes weaved through much of the media stories leading up to the big game. The energy, anticipation and anxiety were palpable in the city, but it also spoke to the Winnipeg way of never stopping and the always- grind attitude that is prevalent here. The last time the Bombers won the Grey Cup was in 1990. While the Grey Cup was held in Calgary, long-suffering fans here at home descended upon the iconic Portage & Main where the atmosphere was electric. An estimated 1,000 fans poured into the streets celebrating the championship win. For the Grey Cup parade, another estimated 10,000 Manitobans lined downtown Winnipeg streets, bars and restaurants. They were all trying to get a good view of the cup and players, many of whom were not even born the last time the Bombers won the famous football trophy. The crowds just got bigger as the parade made its way to The Forks and drew fans, families and politicians of every stripe from across the province. The party extended into the weekend as activities continued with a major social at the RBC Convention Centre and family focused event the following day. This win was also historic for our President & CEO, Dayna Spiring, who is also the Chair of the Winnipeg Football Club. She became the first woman to have her name engraved on the Grey Cup in its 110 years of existence. At the time of the win, she was only the second woman to hold a position on the CFL's Board of Governors. 268 media outlets covered this story resulting in $750,461.83 of earned media. Spotlight Winner-peg: Grey Cup 17 2019 Annual Report

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