Despite the disappointing Blue Jays loss in the World Series preventing fans from flooding into Albert Street to celebrate, Saskatchewan fans still had the CFL playoffs to look forward to.
The Roughriders won 12 of their 18 games, achieving the best record in the CFL for the 2024-25 season.
This season’s hard work led up to Nov. 16, when the Riders beat the Montreal Alouettes 25-17 in the 112th Grey Cup.
Following the victory, thousands of Riders fans gathered at the intersection of Albert Street and Victoria Avenue to celebrate.
Albert Street was filled with cars honking their horns and pedestrians waving flags, all heading towards the Green Mile.
Additionally, police cars were placed on 11th Avenue and 13th Avenue to block traffic and allow pedestrians to congregate at the intersection.
One fan attending that night’s celebrations thought back to the previous Grey Cup celebrations, and even the Blue Jays World Series celebrations that were held in Regina in the 1990s.
“The streets were open, and there were tons of people and cars going up and down Albert,” the fan explained.
“We started on Victoria Avenue, and we all made our way over to the legislative building. The people in cars were high fiving the people walking down the street,”
Comparatively, the scene on Nov. 16 was more focused to one intersection rather than sprawling across the entire Green Mile.
While there may have been some disappointment over the scale of the celebrations, you couldn’t feel any disappointment in the crowd.
The sounds of trumpets and team chants filled the air. The chilly weather didn’t do much to deter the sea of green.
Despite the police presence, some individuals were unable to contain their excitement.
For example, one fan found their way onto a traffic light where they were immediately met with a group of police officers below them.
There was a moment when some fireworks went off just South of Victoria Avenue, though the show didn’t last long.
Generally, Rider fans were able to keep the celebrations tame, not requiring much police intervention. The biggest problem that resulted was probably the number of crushed cans that littered the street.
Another fan put into perspective how much time had passed since the last championship. “Whenever they [the Riders] won, I would immediately go with my friend to Albert Street. Now he’s married and it’s taking him 20 minutes to get his jacket on,”
A lot can happen in 12 years. For many Riders fans, their lives look completely different today than they did in 2013. In the sports world, 12 years could be the length of someone’s entire career.
For the Riders themselves, the leadership, coaching staff and players all look completely different in this championship than their last one.
Altogether, these changes resulted in the Roughriders coming out on top in the 112th Grey Cup.
