Day 3 Diary: “The spirit of Canadian football” is something to savour before, during and after Touchdown Atlantic

Anatomy of a Saturday … 

11:38 a.m. 

This grizzled gargoyle of 59 wakes up, thank goodness, after a long night/morning at Riderville (the social venue, not the website). I vow to end this day at Riderville, which means that the post-game writing must be brisk and readable. The accompanying pressure may be too much to bear. 

12:15 p.m. 

Foraging for Maritime cuisine, I head to a downtown mall — across from the hotel — and treat myself to Thai Express (chicken fried rice) and an iced coffee (thank you, Tim Hortons). 

12:49 p.m. 

I board the first team bus to St. Mary’s University’s Huskies Stadium, where the Saskatchewan Roughriders are to face the Toronto Argonauts in Touchdown Atlantic. Most of the coaches and a few players are on the early bus. Game faces are in vogue. 

1 p.m. 

“Sir, we can leave,” Head Coach Craig Dickenson, always polite and respectful, says to the bus driver. The departure is precisely on time. 

1:14 p.m. 

Arrival at the stadium. I retrieve my computer bag from the luggage compartment and say a quick hello to receiver Jake Wieneke — an impossibly nice person who is returning to the lineup today after missing three games with a knee injury.  

1:17 p.m. 

The Roughriders are housed in the Saint Mary’s Huskies’ hockey rink.  

This time, “get pucks deep” will not suffice as a strategy. 

“Get punts deep,” maybe? 

The humidity outdoors being borderline oppressive, I conclude that the cool, crisp air of an arena has never, ever felt so good. 

I then remind myself that I reside in Saskatchewan, where we somehow endured the interminable winter of 2023, and the heat suddenly doesn’t seem as bad. 

1:27 p.m. 

The pre-game tailgate party is to begin in three minutes. The lineup stretches far-r-r-r-r outside the gates, to a street corner. 

1:29 p.m. 

Scouring the long, winding lineup, I see someone wearing a No. 17 Argonauts jersey that is autographed by former CFL quarterback (and erstwhile Roughrider) Michael Bishop. I vow to find a Roughriders fan who is resplendent in a No. 17 jersey — a tribute to legendary receiver Joey Walters. 

1:30 p.m. 

Gates open. The Walters Watch is on! 

1:32 p.m. 

YESSSSSS! I spy a No. 17 jersey (Roughriders version) with WALTERS on the back. 

I must meet this man and bow at his feet. 

This man, as it turns out, is Mike Tomlinson — an erstwhile Reginan who moved to Edmonton in 2005. 

Joey Walters, Mike informs me, was his favourite Roughrider while growing up. Mike is also a fan of Geno Wlasiuk, who wore No. 19 for most of his tenure with the Roughriders (1959-67). 

(Impromptu flashback to Aug. 9, 1962: Wlasiuk scored a 67-yard touchdown at Empire Stadium in Vancouver — 13 years before the CFL reintroduced blocking on punt returns. Geno was at a one-against-12 disadvantage, but nonetheless took one all the way to the house.) 

My new friend Mike is at Touchdown Atlantic with his partner (Wendy Pittendreigh), Val Conlon (Wendy’s daughter-in-law) and Chris Conlon (Wendy’s son). 

“We came to Newfoundland last year for my grandson’s wedding,” Mike explains. “When we heard that the Riders were going to be playing here (in 2023), we said, ‘Let’s do it again.’ ” 

(Impromptu trivia: Mike used to be the mascot — Vic the Chick — for the Victoria Square Mall.) 

1:37 p.m. 

Kevin Genest and his wife, Donna, are wearing green wigs — whereas I opted for a sparse grey toupee and a ball cap. 

“There’s about a pound of sweat under this wig right now,” Kevin confides. “Every year for Labour Day, we get dressed up.” 

So why not crack out the wigs for Touchdown Atlantic as well, right? 

Kevin and Donna — fellow passengers on the Roughriders’ 2023 Fan Charter — are from the small Saskatchewan community of Harris, which is situated between Rosetown and Saskatoon.  

Donna points out that Harris is located just off Hwy. 7. 

How perfect is that?! The Roughriders’ Harris (Trevor) wears No. 7. 

I am thinking of Trevor Harris today. I even sent him a message. Trevor would love to be with us today, but he is back in Regina recovering from a serious knee injury he sustained a fortnight ago. 

“Trevor is such a nice man,” Kevin says as I nod vigorously, nearly dislodging my toupee. “I wish him all the best for his recovery. I sure hope he can come back by the end of the season.” 

More nodding and adjusting of the $2.99 hairpiece. As for the Genests’ wigs … 

“We have 25 or 30 different ones,” Donna says. “You need to have lots of outfits for each Labour Day Classic. This year, we’re going with a ’20s theme, so we’ll see you there.” 

1:59 p.m. 

The Touchdown Atlantic tailgate party has been open for 29 minutes and, outside the gates, people are still lined up to the curb. 

2:13 p.m. 

Ryan Dalke — whose son, Jayden, is the Roughriders’ starting safety — walks over to say hello. 

We are Facebook friends, but this is the first time I have had the great pleasure of meeting Ryan in person. 

Ryan, who resides in Leduc, Alta., is part of a sizeable travelling party that includes his wife (Shannon), his son (Layne) and Jayden’s grandparents (Dan and Marlene Crowdis). 

Asked what it is like to travel all this way to watch his fine son play for the Roughriders, Ryan responds: “It’s surreal — absolutely surreal. It just goes to show that everybody who is out there (on the field) is another person’s kid. A CFL career can be short and sweet, so we’re going to enjoy every game we can get to.” 

The Dalkes and friends arrived a week ago, rented an RV, and travelled around the area. The plan is to stick around for another week before flying back to Edmonton. 

Hold on. The Edmonton International Airport is actually located in Leduc — home of the Dalkes. Outstanding! 

On Saturday, the Dalkes will board an early-morning, Alberta-bound flight. Upon arrival, at 9:30 a.m., “we’ll jump in the motorhome and head to Regina.” 

Roughriders vs. Ottawa REDBLACKS, Aug. 6, Mosaic Stadium. Be there. 

2:21 p.m.
I walk past Roughriders starting quarterback Mason Fine, who is laser-focused and clearly engaged by whatever he is listening to on his earbuds. 

Everyone in Canada, except me, owns earbuds. 

I am still in the market for an eight-track tape player, or a groovy hi-fi. 

2:32 p.m. 

I find a nice, comfortable place to write, well, everything you have seen up to this point (thanks for sticking with me, by the way, as we breeze past the 1,100-word mark). 

The noble objective is to have most of this diary finished by 5 p.m., so that I can focus on the game. 

Ulterior motive: I want to get everything off my plate as quickly as possible so that I can revisit Riderville.  

The band — The Mellotones — is awesome. So are the people. 

Here’s to a quick game! 

2:40 p.m. 

CKRM’s Michael Ball, the voice of the Roughriders, says hello. 

A week ago, Michael was in Vancouver for the Roughriders’ game against B.C. 

“We’ve been in every time zone in a week,” Ballsy says. “Think about that.” 

3:12 p.m. 

Purely by chance, I meet up with Lloyd de Vere Hunt, who resides in the Halifax area. 

While living in Calgary, where he was going to school, Lloyd was at the Roughriders’ 1976 regular-season finale against the Stampeders.  

The Roughriders needed to defeat Calgary to finish first in the Western Conference standings. It didn’t look promising early on, as the Stampeders assumed leads of 24-0 and 27-8. 

But Ron Lancaster rallied the Roughriders, in trademark fashion, and engineered a 33-31 victory. He threw the game-winning TD pass, a three-yarder to Rhett Dawson, on the final play from scrimmage. 

“It was just a massive comeback,” Lloyd remembers. “Ronnie was my favourite.”
We chat, again by chance, on the 60th anniversary of Lancaster being traded to Saskatchewan by the Ottawa Rough Riders. 

3:17 p.m. 

By prior arrangement, I hook up with Jim Achtymichuk and his wife, Joan. 

Jim is impossible to miss due to his green-coloured moustache and his kilt. 

The kilt, which Jim is wearing in public for the first time, is a tribute to the Scottish ancestry of his late mother, Anne McCuish, who was born in Antigonish, N.S. 

At breakfast on Saturday, Jim was politely informed by fellow Roughriders fan Doug Campbell that the kilt was on backwards. 

“Pleats in the back, man … pleats in the back,” Jim reminds himself as we chat. 

“It was so nice of Doug that I bought him some bacon.” 

Says Doug: “You didn’t have to do that.” 

Replies Jim: “It was much appreciated. I pay for knowledge.” 

Never again will the fashion faux pas of Saturday be repeated — or repleated, as it were.
“I wore the kilt two days ago as a trial, but I obviously got it wrong then, too,” Jim points out. “I’ll have to delete that photo as well.” 

As for the story behind the greening of Jim’s thick moustache … 

“Oh, that’s just fun,” he says. “I have a green paint stick. I got it about 20 years ago and I’ve been unable to recreate it. 

“Want some?” 

Perhaps to paint over the voids in my toupee. 

As our conversation winds down, Argonauts fan Martha McGee rushes over. Martha, from Newcastle, Ont., is proudly wearing a No. 31 jersey, with the surname of Michael (Pinball) Clemons on the back. 

“In the spirit of Canadian football,” Martha asks Jim and Joan, “can I get a picture with you?” 

4:08 p.m. 

Back to the Saint Mary’s hockey arena to write. We’re nearly at the 1,600-word mark, by the way, and have clearly bonded via this interaction. 

In groups of three or four, Roughriders players walk out the door to take part in warmups. 

Each time the door opens, a robust cheer erupts. Roughriders fans have flocked to the area, just to catch a glimpse of their faves. 

4:58 p.m. 

Bring ’Em Out — Halifax version! 

5:10 p.m. 

Touchdown Atlantic, opening kickoff. 

7:12 p.m. 

The Last Saskatchewan Pirate — Halifax version! 

7:53 p.m. 

FINAL: Argonauts 31, Roughriders 13. 

10:02 p.m. 

Story on the Argonauts-Roughriders game is submitted. Arielle Zerr (Director, Communications) and Thomas Judek (Communications Co-ordinator) are responsible for the editing and posting. Me? I’m off to Riderville to honour my vow of 10:38 a.m. 

12:20 a.m. 

The Mellotones — an eight-piece R&B/funk band that has become my first non-jazz musical obsession — complete a smokin’ set at The Marquee Ballroom. 

I make a point of approaching the stage to thank vocalist/saxophonist Jeff Mosher for two nights of unbelievable music. We shake hands. 

Great guy. Amazing group.  

Somebody please bring The Mellotones to Saskatchewan! 

1:40 a.m. 

I am back at the hotel. The first bus for the airport leaves at (gulp) 7 a.m. Good-night …