Rideau Hall, Sunday, October 21 2012

What a thrill it is to welcome the Grey Cup back to Rideau Hall on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Grey Cup championship game! How appropriate to show the cup at Rideau Hall for a few days!

As you may know, it was my predecessor as governor general, Lord Grey, who donated this trophy for a Canadian football championship in 1909.

Lord Grey was an avid sports enthusiast who strongly believed in the importance of physical activity, and I have no doubt he would have been delighted to see so many of you here at Rideau Hall for this special event.   

The first Grey Cup-winning team, I should add, was the University of Toronto Varsity Blues, who prevailed by a score of 26-6 over the Parkdale Canoe Club before a crowd of 3,800 fans.

Clearly, Canadian football has come a long way since those early days!

Today, the Grey Cup is among the most coveted trophies in the Canadian sporting world. And it truly is a wonderful symbol of our country.

As fans of Canadian football know, there is something very special about this great game. In Canada, we play three-down football, on a 110-yard field, and the CFL has a colourful history of championship games played in mud, snow and even fog, as was very evident yesterday with the game in Calgary.

In fact, the 50th Grey Cup final in Toronto was played over two days, when heavy fog rolling in from Lake Ontario forced the cancellation of play in the fourth quarter!

This trophy is steeped in history, and it is a reminder of all that unites us as Canadians. The Grey Cup symbolizes our ability to come together across this vast and diverse country, and to work and play hard in a spirit of fairness and achievement.

I am pleased to announce that I will be doing the coin toss and the kick off at the 100th Grey Cup Championship Game in Toronto on November 25. I’m honoured to be part of this important event in the history of Canadian Football.

My wife, Sharon, and I are so delighted to host the Grey Cup at Rideau Hall from today until October 24 at noon. This is Canada’s house, where we come together to celebrate excellence and all that makes us unique as Canadians.

The Grey Cup and Rideau Hall are two great symbols of Canada, and I invite you to tour the residence as you take this opportunity to get close to the Cup.

And let us seize this occasion to celebrate physical activity, healthy living and fair play. Lord Grey would have it no other way!

Thank you.