Ottawa REDBLACKS

Join the roaring crowds at TD Place Stadium at Lansdowne as Ottawa’s Canadian Football League (CFL) team battles for a chance at the Grey Cup.

The city’s first football team launched in 1876 and, thanks to the Ottawa REDBLACKS, the sport is as popular as ever in Canada’s capital. Loyal fans regularly cheer for their favourite players on sunny summer days, on crisp fall afternoons and even through the occasional snow flurry (the team plays from June through November). When getting tickets, pick your side of the stands wisely (fans are staunchly north- or south-siders). Wherever you sit, visit the concessions for sustenance, and make friends with the REDBLACKS’ giant but lovable lumberjack mascot, Big Joe, who pays homage to the region’s storied logging heritage.

You can always tell when it’s a game day, as the charming Glebe neighbourhood around Lansdowne is filled with fans decked out in red-and-black jerseys, hats and scarves. Build a whole day around a REDBLACKS game by walking or biking to Lansdowne Park along scenic Rideau Canal paths and meeting fans at restaurants, shops and other businesses around TD Place.