Canadian air force chopper brings Grey Cup to Vancouver ahead of CFL final

The Canadian Football League's (CFL) top prize, the Grey Cup, touched down in Vancouver on Sunday afternoon ahead of the championship game between Toronto and Winnipeg on Nov. 17.

Crowds watched as a CH-149 Cormorant helicopter descended upon Coal Harbour, delivering the iconic Grey Cup trophy. Escorted by the Canadian Armed Forces, it was transported by flotilla to the Vancouver Convention Centre, marking the official kickoff of Grey Cup week leading up to the 111th championship at B.C. Place.

Col. Christopher Shapka, Commander of 19 Wing Comox and a CFL official, was part of the crew accompanying the cup. He said the Royal Canadian Air Force and the CFL share a deep historical connection.

"In 1942 during the height of World War II, with the war in Europe raging and thousands of young Canadians serving overseas, both the football unions and Canada suspended play and disbanded their teams," Shapka said at the cup's arrival ceremony on Sunday.

The war threatened the continuous competition for the Grey Cup, he said, but the armed forces proposed holding the 30th Grey Cup with military teams, in a bid "to lift national morale."

That year, according to CFL.ca, the Toronto RCAF Hurricanes defeated the Winnipeg RCAF Bombers 8-5 in the finals to become the first non-civilian team to ever win a Grey Cup.

"The Grey Cup is more than a trophy, it is a symbol of our resilience, our pride, and our commitment to each other," Shapka said. 

From zip lines to replica mini CFL fields, a slate of sponsored events have been planned for the 2024 Grey Cup.

"We are incredibly proud to be hosting this year's Grey Cup," Mayor Ken Sim said during the ceremony.

The CFL announced in 2022 that the B.C. Lions would host the 2024 Grey Cup in