Edmonton Elks look to future by embracing past, including former team name

The winds of change blew through Commonwealth Stadium this winter, bringing in a new regime determined to return Edmonton's once-proud CFL franchise to its green-and-gold glory days.

Part of that includes embracing the team's former name, Eskimos. 

The club rebranded as the Elks in 2021, following a broader movement among sports teams to move away from names considered racist or stereotypical, and amid pressure from sponsors who threatened to cut ties. The change proved divisive among Edmonton supporters.

Regardless of which name Edmonton fans prefer, former players Chris Morris, now the team's president and CEO, and Ed Hervey, now general manager, have brought back the franchise motto: "Once an Eskimo, Always an Eskimo."

A sign bearing the slogan has been restored above the entrance to the Elks' locker room.

"Eskimos or Elks, it is the 'Double E' and we want our fans and the community to understand we are committed to winning and being a part of the community," Hervey said.

And with that, both men are hoping the product on the field, headed by a new coaching staff led by Mark Kilam and an offence firmly in the hands of quarterback Tre Ford, will not only carry the team back into the playoffs but will lure missing fans into the stands.

Despite the massive overhaul that began with the sale of the publicly-owned franchise to Larry Thompson, Kilam doesn't see any problems with all the new personnel meshing into a winning product.

"It's not if you're vertically aligned, which we are, from ownership on down," he said.

"When we have the same feelings about the way a professional football team should act, the way we think things should be run on a day-to-day basis, and the way we see things be played out on the field, it's