Fans walk along and cheer with the Montreal Alouettes during the Grey Cup victory parade in Montreal on Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023. Some dreary November weather didn't stop fans from turning up in numbers at the parade on Wednesday. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Peter McCabe
MONTREAL – Some dreary November weather didn’t stop Montreal Alouettes fans from turning up in numbers at the Grey Cup championship parade on Wednesday.
Fans lined the streets of De Maisonneuve Boulevard, filled “Quartier des Spectacles” and waved their Quebec flags in downtown Montreal to celebrate the first Alouettes title since 2010, and the eighth in franchise history.
Montreal upset the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 28-24 in the 110th Grey Cup at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton.
The weather in Montreal hovered around two degrees Celsius and reached a high of four as light rain fell on and off throughout the overcast afternoon.
Three-time Grey Cup champion Shawn Lemon says he’s never seen a Grey Cup parade quite like it.
After starting free agency in February without an owner, the Alouettes defied expectations this season by going 11-7 before defeating Hamilton, defending Grey Cup winners Toronto and perennial contender Winnipeg in the playoffs en route to the title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 22, 2023.