The B.C. Lions are heading south on Saturday, Aug. 31 to host the Ottawa Redblacks for a regular season game in Victoria, B.C., an event that’s been dubbed Touchdown Pacific.
“This is a special day for Canadian football,” said CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie. “Our great game is for all Canadians, it brings us together and it unites us as a country. The Touchdown Series is about opening our game to new fans and new communities, and showing them that the CFL is their league, too.
“From the cheers of the crowd and the impact in the community, to the fun, fast, and entertaining action on the field, we can’t wait to deliver the full CFL experience to everyone in Victoria!”
The game will be played at Royal Athletic Park, which will be expanded to a capacity of between 10,000 to 14,000 guests, including standing room. It remains unclear when tickets for the game will go on sale. The league considers the upcoming event to be a “step forward for the CFL in supporting grassroots development from coast to coast to coast.”
“Through this series of neutral site games, we’re building bridges and helping ensure the future of our game,” said Ambrosie. “We’re proud of all we’ve built in Atlantic Canada, and we remain in conversation with a highly engaged and motivated prospective owner in Halifax. That door remains open and that dream is alive.
“Touchdown Pacific was born out of a desire to strengthen the ties between Canadian football and another corner of our amazing country, and we look forward to an incredible event next year!”
The CFL has hosted seven previous Touchdown Atlantic events in the Maritimes with the first taking place at Huskies Stadium in 2005. The six subsequent events have taken place in Moncton, N.B., Wolfville, N.S. or back in Halifax.
Victoria is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, 115 kilometres south of Vancouver. The Greater Victoria Region has a population of approximately 400,000.
