Some Canadians expect to watch queen’s funeral with sadness; others will skip it

CALGARY – The Calgary Stampeders ended a four-game losing streak and the Montreal Alouettes remained unbeaten on the road this CFL season with a 19-19 tie Saturday.

The two clubs traded field goals in overtime for the game to end in a stalemate.

Quarterback Cody Fajardo completed 19 or 26 pass attempts for 204 yards and scored a rushing touchdown for Montreal (10-2-1) in his third start since he was sidelined for six weeks with a hamstring injury.

Montreal kicker Jose Maltos kicked field goals from 53 and 42 yards, and from 30 and 37 yards in overtime.

His Stampeders counterpart Rene Paredes was good from 14 and 16 yards, missed from 51 and 52 yards, and then made a pair of 42-yarders in OT in front of an announced 20,187 at McMahon Stadium.

Quarterback Jake Maier was 29-of-37 in passing for 236 yards for Calgary (4-8-1). He was restored to starter after backing up Logan Bonner in a 37-16 road loss to the Edmonton Elks.

Calgary’s Marken Michel had a touchdown catch and Dedrick Mills rushed for 122 yards.

The Stampeders led 13-10 when Paredes’ 51-yard try early in the fourth rebounded off the left upright.

The Stampeders worked the ball to Montreal’s 15-yard line with just over two minutes to go, but undid that work with two major penalties.

Paredes’ 52-yard attempt was wide right to give the ball to Montreal with just over a minute to play.

Fajardo marched the offence downfield and with a second remaining, Maltos tied the game with a 42-yard field goal.

Paredes’ 16-yard field goal gave the Stampeders a 13-7 edge, but the Alouettes continued to chase with Maltos’ 53-yarder late in the third quarter.

Calgary led 10-7 with five minutes left in the first half when backup quarterback Tommy Stevens — inserted for a short-yardage touchdown attempt — fumbled on the two-yard line and turned the ball over.

Fajardo then threw the ball out of Montreal’s end zone 50 yards to Charleston Rambo, but that drive stalled at midfield.

Montreal’s Mustafa Johnson recovered teammate Justin Sambu’s knock-down of a Maier pass and rumbled for the end zone as the clock ticked down on the half.

Stampeder running back Peyton Logan brought down the defensive tackle at the five-yard line to preserve Calgary’s three-point lead at the half.

Montreal’s Sean Thomas-Erlington blocked a Cody Grace punt and corralled the ball in the end zone early in the second quarter.

Instead of a touchdown, however, the Alouette was assessed a penalty for roughing the kicker.

But Walter Fletcher’s 55-yard dash up the middle set up Fajardo’s three-yard touchdown early in the quarter.

Maier threw four interceptions in a 35-20 home loss to the Elks on Labour Day, which prompted the quarterback shuffle.

Maier threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to Michel in the end zone Saturday on Calgary’s second possession.

The hosts didn’t convert Montreal’s fumble on the subsequent kickoff into a bigger lead.

James Letcher Jr. lost the ball on the Alouettes’ 23-yard line. The Stampeders settled for a 14-yard field goal by Paredes and a 10-point lead after the opening quarter.

PERPETUAL PAREDES

Calgary kicker Rene Paredes moved into a tie for second in all-time Stampeder games with his 224th on Saturday. He drew even with defensive back and kicker Larry Robinson (1961-75). Kicker Mark McLoughlin (1988-2003) is the all-time leader with 276.

INDIGENOUS NIGHT

Saturday’s Indigenous Night game was radio broadcast in the Blackfoot language by Butch Wolfleg and Jacob Leblanc, in addition to the customary English broadcast.

Stampeder players wore orange jerseys during warm-up and their helmets featured a special horse logo to honour and raise awareness of thousands of Indigenous children sent to residential schools.

UP NEXT

The Stampeders are home Friday to the Saskatchewan Roughriders. The Montreal Alouettes continue a run of three straight road games Saturday against the Ottawa Redblacks.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 14, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

EDMONTON – Josh Ross and his whisky-soaked ballad of heartbreak and hope took home top honours Saturday as k.d. lang got the band back together at the 2024 Canadian Country Music Association Awards.

Ross, from Burlington, Ont., captured single of the year for “Trouble.” The 28-year-old former college football player turned country star also took home male artist of the year and entertainer of the year at the show, held at Rogers Place in Edmonton.

“This song was a surreal song,” Ross said, adding it highlights the struggles he felt when moving to Nashville to pursue his music career.

Ross said he and his band play roughly 150 shows every year and are never home, but said he feels that taking home entertainer of the year made the hard work worth it.

“I thank each and every one of you,” he said.

On Friday, he also won two industry awards for top-selling Canadian single of the year (“Trouble”) and top-selling Canadian album of the year (“It’s Complicated.”)

Alberta’s MacKenzie Porter took home a top prize as female artist of the year, ending the five-year run for Tenille Townes.

The win was sweet relief for Porter, of Medicine Hat, Alta., who had been nominated for the award seven times in the last decade before capturing her own lightning in a bottle Saturday.

She won video of the year for “Chasing Tornadoes,” a toe-tapping salute to the swirling winds of romance set against the lonely Nevada desert and the bright lights of Las Vegas.

Porter said it takes a lot of hard work and hustle to succeed as a female in the country music industry and gave a shout out to her fellow singers and newborn daughter.

“I’ve been nominated (for the CCMAs) 28 times and this is one of my first wins,” said Porter in her first televised appearance since having a baby.

“So to all of you artists out there, keep pushing.”

Porter was up for six awards, tying the top nomination spot with Jade Eagleson of Bailieboro, Ont. Eagleson took home album of the year for “Do It Anyway.”

Porter co-hosted the show with American crooner Thomas Rhett, and along with the music, there was a little hockey. Edmonton Oilers players Leon Draisaitl and Corey Perry came on stage and dubbed Rhett an honorary Canadian as he donned an Oilers jersey.

The highlight of the night was lang celebrating her induction into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame by reelin’ and rockin’ with The Reclines for the first time in 35 years.

They performed “Big Boned Gal” — from the last album they recorded together in 1989 — about the gal in the blue dress with the bounce in her step shakin’ and snakin’ at the legion hall.

Lang embodied the character in the song as she strutted across the stage, clad in a blue and green western-style dress.

“That was a piece of cake,” lang told reporters after her performance. “Good friendships have this capacity to erase time. That certainly happened when we got together.”

Lang, from Consort, Alta., burst onto Edmonton’s music scene in the early 1980s with The Reclines, a tribute band to American country star Patsy Cline.

She told the crowd she’s “profoundly grateful” for the experiences she’s had in her career and thanked Canadians for going on the journey with her.

“I love you, big time,” said lang.

Among the other winners, the James Barker Band from Woodville, Ont., took home group of the year and the fans’ choice award. During their acceptance speech, frontman Barker hinted at new music and a possible tour in 2025.

Owen Riegling of Mildmay, Ont., also won for breakthrough artist of the year and best songwriting for “Old Dirt Roads.”

Speaking on the red carpet before the awards show, Riegling remembered writing the song five years ago in one hour and recorded it as a demo.

Once he signed with Universal Music Canada, they recorded a new version.

“It’s had a long journey, and it’s cool to see it finally connecting with people and reaching people,” he said.

“Never would have ever guessed I’d end up here.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 14, 2024.

EDMONTON – The legendary k.d. lang got the band back together at the Canadian Country Music Association awards show.

Lang teamed up with the Reclines for the first time in 35 years to belt out “Big Boned Gal” from their last album together in 1989.

Clad in a blue and green western-style dress, lang strut across the stage in Edmonton to embody the “big boned gal from southern Alberta.”

The awards show saw Alberta’s MacKenzie Porter and Ontario’s Josh Ross take home hardware for being best female and male artists of the year.

Ross also won entertainer of the year and single of the year for “Trouble.”

Ontario artist Jade Eagleson won album of the year for “Do It Anyway.”

The James Barker Band from Woodville, Ont., won fans’ choice and group of the year.

During their acceptance speech, frontman Barker hinted at new music and a possible tour in 2025.

Ross says he and his band play roughly 150 shows every year and are never home, but says taking home entertainer of the year made the hard work worth it.

Porter won for female artist of the year and top video for “Chasing Tornadoes.”

The female artist win ends the five-year streak of Tenille Townes being awarded the coveted hardware.

Porter had been nominated seven times previously for the award in the past decade but hadn’t won until now.

The artist from Medicine Hat, Alta., says it takes a lot of hard work and hustle to succeed as a female in the country music industry and gave a shout out to her fellow singers and her newborn daughter.

Joining the two artists in the winners’ circle was Ontario singer-songwriter Owen Riegling, who won for breakthrough artist of the year.

The show began with American artist and co-host Thomas Rhett being dubbed an honorary Canadian by Edmonton Oilers players Corey Perry and Leon Draisaitl.

Rhett donned an Oilers jersey that was gifted to him by the pair.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 14, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.