The Alouettes couldn’t take what former Montreal mayor Jean Drapeau used to call the “usual route” for championship parades when the Canadiens were a dynasty, winning six Stanley Cups during the 1970s.
Chunks of Ste-Catherine St. are dug up now as Montreal’s never-ending Construction Festival continues 12 months a year. So the Alouettes had to find a new route for their Grey Cup parade Wednesday after beating the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 28-24 in the championship game Sunday in Hamilton.
No, Mayor Valérie Plante didn’t insist on the players riding bicycles. Instead, they were on four double-decker buses that wound their way through a huge crowd. Thankfully, the buses didn’t have to navigate around any orange construction cones. Behind the buses were Montreal police officers on horseback, and behind them were locked-out Videotron workers from Gatineau with picket signs (new Alouettes owner Pierre Karl Péladeau is CEO of Videotron).
-
Montreal Alouettes mascot dances with cheerleaders at the head of the Grey Cup parade in Montreal Wednesday Nov. 22, 2023.Photo by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette -
Montreal Alouettes cheerleaders lead the team’s Grey Cup parade in Montreal Wednesday Nov. 22, 2023.Photo by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette -
Montreal Alouettes head coach Jason Maas rides in a convertible with his family during the team’s Grey Cup parade in Montreal Wednesday Nov. 22, 2023.Photo by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette -
Montreal Alouettes quarterback Cody Fajardo acknowledges the crowd lining de Maisonneuve Blvd. for the team’s Grey Cup parade while riding in a convertible with his wife Laura and son Luca in Montreal Wednesday Nov. 22, 2023.Photo by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette -
Montreal Alouettes quarterback Cody Fajardo acknowledges the crowd lining de Maisonneuve Blvd. for the team’s Grey Cup parade while riding in a convertible with his wife Laura and son Luca in Montreal Wednesday Nov. 22, 2023.Photo by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette -
Montreal Alouettes quarterback Cody Fajardo acknowledges the crowd lining de Maisonneuve Blvd. for the team’s Grey Cup parade while riding in a convertible with his wife Laura and son Luca in Montreal on Wednesday Nov. 22, 2023.Photo by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette -
Montreal Alouettes general manager Danny Maciocia rides in a convertible with his wife Sandra and team president Mark Weightman during the team’s Grey Cup parade in Montreal Wednesday Nov. 22, 2023.Photo by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette -
Montreal Alouettes owner Pierre-Karl Péladeau rides in a convertible with his family during the team’s Grey Cup parade in Montreal Wednesday Nov. 22, 2023.Photo by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette -
Montreal Alouettes fans line de Maisonneuve Blvd. in Montreal for the team’s Grey Cup parade Wednesday Nov. 22, 2023.Photo by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette -
Montreal Alouettes linebacker Tyrell Richards smashes a couple of cans of beer together while riding in the Grey Cup parade in Montreal Wednesday Nov. 22, 2023.Photo by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette -
Montreal Alouettes linebacker Tyrell Richards pours a couple of cans of beer in his mouth while riding in the Grey Cup parade in Montreal Wednesday Nov. 22, 2023.Photo by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette -
Montreal Alouettes guard Kristian Matte hoists the Grey Cup while riding in the team’s victory parade with linebackers Darnell Sankey, left, and Avery Williams in Montreal Wednesday Nov. 22, 2023.Photo by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette -
Montreal Alouettes guard Kristian Matte hoists the Grey Cup while riding in the team’s victory parade with linebackers Darnell Sankey, left, and Avery Williams in Montreal Wednesday Nov. 22, 2023.Photo by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette -
A Montreal Alouettes fan holds a sign expressing pride in Quebec player Marc-Antoine Dequoy during a Grey Cup parade in Montreal Wednesday Nov. 22, 2023.Photo by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette -
Former Montreal Alouettes great and current offensive coordinator Anthony Calvillo acknowledges the crowd onstage with fellow coaches following the team’s Grey Cup parade in Montreal Wednesday Nov. 22, 2023.Photo by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette -
Montreal Alouettes celebrate their Grey Cup victory after the team’s parade in Montreal Wednesday Nov. 22, 2023.Photo by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette -
Montreal Alouettes celebrate their Grey Cup victory after the team’s parade in Montreal on Wednesday November 22, 2023.Photo by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette -
Montreal Alouettes celebrate their Grey Cup victory after the team’s parade in Montreal Wednesday Nov. 22, 2023.Photo by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette -
Montreal Alouettes guard Kristian Matte raises the Grey Cup while celebrating onstage after their parade in Montreal Wednesday Nov. 22, 2023.Photo by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette -
Montreal Alouettes players celebrate after the team’s parade in Montreal Wednesday Nov. 22, 2023.Photo by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette -
Montreal Alouettes running back Jeshrun Antwi, wide receiver Kaion Julien-Grant, defensive lineman Mustafa Johnson, defensive end Avery Ellis, defensive lineman Vincent Desjardins and fullback James Tuck celebrate onstage following their Grey Cup parade in Montreal Wednesday Nov. 22, 2023.Photo by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette -
Montreal Alouettes quarterback Cody Fajardo raises the Grey Cup while celebrating onstage after their parade in Montreal Wednesday Nov. 22, 2023. Fajardo was the most outstanding player in the Grey Cup game.Photo by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette -
Montreal Alouettes quarterback Cody Fajardo raises the Grey Cup while celebrating onstage with teammates: wide receiver Kaion Julien-Grant, left, wide receiver Tyson Philpot and running back Jeshrun Antwi, after their parade in Montreal Wednesday Nov. 22, 2023. Fajardo was the most outstanding player in the Grey Cup game.Photo by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette -
Montreal Alouettes quarterback Cody Fajardo raises the Grey Cup while celebrating onstage with teammates: wide receiver Kaion Julien-Grant, left, running back Jeshrun Antwi, running back William Stanback and defensive back Kabion Ento, right after their parade in Montreal Wednesday Nov. 22, 2023. Fajardo was the most outstanding player in the Grey Cup game.Photo by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette -
Alouettes quarterback Cody Fajardo, with a microphone in his hand, celebrates with teammates after the team’s Grey Cup parade in Montreal on Wednesday.Photo by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette -
Montreal Alouettes defensive back Marc-Antoine Dequoy celebrates onstage with team-mates: linebacker Avery Williams, left, defensive lineman Lwal Uguak, wide receiver James Letcher Jr., and kicker David Côté following their Grey Cup parade in Montreal Wednesday Nov. 22, 2023.Photo by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette -
Montreal Alouettes head coach Jason Maas adresses the crowd surrounded by linebacker Avery Williams, left, defensive back Marc-Antoine Dequoy, long snapper Louis-Philippe Bourassa and Maas’s son Bear following the team’s Grey Cup parade in Montreal Wednesday Nov. 22, 2023.Photo by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette -
Montreal Alouettes owner Pierre Karl Péladeau joins players onstage as they celebrate their Grey Cup victory after
This was the first Grey Cup parade for the Alouettes since they went down Ste-Catherine St. in 2010 after beating the Saskatchewan Roughriders 21-18 in the championship game in Edmonton, becoming the first CFL team in 13 years to win back-to-back
That dynasty never happened, but the Alouettes will be looking to build one now under Péladeau, team president Mark Weightman, GM Danny Maciocia and head coach Jason Maas.
“We said from Day 1 we are proud to be from Montreal, from Quebec and Québécois,” Maas said when he addressed the massive crowd at Quartier des spectacles after Wednesday’s parade. “My word to you is this team will work their f—ing asses off and grind for No. 9. We love you. I love this team, this organization, and thank you. Merci beaucoup!”
Nobody could have predicted this championship when Péladeau, the billionaire president and CEO of Québecor, purchased the Alouettes in March. At the time, the franchise was struggling just to stay alive financially, never mind winning the Grey Cup.
“We have to make sure we’re ready to build back, we’re ready to invest, we’re ready to use the proper elements and recipes to make the Alouettes something Montrealers can be proud of,” Péladeau said after purchasing the team.
“Being involved and having the opportunity to own the Alouettes, it’s personal,” he added. “If I can bring something to the Alouettes, I think it’s a good thing. This is why I’m involved. I think I can bring … people together. Sports, more than anything else, brings people together. This is important.”
On Wednesday, the Alouettes brought Montrealers together to celebrate and the turnout was impressive. With many schools closed because of teachers being on strike, there were lots of children at the parade. There were people of all ages and colour, speaking English and French, with plenty of Quebec flags and a couple of Canadian flags mixed in.
It was beautiful, despite the damp weather. And there was no riot.
“As a season-ticket holder, it’s been a long time,” Frankfurt said. “We haven’t had anything to celebrate in Montreal for a long time, so this means a lot.”
Clahane said he never expected the Alouettes to win the Grey Cup when the season started, but he felt confident the morning of the game with the team looking for its eighth straight victory after starting the season 6-7.
“We all heard what they said before the game about nobody respecting them,” Clahane said. “I just knew they were going to shock everyone.”
Alouettes safety Marc-Antoine Dequoy made headlines after an emotional post-game interview with RDS in which he criticized the CFL for a lack of respect he felt the team and the province received at the Grey Cup, including a lack of French signage at Tim Hortons Field. On Wednesday, he encouraged fans to cheer so loud that the rest of Canada could hear.
“Montréal, make some noise!” he screamed.
When Péladeau took the stage, he said in French: “We brought back our Cup!”
He then started an “Olé! Olé! Olé!” chant.
“We had a great team,” Péladeau then said in English. “Thanks to all of you, we did it! We did it! We did it!
“Congratulations, guys,” he said to the players. “You deserve it.”
“The Grey Cup is where it belongs,” he said. “This franchise deserves it, you fans deserve it. These players deserve it. I would not be here without all of you and all of them. It’s been a winding road and nobody believed I’d be up here but you guys, and for that, merci beaucoup! I love you very much.”
This was a day when Montreal showed it still knows how to party — no matter what the route is.
