Guelph fans heading to Regina

With four days to go until the Hamilton Tiger-Cats take on the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Grey Cup, the countdown is on. Some die hard fans from have already started their trek to Regina where it feels like minus 27 Wednesday night, including some from the Ticats adopted home town of Guelph this season. Kate Carnegie met up with some of them and has the story.

The Ticats success has attracted a lot of fans. In fact some Guelph residence say maybe they should come back and play in the city next year because of their successful season.

Mark and Dana St. Hilaire are packing their bags for the Grey Cup. They live in Guelph with their two sons and have had Ticat seasons tickets since 2002.

Dana St. Hilaire: “We’ve missed weddings for Ticat games. My eldest missed his first communion had to have it done at another school because it was over Grey Cup weekend football comes first because it brings us close as a family.”

This will be their 7th Grey Cup trip. Mark St.Hilaire: “The CFL players in general and the Ticat players very approachable, very down to earth kind of people and you can relate to that as someone who has to work for a living.”

They’re prepared for strong winds and sub-zero tempratures at the outdoor Mosaic Stadium in Regina. “Everything we can possibly put on and let us take on the air plane we have hot pockets and outdoor gear but I don’t think we will be cold because the ti cats are playing in the game.”

And it seems Ticat fever has caught on in Guelph. Bob Dehu is President of Bobbie O’Brians: “I think they should come back to Guelph again it did so well for them that they should return next season and do it again.”

Brittany Mitchell is a Ticats fan from Guelph: “I was very excited that they came to Guelph and I try and make it to every game that I can. My whole family are huge Ticats fans. My parents are season ticket holders and my uncle is part of the Box J boys.”

“I think it’s great I hope that the Hamilton Ticats beat the Saskatchewan Roughriders.”

This is the first time the Ticats have played in the Grey Cup since 1999 and fans like Brittany are ready for a good game: “Go Ticats, rock it.”

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats braved the elements and ran through a chilly practice at Regina’s Mosaic Stadium Wednesday. The temperature was listed at minus-16 degrees, but it felt like minus-28. Hamilton’s Grey Cup opponents, the Saskatchewan Roughriders took a different approach. They opted to practise indoors in Moose Jaw.