
Ottawa Redblacks hold open practice for fans ahead of 2025 season opener
The Ottawa Redblacks hosted its annual Fan Fest Sunday at TD Place with an open practice for all to enjoy.
Fans were to meet their favourite Redblacks players ahead of the season, get an autograph and grab a photo.
Redblacks president Adrian Sciarra says these open practices are important for the team and exciting for everyone.
'The start of every year is exciting… This is going to be a great year ahead. We're really excited,' Sciarra said.
'As much as we're a football team, we're a part of the community as well. We want to be accessible to the fans.'
Fans were out in full support, saying there's nothing like being able to interact with the players.
Nathalie and Alexis Daze say they come to games every year, but are happy to attend their first game practice and meet the players.
'I like the new one, Geno Lewis. I watched him when he was with Montreal, and he's great. He's a great player that can help the Redblacks to a Grey Cup,' says Alexis Daze, attending game practice for the first time.
'It feels good. It's good to see a famous person and talk to them,' said Voon Briere, another fan attending the event for the first time
Even the players get a kick out of a day like this.
'It's bigger than just the football team. The fans are a part of how we win on game day. To be involved with them and for them to be involved with us, it means a lot,' said Redblacks receiver Kalil Pimpleton.
The team is getting ready for their season opener in Saskatchewan on Thursday.
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CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
Winnipeg bus riders 'trying to be open-minded' about new transit network
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CBC
an hour ago
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Amid Manitoba's devastating wildfire season, replanting aims to restore forests, fight climate change
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Hectares of Crown land in the forest were devastated by a jack pine budworm infestation in 2016. Seedlings were regenerating the forest until an out-of-control wildfire ravaged the area in 2021. Every spring since then, dozens of people from across Canada have travelled to the forest to plant millions of trees, in hopes of regenerating the ecosystem. But the devastation the current wildfire season has left in Manitoba has put the need for reforestation projects like this into sharp focus, said Blue-Green Planet Project's Farron Sharp, the reforestation project manager. "When you're in a city and protected from a lot of these disasters, it can be really easy to just become apathetic about it," said Sharp. "Only when it's really close by does it wake you up that this is a crisis." 'A sense of urgency' As of last week, more than 911,000 hectares had burned in wildfires in Manitoba. 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But the success went beyond meeting its planting goal — the project also had its highest number of returning planters from Manitoba First Nations this year. Before planting started in May, Sharp toured communities across the province, carrying 3D-printed seedlings and an arsenal of pictures to show how reforesting Devils Lake is done, hoping to spike interest and recruit new planters. While reforesting Devils Lake is the goal, Sharp said the project also aims to involve First Nations in the forest industry through stewardship, training and employment — and hopefully giving the communities tools needed to eventually start their own planting companies and run crews made entirely up of local planters. "Because there's so much involved in this work and there's a lot of moving parts, it requires people to come back a couple of years to learn the ropes," she said. Moose was one of those people. 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Planting trees at Devils Lake gave her a chance to break from that, she said, and she would like to see more First Nations get involved in this kind of project. "This is for the sake of our people," said Moose. With First Nations involved in the decision-making and planting, Sharp said the project has aimed to be part of reconciliation.


CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Former Olympian from Quebec City making affordable bikes for children
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