WestJet Canada Day Weekend 2025 is underway!
We’ve got a great slate of games on tap this weekend leading into July 1, which gives us an opportunity to look back on some of the most notable Canada Day Weekend performances in recent memory. From thrilling finishes to standout individuals, we’ve got a lot to sink our teeth into.
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CORNISH RUNS WILD | 2013
Early in his historic 2013 campaign, Calgary’s Jon Cornish opened the season with a spectacular outing against the Lions. Cornish carried the ball 24 times for 172 yards and two touchdowns as the Stampeders took a 44-32 win over BC in their home opener.
It was a sign of things to come. En route to being named Most Outstanding Player, Most Outstanding Canadian, and the Lou Marsh Award winner, Cornish ran for 1,813 yards and 12 touchdowns. It remains the greatest season ever by a Canadian tailback and statistically ranks fourth all-time in league history.
WHYTE WALKS IT OFF | 2024
It was exactly one year ago when hometown hero Sean Whyte sent BC Place home happy thanks to a buzzer beating 42-yard field goal to give the Lions a 24-21 win over the visiting Edmonton Elks. Whyte’s winner came on a drive immediately following one that saw the Elks tie the game on a Boris Bede 52-yard boot with just over 70 seconds remaining, adding to the drama.
Quarterback Vernon Adams Jr., instrumental in moving the ball into scoring position for Whyte, finished the game with 331 yards passing and a touchdown. Whyte, on the other hand, was a perfect three-for-three kicking field goals as BC improved to 3-1 on the season.
THE HALL OF FAME SHOWDOWN | 2013
On the same day as Cornish’s torrid performance in 2013, a pair of Hall of Fame quarterbacks went toe-to-toe in Toronto. Ricky Ray led the Argos to a back-and-forth 39-34 win over Henry Burris and the archrival Hamilton Tiger-Cats. And two of the greatest of all time didn’t disappoint.
Ray, fresh off winning his third Grey Cup ring a few months prior, wrapped up the night with 368 passing yards and four touchdowns. Burris was keen to go shot-for-shot with his counterpart, finishing with 361 yards and three passing majors.
ANOTHER STATEMENT FROM ROURKE | 2022
Nathan Rourke’s 2022 earned him that year’s Most Outstanding Canadian award, set him up for opportunity south of the border, and turned him into one of the biggest names in Canadian football. And a big part of that was his June 30 performance on the road in Ottawa.
Rourke threw for 359 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 87 yards and another touchdown running the ball. It was an electric night for Rourke, who hooked up with receiver Keon Hatcher Sr. seven times for 166 yards, as the Lions took a 34-31 victory and improved to 3-0 for the first time since 2007.
FAJARDO’S FLEX | 2019
Goodness did Cody Fajardo light things up on Canada Day Weekend 2019. As part of a 32-7 Riders win over Toronto, Fajardo threw for 430 yards and two touchdowns while adding another major and nine yards on the ground. It was a stellar outing for Fajardo as part of one of the most successful seasons of his career.
Fajardo finished 2019 first overall with 4,302 passing yards to go along with 18 passing touchdowns and an impressive 105.2 quarterback rating. It earned him his first and only All-CFL nod at quarterback and Fajardo was named the West Division nominee for Most Outstanding Player as Saskatchewan finished 13-5.
THE THRILLER | 2010
In what was a rematch of the prior season’s Grey Cup thriller, and what would be a preview of the championship game later that season, Montreal and Saskatchewan put on an absolute show on Canada Day 2010. In the end, the Roughriders thrilled a sellout crowd of 30,048 with a 54-51 double overtime victory in a home opener for the ages.
Along the way, Saskatchewan’s Darian Durant threw for 481 yards and five touchdowns to go along with 52 yards and another touchdown on the ground. Future Hall of Famer Anthony Calvillo wasn’t messing around either; the Alouettes legend wound up with 368 passing yards and four touchdowns in a losing effort.