The star of this weekend's Grey Cup championship has officially arrived in Winnipeg.
Brayden Anderson, a 13-year-old Métis boy, accompanies the Grey Cup trophy in a Red River cart as it arrives at the Manitoba Legislature in downtown Winnipeg on Wednesday afternoon. (Trevor Dineen/CBC)
The Grey Cup trophy travelled from Upper Fort Garry to the Manitoba legislative building in a Red River cart on Wednesday afternoon.
Once the trophy arrived,, members of La Compagnie de La Vérendrye fired off muskets as local officials and co-chairs of the 103rd Grey Cup host committee kicked off the festivities leading up to Sunday's Grey Cup final between the Ottawa RedBlacks and the Edmonton Eskimos.
In a news release, the Manitoba Métis Federation says the procession of the Grey Cup between Upper Fort Garry and the legislative grounds "represents the historic journey between two important places and periods of the province," as Louis Riel's provisional government sat in Upper Fort Garry while the Legislature houses the current government.
The federation added that the Red River cart is an important cultural symbol, as it allowed the Métis Nation to flourish in trading and freighting.
Also at Wednesday's kick-off were Mayor Brian Bowman, provincial Sport Minister Ron Lemieux and CFL commissioner Jeffrey Orridge.
Those who missed the trophy's arrival in Winnipeg can see it at the Santa Claus parade on Saturday afternoon.
Métis and First Nations members accompany the Grey Cup from Upper Fort Garry through downtown Winnipeg on Wednesday afternoon. (Tiar Wilson/CBC)
About 28,000 visitors are expected to converge upon Winnipeg this week. Lemieux and Premier Greg Selinger officially proclaimed this week the Grey Cup Festival Week in the province.
"The Grey Cup is the largest annual sporting event in Canada and Manitoba is proud to welcome football fans from across the country," Selinger said in a news release.
"As well as enjoying the excitement of the big game and all the festivities it brings, we invite our guests to also take in some of the amazing attractions our province has to offer while they're here."
The province added that from Thursday until Sunday, it's allowing bars and restaurants to serve liquor for an extra hour, until 3 a.m. During that period, beer vendors can also sell until 3:30 a.m.
The province says the Grey Cup festivities are expected to bring more than $85 million into Winnipeg's economy.
Arrivée de la Coupe Grey au Palais législatif de Winnipeg.#rcmb #greycup #CoupeGrey #Manitoba http://pic.twitter.com/wlW85iuRMf
— @RancourtSRC
A bit of a crowd. My fingers are numb. #cbcmb http://pic.twitter.com/uDyOuz1eAV
— @TrevorCBC
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