With three Olympics hosted, teams in many North American major leagues and a number of unique sports to call its own, Canada is a sporting nation unlike any other. Every season of the year offers a different sport to follow. So grab your hockey skates, football, basketball or broom (yes, broom) and see all that Canadian sport has to offer.
BMO Field, Toronto, Ontario – soccer
Toronto’s Canadian Football League (CFL) franchise, the Argonauts, may share this picturesque, lakefront stadium, but make no mistake: Toronto FC are the original inhabitants of BMO Field; and in just 11 seasons have created one of the best sporting atmospheres in the country. The various supporters’ groups occupy the south stands and take cues from their European counterparts to keep the crowd boisterous throughout 90 minutes. Toronto FC fans suffered through eight miserable seasons but are now being rewarded with one of the best teams in Major League Soccer. Come in the summer for some of the most entertaining players in the league – and be sure to stay for the stirring thunderclap.
Mosaic Stadium, Regina, Saskatchewan – Canadian football
You can’t talk about the CFL without mentioning the Saskatchewan Roughriders and their devoted fans, the green-clad Rider Nation. One of the oldest professional sports franchises in North America (Founded in 1910) also has one of its rowdier fan bases. They’ve got their own mascot, Gainer the Gopher, who this year turns 40, and the Rider Nation can regularly chime in on the team’s official songs, including Rider Pride and Paint the Whole World Green. If you’re looking for an introduction to the idiosyncrasies of the CFL and want to get an idea of how important the league’s franchises can be to some of the country’s smaller cities, this is the place to start.
Tim Hortons Field, Hamilton, Ontario – Canadian football
Speaking of the CFL, Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton was opened just three years ago and thankfully carried over a tradition that made its predecessor, Ivor Wynne Stadium, famous: tailgating. The pre-game tradition of grilling meat and drinking beer before football games hasn’t quite latched on in Canada the way it has south of the border, but the Hamilton Tiger-Cats home fans have proved to be the exception. The Labour Day Classic, against their rivals, the Toronto Argonauts, is a must-see Canadian event. At nearby Scott Park, fans in the Tiger-Cats’ black and gold huddle around barbecues in anticipation ahead of games.
The Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec – ice hockey
If hockey is a religion in Canada, then the Bell Centre in Montreal is the country’s most celebrated place of worship. With a capacity of more than 21,000, it’s the largest hockey arena in the National Hockey League (NHL) and with good reason: the Montreal Canadiens are the country’s most famous franchise. As of late, they’ve routinely offered the best hope for a Canadian team to win ice hockey’s holy grail, the Stanley Cup (which hasn’t been won by a Canadian team since 1993, when the Canadiens last hoisted it) based solely on the play of Carey Price, the best goaltender in the game. You won’t be able to get the sound of the arena’s horn, celebrating Canadiens goals, out of your head. And there’s no standard arena fare here: their Montreal smoked-meat sandwiches are up there with the best in the city.
Wherever the Tim Hortons Brier and Tournament of Hearts are hosted – curling
Curling may not have worldwide appeal, but that doesn’t mean Canadians are any less enamoured by it. Canada is regularly ranked as the best curling nation on the planet and The Tim Hortons Brier, the Canadian annual men’s curling championship, and the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, the women’s championships, are two of the most hallowed events on the curling calendar. The sound of cowbells, or even moose calls from fans of Northern Ontario teams, fill the host arenas, which change every year. Multiple sheets of ice mean there’s often lots of different games to follow. Curling’s fairly simple rules undermine how truly difficult it is to pull off some of the incredible trick shots you’ll see every tournament.
Grand Prix of Cyclists, Quebec City and Montreal, Quebec – cycling
Two intense single-day races in September in two of Canada’s most beautiful cities is something of a cycling fan’s dream. Some of the world’s best cyclists descend on Quebec City and Montreal for these lapped races, which combined steep terrain and sprints to the finish line through the charming, old world city centres. Fans can get an up close and personal look at these racers as they grind through some of the country’s most historic parks, including Quebec City’s Plains of Abraham.
Roulston Lake, Plaster Rock, New Brunswick – ice hockey
There are few things that Canadians will gladly brave the outdoors for in deep-winter cold, but playing hockey on frozen outdoor ice is one of them. With 20 outdoor rinks on Roulston Lake, up to 40 of the more than 100 teams at the World Pond Hockey Championships can compete simultaneously. Teams represented included those from 12 of Canada’s provinces and territories, and 15 countries internationally. Clad in toques and scarves, this is no relaxed game of afternoon beer league hockey, however. With much smaller nets, teams must execute the finer details of the game with precision, including stick-handling and short, crisp passes. But take a step back and admire this tournament for what it is: a gathering of people sharing their love for the game in its most primal and most awe-inspiring form.
The Whistler Sliding Centre, Whistler, British Columbia – bobsleigh and luge
Built for the 2010 Winter Olympics, the Whistler Sliding Centre hosted the bobsleigh, luge and skeleton competitions. It was also the venue for the world cups of all three sports in 2016-17 and visitors can even take in trips down the track at speeds of 55mph throughout the entire year. It’s an experience unlike any other in the country.
Woodbine Racetrack, Toronto, Ontario – horse racing
Home to the first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, the Queen’s Plate, Woodbine is the place to go to initiate yourself with horse racing. Three different racecourses mean there’s no shortage of entertainment. Even the Queen herself visited Woodbine in 2010. With excellent dining options overlooking the races, this is where locals spend enjoyable summer afternoons.
Jurassic Park/Maple Leaf Square outside the Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario – basketball and ice hockey
You didn’t think we’d leave the downtown arena in Canada’s largest city off this list, did you? Home to the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs and the NBA’s Toronto Raptors the Air Canada Centre hosts multiple events a week through the autumn, winter and spring. Raptors games are notably more boisterous than Leafs games, as evidenced by the thousands of fans that gather outside the stadium to watch games in Jurassic Park. The relentless party, with fans glued to a giant outdoor screen, often provides more energy than you’ll find inside the stadium itself.
For more information and inspiration, see explore-canada.co.uk
