REGINA, Sask. — Ahead of the Labour Day Classic, fans and businesses alike are pumped for the annual matchup between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
From the Riders Store at Mosaic Stadium, director of retail operations for the Saskatchewan Roughriders Mark Habicht says, "People are excited, so it's time to get your green on and show that pride."
Habicht says business is doing well, and a lot of that comes from the Riders' Grey Cup win last season. However, from a sales perspective, Labour Day weekend is a critical time of year at the Riders Store.
"I was just looking at some numbers from last year, and this is a big important weekend. Rider Nation shows up in the stands, they come to the store, buy a lot of stuff, and everyone wants to wear their green with pride this weekend," says Habicht.
Besides merchandise sales, bars in Regina typically see a boost in revenue during Labour Day weekend as well. Co-founder of Rebellion Brewing Mark Heise looks forward to the surge of business that comes along with the Labour Day Classic.
"Despite the fact that we have a whole bunch of people from Winnipeg show up—it turns out they have really good taste in beer and places to go and hang out. We get a ton of Bombers fans. They have a really good time, and they're really respectful, and it's just a joy to have them in our town," says Heise.
Rebellion Brewing is also hosting an outdoor event — "Hip to be Skuare" — at its brand-new location, The Skuare, in downtown Regina.
While businesses in Regina see an economic boom surrounding the Labour Day Classic, there is also a general positivity in the air that comes with the CFL tradition.
"There is lots for residents to do as well and we encourage everyone to explore Regina and enjoy the excitement surrounding the game,” said Jennifer Johnson, deputy city manager, in a city news release.
Jared, a Regina fan, says he looks forward to what he calls the "annual Bomber beatdown" and hopes "the Riders can pull it off."
