HMCS Harry DeWolf helps kick off 110th Grey Cup in Hamilton
By Trident Staff
With the 2023 Grey Cup game being a showdown between the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the Montreal Alouettes, Commander Guillaume Côté joked that he was pleased HMCS Harry DeWolf was on hand to add a bit of “naval flavour” to the festivities.
And that it did. The ship sailed into Hamilton on November 13 to deliver the iconic Canadian Football League (CFL) trophy in style, having picked up the cup at CFL headquarters in Toronto. Sailors carried the cup off Harry DeWolf to Pier 8 in Hamilton, where CFL President Randy Ambrosie and city officials were waiting to thank the ship’s company and retake responsibility for the cup.
“The partnership that we have between the Navy, the Canadian Armed Forces, and the CFL is an enduring one, and it’s always an honour to be able to deliver the cup,” said Cdr Côté, Harry DeWolf’s Commanding Officer. The Canadian Armed Forces typically play a role in delivering the Grey Cup to the game’s host city. Last year, the CF Snowbirds delivered the cup to 15 Wing Moose Jaw ahead of the game in Regina, and in 2021, again in Hamilton, the cup was delivered via CH-146 Griffon thanks to 430 Tactical Helicopter Squadron.
With HMCS Harry DeWolf in the region to participate in the Great Lakes Deployment and Great Canadian Marine Career Expo, the timing was right for the Royal Canadian Navy to step up and support this year’s 110th edition of the annual game.
And aside from serving as an official kickoff to Grey Cup week, the ship’s arrival was also significant in that it saw Harry DeWolf come alongside right next to HMCS Haida. The RCN flagship now serves as a floating museum, but was commanded by Harry DeWolf himself in 1943-1944 during the Battle of the Atlantic.
These multiple elements converged into a memorable day for the crew and all involved, Cdr Côté said.
“Today could not have been better. We had the DeWolf family on board, we had the CFL, and we had so much excitement about the cup coming aboard. Seeing the reaction of the sailors to the cup, whether they were football fans or not, was awesome.”
Harry DeWolf personnel also took part in opening ceremonies on the field during the game itself on November 17.
Cdr Côté added that Naval Reservists from HMCS Star provided crucial assistance to Harry DeWolf all week in Hamilton, and he thanked the Naval Reserve Division for the support.
