SHELL PLACE OFFICIALLY OPEN

FORT MCMURRAY, AB — It’s been a long time since I’ve been at something as exciting as Friday morning’s grand opening of Shell Place here in Northern Alberta.  The photo above is of the dignataries on hand for the opening of the football and baseball stadiums in Fort Mac.  It was less about the Eskimos and Roughriders, and more about the community and sponsors which made it all possible.

They also attempted to set a world record for the largest gathering for a ribbon cutting ceremony.  Unfortunately they fell about 2,000 short.  An official was on hand from the Guiness Book of World Records and he told me the record set in the Maldive Islands still stands.

The aluminum stands in the background are the BACK of SMS Equipment Field, where the Riders and Eskimos will meet Saturday night in CFL preseason action (8:00 pm, TSN, CKRM Rider Radio Network).

And the stadium is ready for kickoff!  Be sure to tune into the SportsCage live from Boston Pizza Downtown in Fort McMurray this afternoon at 4:00 pm on 620 CKRM.  Carm Carteri and I will host the show and we’ll be joined by the likes of Rider President Craig Reynolds, TSN’s Matt Dunigan and the Eskimos’ Allan Watt.

RP