Joy in Montreal as Alouettes celebrate Grey Cup victory with parade, party downtown

The Montreal Alouettes celebrated their Grey Cup win with a parade that drew a crowd of joyous Montrealers on Wednesday.

Despite spitting rain and fog, Montrealers lined the parade route, cheered and sang as the team hoisted the trophy in a show of raucous triumph.

The Canadian Football League team won the 110th Grey Cup on Sunday, beating the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in Hamilton — clinching victory in the last few seconds with a 28-24 final score.

Before the parade arrived, Carl Dupras stood behind a metal barrier with his family near the square where the procession was going to finish.

He, his partner and his daughter — all sporting Alouettes jerseys — said they were proud, happy, but not shocked.

The Alouettes began their magical run almost exactly two months ago, when it began an amazing eight-game winning streak that culminated in Sunday's Grey Cup win.

"We knew the path was long and there were some good teams," said Dupras, who is a season ticket holder. "But we weren't surprised."

Dupras's daughter was out of school on Wednesday because of ongoing strikes in Quebec's public sector, but he said he would have brought her even if there was school.

"I'm supposed to be working right now," he said with a laugh.

Dave Baker, who is also a season ticket holder, was in Hamilton for the championship game.

The victory — and the parade — had an extra dose of sweetness to it, he said, because the Als were underdogs.

"Everybody saw us as last," he said. "It's just the best."

The Alouettes' victory parade made its way to the Quartier des spectacles in downtown Montreal. The parade ran along de Maisonneuve Boulevard from Crescent Street to St-Laurent Boulevard.

As the three open-topped buses carrying the players passed, with some players drinking beer to loud applause, fans gathered in behind them chanting "Olé Olé Olé!" The crowd grew as the procession approached its destination.

Once the team arrived at the Parterre du Place des festivals, a downtown square, the crowd overflowed onto side streets.

The players saluted the crowd as they were announced and fans, many of them waving the Quebec flag, cheered as Cody Fajardo — the team's quarterback who threw the championship-clinching touchdown pass — lifted the Grey Cup.

Strong Quebec presence on team

During the parade, fans Sylvain Rivest and his son Matthias wore a local baseball team jersey and a Montreal Canadiens sweater, respectively.

They didn't own Alouettes jerseys, but that may soon change.

"We hadn't been following them until the last two games," Rivest said with a smile.

PHOTO GALLERY | The Alouettes had have many victory parades in the past:

Those two games, however — a win against the Toronto Argonauts and the Grey Cup clinching victory — renewed his passion for the team.

"We'll have to get jerseys for next year."

The win also came with a dose of Quebec pride, thanks in part to a rousing post-game interview from Alouettes defensive back Marc-Antoine Dequoy, who said "keep your English!" decrying the absence of French language during Grey Cup.

The heat-of-the-moment statement resonated with Rivest and his son, who held a Quebec flag aloft as the team passed carrying the trophy.

"We have nothing against anglophones. We co-exist together," the father said. "But when I heard that I loved it."

Dequoy received one of the loudest ovations from fans on Wednesday.

Last Sunday, Alouettes general manager Danny Maciocia boasted about bringing the cup back to Montreal for the first time in 13 years.

He said the team had 45 players in uniform, including 21 Canadians and 10 of those from Quebec.

"That's probably the thing I'm most proud of," said Maciocia.

"We have some Quebecers as coaches and several in management. It shows that football is thriving here but also that we have people capable of managing an organization in football operations."

WATCH | The Alouettes say they always believed they could win the cup:

Eruption of emotions as Montreal Alouettes 'prove the doubters wrong' by lifting Grey Cup

22 hours ago

Duration 1:56

Featured VideoThe CFL's 2023 champions didn't hold back after their unlikely title, following a season in which the players say they felt counted out from Day 1.