Menu
August 8, 2018

CFL to honour 12 trailblazers as part of ‘Diversity is Strength’ campaign

Winnipeg Blue Bombers OL Sukh Chungh shows off the CFL's 'Diversity is Strength' shirt prior to CFL action between the Bombers and the Edmonton Eskimos in Winnipeg on Thursday, Aug. 17, 2017. (CFL PHOTO - Jason Halstead)

TORONTO — The Canadian Football League is dedicating upcoming weeks of the CFL season to its Diversity Is Strength theme, with special tributes to the league’s trailblazers and gameday activities hosted by local clubs.

Weeks 10 and 11 – with games from August 17 to August 25 – will highlight the important role diversity and inclusion have played in our league and our country.

“This initiative builds on the strength of the campaign we launched a year ago, when CFL coaches, players and fans rallied around this positive message by donning Diversity Is Strength t-shirts,” said Commissioner Randy Ambrosie.

“Football is the ultimate team game because it welcomes and includes participants from every background as well as of every shape and size. It’s in this spirit that we invite and welcome all Canadians, be they Canadians by birth or Canadians by choice, to join us in our stadiums.”


CFL.ca/DIS features the stories of CFL personalities who broke barriers, changing our league and helping to change society … READ MORE.


CFL teams will incorporate a wide variety of activations and activities into their individual Diversity is Strength gamedays. Some teams will be hosting visitors and fans from remote areas of Canada or facilitating citizenship ceremonies to welcome new Canadians to our country and our game. Fans can experience pregame and halftime cultural showcases as teams celebrate their heritage and community.

This year, participating teams will wear special edition t-shirts (in team colours) on the sidelines and during the pre-game walkthrough that honour trailblazers such as Tiger-Cat Bernie Custis, the first black quarterback in professional football, and Ottawa’s Jo-Anne Polak, the first female general manager in the CFL and in North American professional sport.

A league shirt, which features the CFL’s Diversity is Strength mission statement, will also be for sale on CFLShop.ca. Proceeds from both shirts will go to CFL teams’ charitable activities, which serve diverse communities across the country.