EDMONTON – The Labour Day Classic is finally upon us.
It’s arguably the most exciting time of the CFL schedule, with the biggest stakes and the biggest crowds. When the roar of the jets flying over the stadium matches the roar of the crowd, its easy to feel the scope of the stakes.
“Absolutely. It’s Labour Day,” Nyles Morgan said about the atmosphere. “It’s about beating our rivals from down south and making a big statement in the West.”
“What pops up most is just the atmosphere. Like, I love the fans on Labour Day,” Morgan added. “They bring the energy to the games, and we perform better. We had three big games last year against (Calgary), so we plan on doing the same thing again this year.”
As the Elks linebacker alluded to, the Double E enter Monday’s contest with plenty of confidence. The Green and Gold are riding high on a three-game win streak and a four-game heater against the rival Calgary Stampeders. However, this Calgary squad is far from the same team that Edmonton swept in 2024.
The Stamps have been revitalized with the addition of the stellar Vernon Adams at quarterback and physical addition to the defensive line in Folarin Orimolade and Jaylon Hutchings. Calgary is currently humming with a 7-3 record and are fresh off sweeping the CFL leading Saskatchewan Roughriders.
“They’re a different team. I mean, to me, they’re kind of the story of the league this year,” Morgan said. “They’ve come from nowhere and they’re maybe the best team in the league right now. It’s kind of remarkable the turnaround they’ve had.”
“Yeah, they’re a good football team,” Elks head coach Mark Kilam agreed. “Everybody has struggled on offense against them. They’re allowing under 20 points per game. They’re big up front and they’re playing fast. We’re going to have our hands full.”
Edmonton is a different team as well, and at the forefront is Kilam who is making a return to the city he developed as a coach for two decades. The Elks leader has made it clear this week that the game is bigger than any storylines revolving around himself, and that he and his coaching staff have a responsibility to make sure the focus is on winning a vital game against a West Division rival.
Despite the hostile territory, the Elks are going to have their fair share of support. The team is sending multiple fan busses down the QE II to support the team, but there is an expectation of even more rowdy Green and Gold supporters to be littered around the McMahon Stadium stands.
“I love (the support). I’m going to look up in the stands and see if I can see them,” Kilam said. “I think it’s awesome. I heard there was a couple buses coming from here. I grew up in Lethbridge. My buddy’s got a bus of 41 people wearing Green and Gold coming up from Lethbridge, so it’s going to be awesome.”
“That’s the part about Labour Day that I think brings a little bit extra is that it’s a marquee game for the fans. I remember last year on the other side, the crowd here on the rematch was the biggest of the year as well, so I’m definitely looking forward to that.”
For Elks quarterback Cody Fajardo — who is making his first appearance in the Battle of Alberta — Monday is a chance to build on the success the team has been having under his leadership. The pivot is used to playing in big time rivalry games, having played in multiple Banjo Bowls in Saskatchewan
Fajardo is not only ready for the hostile crowd he and his offence are about to go up against, he is relishing the idea of it.
“I think the underdog in me and the competitor in me, I feel like it’s a lot better to score a touchdown and quiet thousands of fans than score a touchdown and bring a thousand fans to their feet,” Fajardo said. “It always feels good to go into somebody’s place and try and take their crowd out of it early. They’re going to be hostile, it’s going to be tough, but we should have a good amount of our fans wearing some green in that stadium as well.”