Get Set For The 2026 CFL Labour Day Classics

By Chris Lawton

It is that time of year once again. Time for CFL fans to get set for the Labour Day Classics. A series of games with a storied set of histories to them. This year will see the Montreal Alouettes host the BC Lions at half past midnight on Sunday (UK time), before 3 games are played on the Monday. That 3-game combo on Labour Day itself are the most storied rivalries of all of the different Labour Day combinations the CFL has seen down the years.

Those three games will see the Saskatchewan Roughriders host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the first of a two-game series paired with the Banjo Bowl. Meanwhile the Hamilton Tiger-Cats will host the Toronto Argonauts in a decider for the Ballard Cup. As a bonus for UK based fans, this one will be played at a very watchable 7:30PM UK time. The weekend will be rounded out by the Calgary Stampeders hosting the Edmonton Elks in ‘The Battle of Alberta’.

There is a running joke amongst CFL fans that the Labour Day Weekend games is when the CFL season really begins. Perhaps not totally true, but a team that can get a run going from here can really make a mark in the playoffs.

The Labour Day Contests

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The very first Labour Day games saw Edmonton host Calgary, Saskatchewan host Winnipeg, and the Ottawa Rough Riders host the Montreal Alouettes. The Toronto Argonauts versus Hamilton Tiger-Cats contests officially started in 1950, but it is slightly more complex than that. Because Hamilton, represented by the pre-merger Wildcats, played Toronto in this fixture in 1948 and 1949.

Because Ottawa had no active team from 1997 to 2001 and 2006 to 2013, the Alouettes usually faced the Lions in this fixture during those seasons, in what was called a ‘Coast to Coast’ rivalry. Prior to that, in the early 1980’s the Montreal Concordes faced the Hamilton Tiger-Cats while the remaining three teams, Toronto, Ottawa and BC, rotated each year. If anyone was to skip the Labour Day games here it was likely to be the BC Lions. But Ottawa and BC did face each other during the 1980s and 1990s while the league had no team in Montreal. That’s enough general background, let’s look at the heritage of the contests being played this year.

BC versus Montreal

BC has faced Montreal in these fixtures fourteen times. They faced the Alouettes in 1980, and during the absences of an Ottawa team played Montreal on a further 12 times between 1997 and 2015. They last faced off in this fixture a couple of year ago in 2023.

BC won the first of these matches 14-6 in 1980, and the latest 34-25 in 2023. This year, once again while the winless REDBLACKS take a much needed bye, this lesser known Labour Day game will add to its short history.  

Saskatchewan versus Winnipeg

This Labour Day matchup has been played since 1949 and Saskatchewan have always been the hosts. This year will mark the 61st time this game has been played. Because this one has been played 60 times between 1949 and 2025. Saskatchewan recorded a 20-0 win in the first of these games in 1949. They have bookended that 60 year span too by taking the spoils last year with a 34-30 win.

This contest was not played between 1955-1960, 1964-1969, 1971, 1973, 1976 and 1981. It had been played continuously since then, with the only gap being during the pandemic cancelled 2020 season. Overall Saskatchewan have quite the lead with a 39-21 edge against the Blue Bombers in this one. Since 2022 the contest has finished 2-2 with only 10 points in total separating the two teams over that period. Neutral fans will be hoping for another close contest.

Hamilton versus Toronto

The 2026 Labour Day Classic at Tim Horton’s Field marks the 55th matchup between the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Toronto Argonauts on Labour Day. That is, since the tabbies were a merged team. You could argue it goes back further with the two games between the Argos and Hamilton Wildcats in 1948 and 1949 before they merged with the Tigers to form the Tiger-Cats.

But, taking things from 1950, with the merged Hamilton team, as the league does, Hamilton won the first game 13-6 in 1950, but the Argos took the most recent game 35-33 in 2025.

The contest was not played in 1962, 1965-1966, 1969-1970, 1972-1974, 1976-1977, 1979, 1981-1986, 1990, 1995, 2011 and 2013 and during the cancelled 2020 season. It has been played without interruption, (the 2020 season cancellation aside), and prior to Toronto winning in 2022 Hamilton were on a seven-game winning streak. Now with the win to their name last year it is the Argos who have had the better of these exchanges for two years in a row.

Overall Hamilton leads this series 37-16-1 against the Argonauts.

Saskatchewan vs Winnipeg

This Labour Day matchup has been played since 1949. Saskatchewan has always been the host for this one. This year will mark the 58th time the game has been played. Because this Labour Day matchup has been played 57 times between 1949 and 2022. Saskatchewan won the first contest 20-9 in 1949. But Winnipeg won the most recent game 20-18 in 2022. The Blue Bombers also won in 2021. Prior to that however the Riders had won three in a row and 14 of the last 16 Labour Day contests between these two.

The contest was not played in 1955–1960, 1964–1969, 1971, 1973, 1976, 1981 and during the cancelled 2020 season. Prior to that it had been played continuously since 1982.

Overall Saskatchewan holds a healthy 37-20 edge in this game over the Blue Bombers.

The Most Played Labour Day Contest – Calgary versus Edmonton

This is the most regularly played matchup of all these traditional rivalry games. This year will mark the 65th time this game has been contested. Because this Labour Day matchup has been played 64 times between these two already between 1949 and 2025. Calgary won the first contest 20-6 in Edmonton in 1949 and bookended that with a 28-7 win last year.

In the early years of this contest, (1949-1953), the game was played three times in Edmonton and twice in Calgary. Since 1959 however this one has always been held in Calgary.

The contest was not played out between 1954-1958, 1964-1968, 1973 and 1981. It had been played continuously since then, with the only gap being during the pandemic cancelled 2020 season.

This has been a back-and-forth affair down the years with each team having periods of dominance. This is reflected in an all-time game record of 32-31-1 in favour of the Stamps.

It will be fun to see the latest chapters of these storied games play out on CFL fields for the upcoming Labour Day Weekend. If you get the chance to watch one of these games, I hope you are able to soak up all the atmosphere their rivalries bring.

CHRIS LAWTON

CFL ANALYST

Chris originally started following the NFL with the ‘first wave’ of fans when it was shown on Channel 4 in the 1980’s. He has been a keen supporter of the Miami Dolphins since 1983. Chris first encountered the CFL in 2016 and instantly fell in love with the Canadian game. He has been writing about the CFL 2017. Chris has a degree in history, postgraduate degree in librarianship and can be found on twitter as @CFLfanUK

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