Toronto Argonauts honour late owner, legendary comedic actor with John Candy Celebration Game in Week 15

Photo courtesy: Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts will honour a Canadian legend with close ties to their organization in Week 15.

On Wednesday, the team announced that their September 13 matchup with the Edmonton Elks at BMO Field will be dubbed the John Candy Celebration Game. While details surrounding exactly how Candy will be honoured remain scarce, the first 5,000 fans in attendance will receive a special tribute t-shirt for the late actor.

A native of Newmarket, Ont., Candy famously purchased the Argonauts in 1991 alongside sports executive Bruce McNall and NHL legend Wayne Gretzky. The famed comedian became the public face of that ownership group, using his public persona to market the team and attract talent, including projected first-overall NFL Draft pick Raghib ‘Rocket’ Ismail. That contributed to a Grey Cup victory in their first season, entrenching that era of Toronto football in CFL lore.

Candy died suddenly in March 1994 at the age of 43. McNall, who owned the majority stake in the team, eventually sold the Argos in May 1994 ahead of his conviction on five counts of conspiracy and fraud.

Away from the field, Candy was a beloved Hollywood star who rose to fame after his involvement in the Canadian sketch comedy show SCTV. He is best remembered for his iconic film roles, including Stripes, Spaceballs, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, and Cool Runnings.

A new documentary on the comedian’s life, entitled John Candy: I Like Me and produced by fellow CFL fan Ryan Reynolds, is set to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 4 as the opening film.

The Toronto Argonauts (4-8) are on a bye this week. They currently sit third in the East Division standings following back-to-back wins over the B.C. Lions and Hamilton Tiger-Cats.