Parades, football, and unpredictable weather: all sure signs that spring has sprung in Canada. Victoria Day brought all three to Langford, where the B.C. Lions opened the 2025 CFL pre-season for a sold-out crowd at Starlight Stadium.
A full house of 6,000-plus packed into Starlight for the Lions’ showdown with the Calgary Stampeders, marking the team’s second visit to Vancouver Island in less than a year.
The result didn’t go B.C.’s way. Calgary held off a late Lions push and walked away with a 26-16 win. But the loss didn’t take away from the atmosphere, which was electric from kickoff to the final whistle.
“I couldn't imagine a cooler place to come for my first game as commissioner,” CFL commissioner Stewart Johnson said, who took over the league’s top job in April, and was on hand for his first game-day visit. “The atmosphere here is incredible. The vibe is outstanding. The tickets sold out in minutes. It speaks volumes to the support.”
The game carried echoes of last summer’s CFL appearance in Victoria, when the Lions thumped Ottawa 38-12 at Royal Athletic Park in front of more than 14,000 fans.
Monday’s contest was a smaller, tighter version – but still loud, lively, and long overdue for many long-time Lions fans on the Island.
Bob Lightle was among them. The Campbell River resident sat front row with his wife Colleen and son David and got emotional before kickoff. After more than six decades cheering for the team, it was the first time he’d ever seen the Lions play on the Island.
Others made the trek from further out. Kyle Dunn came from Surrey to support his team in a new setting.
“I enjoy supporting the team outside their original [turf],” said the self-proclaimed super fan. “It's really nice to experience a different venue, different place, different atmosphere. It makes it fun, especially for a preseason game.”
Matt Rider brought his sons Oliver and Everett after the three attended last year’s game in Victoria. This time, they didn’t want to miss the chance to see CFL action in their own backyard again.
“It's great to have something of this quality come close to us,” said the father. “Otherwise I'm not going to be able to take my kids over to Vancouver to see games. It's great!”
On the field, it was a slow burn to start. Calgary edged ahead 10-6 at halftime after B.C. struck first.
Jeremiah Masoli, the veteran quarterback who signed with the Lions in the offseason, wasted little time making his first mark in orange and black. The former Hamilton and Ottawa QB connected with David Durden on a 19-yard touchdown pass for B.C.’s lone score of the opening half.
Calgary answered with a one-yard run from Quincy Vaughn and four points from Rene Paredes, sending the visitors to the locker room up by four.
Paredes hit again early in the third from 34 yards out to give Calgary its largest lead of the game, but the Lions weren’t going away.
Chase Brice, one of three QBs to take snaps for BC, led a steady drive midway through the third quarter that ended with a five-yard touchdown toss to Jermaine Jackson. The 24-year-old receiver, who joined the Lions last month after a stint with the NFL’s New Orleans Saints, got into the endzone for the first time in the CFL and pulled B.C. level at 13.
It didn’t last. Calgary came right back as Ludovick Choquette broke free for a 30-yard touchdown run, dodging defenders en route to the corner of the endzone to restore the Stamps’ seven-point cushion.
B.C.’s best chance to tie came late in the fourth, when Brice drove the Lions into the red zone but was sacked for a nine-yard loss. They settled for a 32-yard field goal from Mark McNamee to make it 20-16.
That was as close as they got. Tiyon Evans broke through the BC defence for a late touchdown that sealed the win and pushed the final to 26-16.
Brice finished the game 14-for-20 for 135 yards and a touchdown. Phillip Walker Jr. went 8-for-16 for 77 yards, leading the way for Calgary.
Nathan Rourke, the Victoria-born quarterback, took a single snap in front of his hometown crowd, completing a seven-yard pass.
Johnson, the new CFL commissioner, called the Langford game a signal of things to come, not just for the Lions but for the league’s approach to growing the game outside its nine core markets.
"Look, there's nothing I'd like more than a 10th, 11th, and 12th team in this league, but I can only do what I can control,” he said. “We have to continue to grow with our current nine markets, and if we do that, expansion will come easier.”
And if that growth means games in places like Vancouver Island, Johnson said he’s all for it.
"We have such great fans that aren't just based in the communities in which they traditionally play,” he said. “I would love to expose our game as far and wide as possible in this country. Take a look at it – what's not to like?”
The Lions now turn their attention to Edmonton, where they’ll close out their pre-season schedule against the Elks on May 30.
Then comes the big one. B.C. opens its regular season June 7 at BC Place, where a familiar opponent, Edmonton, will await, and Snoop Dogg will be in the building.
With files from Olivier Laurin.
