Prime Minister Greeted with Mixed Reception at National Championship
Prime Minister Mark Carney encountered a chorus of boos from sections of the crowd while performing the ceremonial coin toss at the 112th Grey Cup in Winnipeg on Sunday, November 16, 2025. The event, held at Princess Auto Stadium, featured the East Division champion Montreal Alouettes facing off against the West Division champion Saskatchewan Roughriders.
The Coin Toss Incident
The negative reaction began as Carney, alongside Lucas Matheson, the CEO of Coinbase Canada, was introduced on the field. The booing was audible as the announcer presented the prime minister of Canada to the crowd. The noise subsided somewhat as team captains shook hands with the officials, but it notably intensified at the precise moment Carney tossed the unique Coinbase cryptocurrency coin into the air.
The referee had earlier explained that the special coin, provided by the CFL's official crypto partner, would use the Coinbase logo for heads and a maple leaf for tails. The Saskatchewan captain called tails, and the toss landed in their favour.
Carney's Response and Social Media Post
When questioned about the incident the following morning upon arriving for the budget vote in Ottawa, a reporter asked Carney what the booing revealed about Western disaffection.
"We represent the entire country. We were cheered as well," Carney responded, adding that he and provincial premiers were "working together for the country, whoever people voted for."
Later, the Prime Minister took to the social media platform X to post his own video of the Grey Cup event. In the clip, he thanked Winnipeg for the invitation and congratulated the Saskatchewan Roughriders on their 25-17 victory. Notably, the original audio of the crowd was replaced with the song "Can't Hold Us" by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders ultimately won the game, securing the championship title in front of a national audience.
