Labour Day Classic

The Labour Day Classic is a particular week of the Canadian Football League schedule that is played over the Labour Day weekend (which includes the first Monday in September.) Labour Day weekend, roughly 10 weeks into the CFL season, is known for its matchups that do not change from year to year, unlike other "rivalry" weeks of the CFL schedule (with the exception of the BC–Montreal game which took place during the absence of Montreal's traditional rival Ottawa; both the Rough Riders and Renegades played in it.) Labour Day weekend is also only one of two weeks (the Thanksgiving Day Classic being the other) in the CFL schedule that the league plays on a Monday. Mark's Work Wearhouse is the presenting sponsor of the event as of 2014.

History

The traditional Labour Day weekend matchups involve the Winnipeg Blue Bombers visiting the Saskatchewan Roughriders on the day before Labour Day, while on Labour Day itself, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats are at home against the Toronto Argonauts while the Edmonton Eskimos visit the Calgary Stampeders. The Montreal Alouettes face the Ottawa Redblacks to round out the weekend. The BC Lions have no Labour Day rivals and have had a bye week on Labour Day in the past. Because Ottawa had no active team from 2006 to 2013, the Alouettes usually played the Lions during those seasons, creating a "coast-to-coast" rivalry; also during these times, the Alouettes received an annual home game in the Thanksgiving Day Classic in most of these years (Montreal still hosts Thanksgiving contests even after Ottawa's re-establishment).

During the early 1980s, the Montreal Concordes instead played the Hamilton Tiger-Cats as their Labour Day rival instead of the Ottawa Rough Riders. Due to scheduling conflicts, the Tiger-Cats temporarily revived its rivalry with the current incarnation of the Alouettes in the Labour Day game for the 2011 season; the change in opponents led Hamilton to dub the game the Labour Day Classique in reference to Montreal's francophone community. While in 2011, this automatically resulted in Toronto and BC facing each other, in the 1980s, the three teams (Toronto, Ottawa and BC) rotated each year. Ottawa and BC faced each other during the late 1980s and the first half of the 1990s (the league had no team in Montreal at the time).

The Tiger-Cats' hosting of the Labour Day Classic was in jeopardy for 2013 due to a schedule conflict at the team's home stadium. Because Ivor Wynne Stadium was demolished to make way for the new Tim Hortons Field, the team played out of Alumni Stadium in Guelph. The University of Guelph Gryphons (along with most Ontario University Athletics teams) were playing that same day, so the Tiger-Cats could not host the game, resulting in the first time they could not host a Labour Day game since 1995. This was only the second time in franchise history that the Tiger-Cats did not host a game on Labour Day (the other being 1995) and the first time that they did not host a game on that weekend. To make up for it, the Toronto at Hamilton matchup was played in the Thanksgiving Day Classic.

Some of the teams wear special third jerseys or throwback uniforms if they play at home.

Although not associated with the Labour Day Classic, the week after Labour Day often has a repeat match-up of the Bombers vs Roughriders (see Banjo Bowl), Stampeders vs Eskimos (see Battle of Alberta), and Tiger-Cats vs Argonauts, (a rivalry which began in 1873) with home field advantage now to the team that did not have it during the Labour Day weekend. Since the suspension of the Renegades in 2006, this has occurred every year except 2006, 2008, and 2010.

As the league has been increasing in popularity in recent years, print ads for the Labour Day Classic try to evoke the tradition of watching Canadian football on the last weekend of summer. Slogans include "Long Live the Rivalries" and "Watch the Team You Love Play the Team You Love to Hate".

The rivalries between these pairings are long-standing, based on both the physical proximity of the competing cities and the relatively small number of teams within a league that has existed for so long. Fans of each team regularly claim their matchup to be the Labour Day Classic, as if there were only one game.

Past results (since 1946)

Montreal vs Ottawa

1949: Alouettes 21 – Rough Riders 22
1952: Rough Riders 32 – Alouettes 21
1953: Alouettes 6 – Rough Riders 26
1954: Alouettes 20 – Rough Riders 11
1955: Rough Riders 22 – Alouettes 34
1956: Rough Riders 10 – Alouettes 42
1957: Rough Riders 21 – Alouettes 22
1958: Rough Riders 9 – Alouettes 11
1959: Alouettes 22 – Rough Riders 7
1960: Rough Riders 22 – Alouettes 39
1961: Alouettes 24 – Rough Riders 25
1963: Rough Riders 37 – Alouettes 15
1967: Alouettes 5 – Rough Riders 17
1971: Alouettes 17 – Rough Riders 40
1975: Rough Riders 18 – Alouettes 11
1978: Rough Riders 23 – Alouettes 18
1996: Alouettes 6 – Rough Riders 17

2003: Alouettes 38 – Renegades 43
2004: Alouettes 22 – Renegades 16
2005: Renegades 18 – Alouettes 41

2014: Redblacks 10 – Alouettes 20

Montreal Alouettes 10–11
Ottawa Rough Riders, Renegades, and Redblacks 11–10

Did not play in following years:
1946, 1947, 1948, 1950, 1951, 1962, 1964,
1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1973,
1974, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982,
1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 2002, 2015

No Montreal team from 1987 to 1995
No Ottawa team from 1997 to 2001
No Ottawa team from 2006 to 2013

• Montreal Alouettes were founded in 1946

Montreal vs British Columbia

1980: Lions 14 – Alouettes 6
1997: Lions 15 – Alouettes 26
1998: Alouettes 26 – Lions 15
1999: Alouettes 23 – Lions 44
2000: Alouettes 35 – Lions 25
2001: Lions 19 – Alouettes 23
2006: Lions 48 – Alouettes 13
2007: Alouettes 14 – Lions 46
2008: Lions 25 – Alouettes 30
2009: Alouettes 12 – Lions 19
2010: Lions 38 – Alouettes 17
2012: Lions 25 – Alouettes 30
2015: Lions 25 – Alouettes 16

Montreal Alouettes 6–7
B.C. Lions 7–6

Did not play the following years:
1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1996,
2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2011, 2013, 2014

Winnipeg vs Saskatchewan

1949: Blue Bombers 9 – Roughriders 20
1950: Blue Bombers 2 – Roughriders 17
1951: Blue Bombers 24 – Roughriders 22
1952: Blue Bombers 16 – Roughriders 8
1953: Blue Bombers 19 – Roughriders 23
1954: Blue Bombers 14 – Roughriders 18
1961: Blue Bombers 17 – Roughriders 11
1962: Blue Bombers 30 – Roughriders 7
1963: Blue Bombers 9 – Roughriders 15
1970: Blue Bombers 11 – Roughriders 30
1972: Blue Bombers 21 – Roughriders 32
1974: Blue Bombers 20 – Roughriders 18
1975: Blue Bombers 23 – Roughriders 27
1977: Blue Bombers 18 – Roughriders 26
1978: Blue Bombers 31 – Roughriders 29
1979: Blue Bombers 28 – Roughriders 11
1980: Blue Bombers 32 – Roughriders 29
1982: Blue Bombers 36 – Roughriders 35
1983: Blue Bombers 30 – Roughriders 32
1984: Blue Bombers 25 – Roughriders 30
1985: Blue Bombers 18 – Roughriders 10
1986: Blue Bombers 30 – Roughriders 34
1987: Blue Bombers 29 – Roughriders 25
1988: Blue Bombers 19 – Roughriders 29
1989: Blue Bombers 28 – Roughriders 20
1990: Blue Bombers 11 – Roughriders 55
1991: Blue Bombers 23 – Roughriders 56
1992: Blue Bombers 20 – Roughriders 32
1993: Blue Bombers 25 – Roughriders 24
1994: Blue Bombers 31 – Roughriders 42
1995: Blue Bombers 4 – Roughriders 56
1996: Blue Bombers 23 – Roughriders 41
1997: Blue Bombers 43 – Roughriders 12
1998: Blue Bombers 18 – Roughriders 32
1999: Blue Bombers 17 – Roughriders 42
2000: Blue Bombers 29 – Roughriders 38
2001: Blue Bombers 20 – Roughriders 18
2002: Blue Bombers 19 – Roughriders 33
2003: Blue Bombers 36 – Roughriders 18
2004: Blue Bombers 17 – Roughriders 4
2005: Blue Bombers 26 – Roughriders 45
2006: Blue Bombers 12 – Roughriders 39
2007: Blue Bombers 26 – Roughriders 31
2008: Blue Bombers 6 – Roughriders 19
2009: Blue Bombers 14 – Roughriders 29
2010: Blue Bombers 23 – Roughriders 27
2011: Blue Bombers 7 – Roughriders 27
2012: Blue Bombers 0 – Roughriders 52
2013: Blue Bombers 25 – Roughriders 48
2014: Blue Bombers 30 – Roughriders 35
2015: Blue Bombers 19 – Roughriders 37

Saskatchewan Roughriders 34–17
Winnipeg Blue Bombers 17–34

Longest winning streak, Roughriders 11 (2005–present)
Longest winning streak, Blue Bombers 4 (1978-1982)

Did not play the following years:
1946, 1947, 1948, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958,
1959, 1960, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968,
1969, 1971, 1973, 1976, 1981

Edmonton vs Calgary

1949: Stampeders 20 – Eskimos 6
1950: Eskimos 19 – Stampeders 13
1951: Eskimos 18 – Stampeders 17
1952: Stampeders 10 – Eskimos 17
1953: Stampeders 5 – Eskimos 19
1959: Eskimos 16 – Stampeders 10
1960: Eskimos 27 – Stampeders 28
1961: Eskimos 10 – Stampeders 9
1962: Eskimos 17 – Stampeders 49
1963: Eskimos 14 – Stampeders 16
1968: Eskimos 10 – Stampeders 8
1969: Eskimos 14 – Stampeders 16
1970: Eskimos 13 – Stampeders 28
1971: Eskimos 7 – Stampeders 23
1972: Eskimos 31 – Stampeders 19
1974: Eskimos 20 – Stampeders 16
1975: Eskimos 35 – Stampeders 31
1976: Eskimos 19 – Stampeders 17
1977: Eskimos 22 – Stampeders 8
1978: Eskimos 28 – Stampeders 28
1979: Eskimos 27 – Stampeders 1
1980: Eskimos 38 – Stampeders 23
1982: Eskimos 20 – Stampeders 32
1983: Eskimos 15 – Stampeders 18
1984: Eskimos 30 – Stampeders 28
1985: Eskimos 34 – Stampeders 28
1986: Eskimos 42 – Stampeders 19
1987: Eskimos 20 – Stampeders 29
1988: Eskimos 27 – Stampeders 11
1989: Eskimos 31 – Stampeders 14
1990: Eskimos 38 – Stampeders 4
1991: Eskimos 36 – Stampeders 48
1992: Eskimos 34 – Stampeders 21
1993: Eskimos 13 – Stampeders 33
1994: Eskimos 13 – Stampeders 48
1995: Eskimos 26 – Stampeders 51
1996: Eskimos 13 – Stampeders 31
1997: Eskimos 14 – Stampeders 27
1998: Eskimos 8 – Stampeders 26
1999: Eskimos 33 – Stampeders 30
2000: Eskimos 30 – Stampeders 18
2001: Eskimos 33 – Stampeders 32
2002: Eskimos 28 – Stampeders 20
2003: Eskimos 22 – Stampeders 28
2004: Eskimos 25 – Stampeders 7
2005: Eskimos 25 – Stampeders 23
2006: Eskimos 23 – Stampeders 44
2007: Eskimos 24 – Stampeders 35
2008: Eskimos 37 – Stampeders 16
2009: Eskimos 8 – Stampeders 32
2010: Eskimos 5 – Stampeders 52
2011: Eskimos 35 – Stampeders 7
2012: Eskimos 30 – Stampeders 31
2013: Eskimos 34 – Stampeders 37
2014: Eskimos 13 – Stampeders 28
2015: Eskimos 7 – Stampeders 16

Edmonton Eskimos 30–23–1
Calgary Stampeders 23–30–1

Did not play in following years:
1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1964,
1965, 1966, 1967, 1973, 1981

• 1949, 1952 and 1953 games played in Edmonton
• Edmonton Eskimos were founded in 1949

Toronto vs Hamilton

The Toronto—Hamilton Classic is one of the components of the Harold Ballard Trophy, an award given to the winner of the season series between the Tiger-Cats and Argonauts. The trophy is named after Harold Ballard, who owned the Tiger-Cats for much of the 1980s and owned Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment for most of that time.

1948: Argonauts 14 – Wildcats 7
1949: Argonauts 36 – Wildcats 14
1950: Argonauts 6 – Tiger-Cats 13
1951: Argonauts 6 – Tiger-Cats 27
1952: Argonauts 33 – Tiger-Cats 13
1953: Argonauts 10 – Tiger-Cats 14
1954: Argonauts 21 – Tiger-Cats 7
1955: Argonauts 12 – Tiger-Cats 37
1956: Argonauts 21 – Tiger-Cats 31
1957: Argonauts 8 – Tiger-Cats 35
1958: Argonauts 24 – Tiger-Cats 31
1959: Argonauts 3 – Tiger-Cats 37
1960: Argonauts 32 – Tiger-Cats 21
1961: Argonauts 19 – Tiger-Cats 21
1963: Argonauts 1 – Tiger-Cats 7
1964: Argonauts 8 – Tiger-Cats 24
1967: Argonauts 9 – Tiger-Cats 12
1968: Argonauts 18 – Tiger-Cats 15
1971: Argonauts 17 – Tiger-Cats 30
1975: Argonauts 11 – Tiger-Cats 20
1978: Argonauts 16 – Tiger-Cats 19
1980: Argonauts 2 – Tiger-Cats 23
1987: Argonauts 25 – Tiger-Cats 19
1988: Argonauts 28 – Tiger-Cats 56
1989: Argonauts 18 – Tiger-Cats 23
1991: Argonauts 24 – Tiger-Cats 48
1992: Argonauts 24 – Tiger-Cats 27
1993: Argonauts 21 – Tiger-Cats 23
1994: Argonauts 31 – Tiger-Cats 19
1996: Argonauts 38 – Tiger-Cats 7
1997: Argonauts 46 – Tiger-Cats 3
1998: Argonauts 7 – Tiger-Cats 26
1999: Argonauts 28 – Tiger-Cats 35
2000: Argonauts 12 – Tiger-Cats 42
2001: Argonauts 13 – Tiger-Cats 26
2002: Argonauts 14 – Tiger-Cats 22
2003: Argonauts 19 – Tiger-Cats 11
2004: Argonauts 30 – Tiger-Cats 30
2005: Argonauts 30 – Tiger-Cats 33
2006: Argonauts 40 – Tiger-Cats 6
2007: Argonauts 32 – Tiger-Cats 14
2008: Argonauts 34 – Tiger-Cats 31
2009: Argonauts 15 – Tiger-Cats 34
2010: Argonauts 13 – Tiger-Cats 28
2012: Argonauts 33 – Tiger-Cats 30
2014: Argonauts 12 – Tiger-Cats 13
2015: Argonauts 12 – Tiger-Cats 42

Toronto Argonauts 15–31–1
Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Wildcats 31–15–1

Did not play the following years:
1946, 1947, 1962, 1965, 1966, 1969, 1970,
1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1981,
1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1990, 1995,
2011, 2013

Montreal vs Hamilton

Hamilton has played and hosted the Labour Day Classic against Montreal (aka Labour Day Classique) nine times in CFL history. According to a Hamilton Spectator article, 2011 marked 25 years since Montreal had battled Hamilton in this Classic at home. In previous years, Montreal has played as either the Alouettes or Concordes.

1962: Alouettes 25 – Tiger-Cats 25
1965: Alouettes 2 – Tiger-Cats 17
1970: Alouettes 12 – Tiger-Cats 17
1982: Concordes 9 – Tiger-Cats 28
1983: Concordes 30 – Tiger-Cats 35
1984: Concordes 11 – Tiger-Cats 30
1985: Concordes 16 – Tiger-Cats 19
1986: Alouettes 7 – Tiger-Cats 42
2011: Alouettes 21 – Tiger-Cats 44

Montreal Alouettes and Concordes 0–8–1
Hamilton Tiger-Cats 8–0–1