The 2019 Grey Cup champion Winnipeg Blue Bombers have been invested into the Order of the Buffalo Hunt. Steinbach MLA and Manitoba Premier Kelvin Goertzen had the honour of making that announcement Tuesday afternoon.

Manitoba's Order of the Buffalo Hunt was established in 1957. The honour is bestowed by the province on individuals and groups who demonstrate outstanding skills in the areas of leadership, service and community commitment.

"It is my great pleasure to pay tribute to Manitoba's hometown team, which serves as a strong reminder of the value of sport as a vehicle to bring us together and enrich our communities," says Goertzen. "The Winnipeg Blue Bombers players and staff represented their club, the city and the province with pride."

On November 24, 2019, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers won the Canadian Football League's 107th Grey Cup in Calgary, by a score of 33 to 12 against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. This was the club's first Grey Cup victory since 1990. The 2019 team was led by head coach Mike O'Shea, general manager Kyle Walters, and president and CEO Wade Miller, with Dayna Spiring serving as board chair.

"The 2019 Grey Cup champion Winnipeg Blue Bombers will be the stuff of history and legend in Manitoba for many years," Goertzen says. "Part of that is because the team itself was very, very special with the season that was unpredictable and part of it is because it brought to this city a joy and a championship that it hadn't experienced for far too long."

The Premier says the championship will forever be one of his family's favourite memories after they watched in person, as well as many other Manitobans watching at home or from afar.

"While nobody knew it at the time, the memories of the 107th Grey Cup would have to take us through an unprecedented year of challenge and difficulty," he adds.

Goertzen says the game brought "a little light" into the dark days for many people over the past year.

"It offered hope and joyful memories in a time some lacked both," he notes. "It was a long journey from that Grey Cup in Calgary to where we are today."

After signing the order, CEO Wade Miller addressed attendees, thanking the province for their support.

"This is an honour that we wanted to do a year ago but I am glad we are doing it today," Miller says.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers were awarded the Order of the Buffalo Hunt in 1957, 1984 and 1988 for Grey Cup (or Western Interprovincial Football Union) victories. Most recently, the province invested the Canadian Olympic women's curling team (Team Jennifer Jones) in 2014 and Team Manitoba medal winners from the 2017 Canada Summer Games.

This summer, Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba's Chief Provincial Public Health Officer on behalf of Manitoba's public health team, and Linette Siragusa, Manitoba's Chief Nursing Officer on behalf of front-line health-care providers, were bestowed with the award in recognition of their efforts to save lives and protect Manitobans during the COVID-19 pandemic. As well, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum and the citizens of North Dakota were recognized for their goodwill, ingenuity and support to vaccinate Manitoba essential workers - the first such program between a Canadian and American jurisdiction.