Tag canadian press

TORONTO — The mystery, anticipation and then celebration never get old for Mike (Pinball) Clemons.

The Toronto Argonauts received their 2022 Grey Cup rings Thursday night during a private dinner. For Clemons, the club’s affable GM, it’s the seventh championship ring he’s earned as a player, head coach and executive with the storied franchise since coming aboard in 1990.

“I’d suggest winning the Grey Cup is one of the most refreshing experiences that I’ve had in life,” Clemons said. “It’s a very nice way to put a bow on 2022 and maybe the pandemic itself and the challenges it presented.”

The CFL didn’t stage a season in 2020 due to the global pandemic. It resumed play in 2021 with a reduced 14-game campaign before staging a full 18-game schedule last year without protocols.

Clemons was involved in the ring design but didn’t see the finished product until Thursday. He said it was definitely worth the wait.

“I did get a chance to see the process,” he said. “But the end result was, ‘Wow.'”

The ring features 308 diamonds in 10 carat white gold with a custom blue sapphire top stone in Toronto’s boat logo.

Baron Championship Rings, of Tecumseh, Ont., was the manufacturer. The company specializes in championship rings, having created them for the CFL’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers, NBA’s Toronto Raptors and Cleveland Cavaliers, Toronto FC of MLS, the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks and Hockey Canada, to name but a few.

“We’re pretty excited about it and really happy with the outcome,” said Baron CEO Peter Kanis. “Everyone put their heads into this, which I think is going to

Countless tributes poured in for adored Canadian actor Gordon Pinsent on Sunday, with friends and fans recalling his playful humour and creative spirit. 

The Newfoundland native and award-winning star of the film “Away From Her” died Saturday at age 92. 

Admirers from actors and directors to politicians and everyday Canadians mourned and honoured Pinsent in the wake of his passing, calling him a national treasure, a charming storyteller and an icon of the arts. 

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called him “one of the country’s most prolific and beloved actors,” noting his more than six-decade-long career saw him amass credits on the likes of “The Forest Rangers,” “The Red Green Show,” “Street Legal” and “the Republic of Doyle.”

“He won every major acting prize in the country, including two ACTRA awards, three Genie awards, five Gemini awards, and a Dora Mavor Moore award,” Trudeau said.

“Mr. Pinsent loved his province and his country deeply,” he said. “He entertained millions around the world and inspired us to say ‘yes’ to doing the things we love and to pursuing our dreams. On behalf of all Canadians, I extend my deepest condolences to his family, his friends, and his many fans.”

Pinsent’s family issued a statement thanking everyone for their support in a difficult time. 

“A memorial is planned for spring when the lilacs are in bloom,” the statement said. “In lieu of flowers, in Gordon’s name, please donate to the charity of your choice.”

Canadian filmmaker Sarah Polley, who directed the 2006 drama “Away From Her” in which Pinsent turned in his best-known and most highly acclaimed performance, said he had “an enormous capacity for joy in absolutely everything he