Grey Cup tickets sold out

Tickets for Sunday's 94th annual Grey Cup in Winnipeg have sold out, event organizers announced Friday afternoon.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers president Lyle Bauer said in a release the combination of a sold-out game and pre-game festival events around Winnipeg this week will make the 2006 Grey Cup "a celebration of Canadiana which will be remembered for years."

The news Friday contrasted with attendanceat the last Grey Cup final Winnipeg hosted in 1998. Ticket prices then were slashed at the last minute to fill the stadium, and the game was considered a failure for organizers the attendance of 34,000 was the lowest in 23 years. The city also hosted the game in 1991.

Organizers were initially worried they might not meet their target attendance after the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Saskatchewan Roughriders were eliminated from Grey Cup contention. About 800 tickets were still available as of Thursday.

Around 45,000 football fans will pack Canad Inns Stadium Sundaywhen the Montreal Alouettes square off against the B.C. Lions.

Streets to close Saturday for parade

The pre-game festivities will include the Manitoba Hydro Grey Cup parade through downtown Winnipeg Saturday afternoon. CBC Television will broadcast the parade starting at4 p.m. CT.

As a result, Sherbrook Street from the north side of Broadway to the south side of Ellice Avenue will be closed to traffic at 9 a.m. Saturday.

A number of other streets will close starting at 2 p.m.

• Portage Avenue from the east side of Maryland Street to the west side of Main Street, as well as streets crossing the closed sections on Portage.
• Main Street from St. Mary Avenue to McDermot Avenue, except for the northbound lanes north of Portage Avenue and the southbound lanes south of Graham Avenue.
• Pioneer Avenue from Westbrook Street to Main Street.
• Water Avenue from Main Street to Waterfront Drive.
• Westbrook Street from Portage Avenue East to Water Avenue, except for the northbound lanes between Pioneer Avenue and Portage Avenue East.

All affected streets will reopen by 8 p.m. Saturday.