Redblacks honour fallen soldiers as security tightened for game

Fans will encounter increased security at three major sports events in Ottawa this weekend after the attacks on Parliament Hill,at the National War Memorial and in Quebec.

This past week, Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent and Cpl. Nathan Cirillo were killed in separate attacks in St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., on Monday and in Ottawa on Wednesday.

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On Friday night, the Ottawa Redblacks host the Montreal Alouettesat 6:30 p.m. ET at TD Place and about 24,000 people are expected to attend the CFL game.

The Redblacks will hold a pre-game ceremony for Vincent and Cirillo, a reservist from Hamilton who served with theArgylland Sutherland Highlanders of Canada regiment.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper is expected to attend the game.

The team will also increase security at Fridays game with more police and security officers at the stadium. Team owners, the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group, will hold a similar ceremony and feature more security at TD Place for Sunday afternoons soccer game between Ottawa Fury FC and Indy Eleven the final game of the Furys season.

Hamilton Tiger Cats send Canadian flag

The CEO of the Tiger Cats, Scott Mitchell, also tweeted that his team has sent its Canadian flag the worlds largest to Ottawa for Fridays pre-game ceremony.

On Saturday night, the Ottawa Senators announced every fan and staff member would be screened with handheld metal detectors and would have their bags searched before entering the Canadian Tire Centre.

The team will also hold a pre-game ceremony to honour the two fallen soldiers, including a moment of silence, and it encourages fans to wear red to show support and solidarity for fallen soldiers.

The additional security measures will now take place at all future events at the west Ottawa arena and fans should try to arrive early to compensate for the extra security measures, according to a team news release.

The team also increased security after the Boston Marathon bombings. During previous Ottawa Senators games, all bags were searched but only select people were scanned with metal detectors once inside the building.

The Senators also announced their game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, which was supposed to take place Wednesday night, has been rescheduled for Sunday, Nov. 9 at 6 p.m. ET. Hockey Fights Cancer night, which was also supposed to happen Wednesday, will now be held on Oct. 30 at the game against the Chicago Blackhawks.