Canadian Tour Celebrating the 100th Grey Cup - VIA Rail Canada welcomes the Grey Cup on board its train from Vancouver to Halifax

VANCOUVER, Sept. 10, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - VIA Rail Canada is pleased to welcome the Grey Cup on board its train as part of its cross-Canada tour. Celebrating its 100^th edition in 2012, yesterday, the Cup began a coast to coast journey to visit one hundred Canadian communities. VIA Rail's Chairman of the Board of Directors, Mr. Paul G. Smith, joined Mr. Mark Cohon, Commissioner of the Canadian Football League (CFL), Ms. Wai Young, Member of Parliament for Vancouver South, Ms. Adriane Carr, Deputy Mayor for the City of Vancouver, Mr. Karim Salabi, Executive Vice-President, Marketing at RONA, and Mr. Dennis Skulsky, President and CEO of the British Columbia Lions, to highlight the official opening of the VIA Rail train carrying the Grey Cup as it passed through Pacific Central Station in Vancouver on its way to Halifax. The train will end its great journey in Toronto on November 17^th 2012, while the 100^th Grey Cup Festival is taking place.

"Just like the railway, football is a sport that unites Canadians and defines their identity", said Paul G. Smith, Chairman of the Board of Directors of VIA Rail. "Passed through the hands of teams in several Canadian provinces, whether in British Columbia, the Prairies, Ontario or Québec, the Grey Cup, during its 100 years of existence, has travelled the country from coast to coast, as do VIA Rail's trains. In their own way, these two Canadian icons generate thousands of memories and impact the daily lives of millions of Canadians. We are proud to allow fans from across the country to meet their idols and participate in the celebrations organized in conjunction with this historic anniversary."

About the Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League is our League. The Grey Cup is our national championship and Canada's largest annual single sporting event. We are proudly preparing for the 100^th Grey Cup in 2012. The celebration will span the country and culminate in a tremendous festival and game in Toronto this November. We invite all Canadians to be a part of it. For more information, visit www.CFL.ca.

About VIA Rail Canada
As Canada's national passenger rail service, VIA Rail Canada (www.viarail.ca) has a mandate to provide Canadian travellers with safe, efficient, and cost-effective passenger transportation services in the country's two official languages. VIA operates intercity, regional and transcontinental train services linking 450 communities through its 12,500-kilometre network. Winner of the 2011 RAC Safety Award, VIA Rail safely transports more than four million passengers annually. In 2007, the Government of Canada invested almost a billion dollars in VIA Rail. Follow our transformation on viarail.ca/transformingVIA.

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SOURCE: VIA RAIL CANADA INC.

For further information:

Mylène Bélanger
Senior Advisor, Media Relations
VIA Rail Canada
514 871-6137 | 1 877 393-8787
[e-mail]

Carley Smith
Communications Officer
Canadian Football League
416 322-9650 ext. 272
[e-mail]