An empty seat was filled with memories on Thursday.
One spot at Ottawa’s TD place was occupied by a photo of the late Norman McCallum, along with his Saskatchewan Roughriders jersey, as a loving tribute to a proud and passionate fan.
McCallum, who was born in Buffalo Narrows, passed away in Kamloops on April 11. He would have been 82 on July 31.
His daughter, Patty, celebrated her birthday a week later. As a present, her husband (Wayne Cunningham) purchased seven seats for last week’s Roughriders game against the host Ottawa REDBLACKS.
The seventh ticket was for Norman.
“It was great that it was a family occasion, because my girls and their partners were there,” Patty said. “And my dad was there, because we had his jersey and we had a picture.”
The photo showed Norman — wearing a Roughriders hat, of course — and a green-clad Patty.
“It was sad and happy at the same time,” Patty said, “because I know he was there.”
“It wrapped up everything we did, going through the last few months,” Wayne added. “It was a bit of closure, I would say.”
Saskatchewan and the Roughriders were always close to Norman’s heart.
“My dad was an Indigenous elder,” Patty said. “He was a Woodland Cree from Buffalo Narrows.
“He would tell me stories about taking the bus from Saskatoon to Regina back in the ’60s to go watch a Roughrider game and how much fun that was.”
Patty grew up in Saskatchewan, living in Saskatoon (her birthplace) and Prince Albert.
After Wayne retired after a 25-year career in the military, he and Patty settled in Ottawa. Not long after that, Patty called her dad.
“I told him, ‘I got tickets to the Roughrider game,’ because they were playing the REDBLACKS,” she recalled. “He said to me, ‘When am I coming?’
“I went online and got another ticket. That’s just the way it was.
“We had a two-week trip planned for this summer. Just me and him were going to go to Mosaic Stadium to see a game. It’s very unfortunate that we couldn’t do that, but he loved the Roughriders.
“He gave me everything from a shower curtain to a jersey to a crib board to All Dressler chips. He gave me everything Roughriders.
“He’d always call me and text me and tell me what the score was in the Roughriders game and how they did. I don’t have that now, but these are wonderful memories.”
Norman was honoured at a game that will long be remembered.
The Roughriders and REDBLACKS played to a 22-22 tie in a rollercoaster of a CFL nailbiter that went into double overtime.
“It was a game that I’d never seen before, because it ended in a tie,” Patty said.
“We thought the REDBLACKS won. We thought the Riders won. We thought the REDBLACKS won. We thought the Riders won. Then it ended in a tie.
“It was just like Dad was there. He loved the REDBLACKS, but he loved the Riders more.”
