Philippe Gagnon will soon enjoy the distinction of having played in both Mosaic Stadiums.
The veteran offensive lineman — who signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders as a free agent on Feb. 11 — was a CFL rookie with the Montreal Alouettes when he first played in Regina, on Oct. 22, 2016.
It was the Roughriders’ penultimate game at the facility once known as Taylor Field. The surroundings weren’t even remotely comparable to those at new Mosaic Stadium, which opened in 2017. Both teams had been eliminated from playoff contention, so it wasn’t the most intriguing matchup.
“It was a meaningless game and garbage weather,” Gagnon says from his home in Quebec City. “Still, there were a bunch of people at the stadium and the atmosphere was crazy.
“All the way back then, I was thinking, ‘I wonder what it’s like when you play for them on a good day.’ That was something that, early on in my career, I thought I would like to experience.”
It almost came to be in February of 2020, when the Alouettes and Roughriders were the finalists for Gagnon’s service after the free-agent market opened.
“With COVID and everything that was going on, it was easier to stay in the east and back home,” he says. “But now I’m glad that I get a chance at a do-over, if you will, and I get to be part of this team, this stadium and this whole experience as a member of the home team and not as a visitor anymore.”
Gagnon’s curiosity was piqued as early as 2016, when he attended the CFL Combine and emerged with positive thoughts about his interview with the Roughriders’ brass.
“Obviously, it was a different regime back then, with Chris Jones and his staff, but I remember thinking, ‘This could be nice. I’ll be down to be drafted by Sask,’ ” says Gagnon, who ended up being chosen second overall by Montreal.
“Obviously, it went a different way, but it has been a long time coming and I’m happy that it’s finally happening now.”
Gagnon arrives in Riderville as someone who also celebrated on a momentous weekend in franchise history.
On Nov. 23, 2013, he helped the Universite Laval Rouge et Or win its second consecutive Vanier Cup. The next day, the Roughriders — quarterbacked by Darian Durant — posted a 45-23 Grey Cup victory over the visiting Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
“That was a good one,” Gagnon says of that weekend. “It would be great if we could do that again.”
While in Montreal, Gagnon was a teammate of three quarterbacks who have earned divisional or league All-CFL honours as a Roughrider — Durant (2017), Trevor Harris (2021 and 2022) and Cody Fajardo (2023 and 2024).
“He is a strong, physical, mauling type of guard,” Harris, who is entering his third season with the Roughriders, says of Gagnon. “Something that stuck out to me about him (in Montreal) was how smart and unflappable he was.
“He is a great dude and I enjoyed being his teammate in Montreal. The fact that we got him in green and white will help us a lot.”
Asked about his connections to three Roughriders signal-callers of note, the 32-year-old Gagnon chuckles.
“That means I’m getting old, I guess, but that’s part of life,” he replies. “To have a chance to still be here in this league, all those years later, that’s something I’m thankful for every day.
“I still get to play a kids’ game and earn a living. I don’t want to say it’s bittersweet, because it’s mostly sweet, but there’s part of me that’s saying, ‘I’m one of the old ones now.’ ”
He brings an old-school mentality to the Corey Mace-coached Roughriders.
“I pride myself in the way I prepare myself for a game,” Gagnon says. “I make sure I do everything that I can so my body can still survive the gruelling season.
“On top of that, there’s the work ethic. I’m a guy who likes to work hard. I’m a blue-collar kind of guy who’s going to show up and do whatever I can to get the work done. If I can’t get it done, then I’m going to figure out a way to get it done.
“What I’m bringing is whatever I can to help our team achieve our goal.”
That being a Grey Cup championship. Gagnon covets a second championship, having been the Alouettes’ starting left guard when they captured a title in 2023.
“I’m just looking forward to doing my part,” he says. “There’s obviously a great culture here in the locker room, with the vets and with Coach Mace.
“I hope to be able to bring my experience in there and do whatever I can to help this team win and keep that tradition alive. That’s something I’m really looking forward to.”
He also welcomes the opportunity to reside in Western Canada for the first time.
“We’re still working on it, but there’s a fairly good chance that my wife (Claudia) is going to be able to come with me for at least a few months of the season,” says Gagnon, who has spent seven seasons with the Alouettes and one with the Ottawa REDBLACKS.
“This is something we’ve always said we wanted to do — visit the whole country … and not just go to Banff on a ski trip for one weekend. We want to actually visit the country and live out there for a couple of months and see what life is like out there.
“That’s something we’re finally going to be able to check off our bucket list, if you will. I’m looking forward to it.”
