Coulter Woodmansey made the cross-country drive from Hamilton to Edmonton with David Beard last offseason. Little did he know that one year later, he and his family would make the same move.
“Last year, when we went, I helped David drive across the country. I took his minivan, he took his truck,” Woodmansey said.
Woodmansey and Beard spent two seasons together playing along the offensive line for the Tiger-Cats. The big men became friends, as did each other’s families. After a 30-plus-hour trip, Woodmansey and his family spent a couple days in Edmonton, along with some time at Beard’s wife, Vanessa’s, family farm outside the Alberta capital.
Then it was time for a drive down the Icefields Parkway from Jasper through Lake Louise and Banff. The couple’s first son, Mickey, was along for the ride while Woodmansey’s wife, Shelby, was pregnant with son number two, Blue.
“That was one of the most gorgeous drives we’ve ever done,” Woodmansey said.
“Actually getting to experience it — this had nothing to do with free agency at the time, it was just helping our friends out and then getting the opportunity to do it. Now, we look back, that was something that helped a lot because we saw where we’re going to live and we saw how gorgeous that province is.”
When Ed Hervey came calling with an offer to make Woodmansey the highest-paid offensive lineman in the three-down league’s salary cap era, Edmonton felt comfortable for his family to call home. The Toronto native spent the first 28 years of his life in Ontario, but the Woodmanseys packed up and moved to Alberta. His wife and sons flew to Edmonton while his brothers, Curtis and Jaden, drove with Coulter to the new family home.
“We’re getting these financial numbers in, this is what Hamilton was offering, Ottawa, Edmonton. What do we actually keep in our pocket? Because these numbers sound great, $300,000 sounds fantastic, but you’ve got to consider what you’re going to pay in your income tax, your sales tax, and everyday purchases,” Woodmansey said.
“We’re thinking about Edmonton, there’s no provincial sales tax, there’s just the federal five percent. Unlike in Ontario, where you pay an eight percent provincial sales tax, you don’t pay that in Alberta; we only pay five percent. Right away, everyday purchases are eight percent cheaper. You have a slightly lower income tax, so saving more money there.”
“The other big one was no land transfer tax. We’re buying a house to be able to set our family up and saving thousands and thousands of dollars on land transfer tax, plus the cost of housing being so much lower. It was something we definitely considered because it makes it hard to say no to that opportunity when you talk about the finances, because Edmonton… you have cheaper housing, cheaper cost of living, saving money on taxes.”
Woodmansey believes the negotiation window setup allowed him to have extra time to make a more informed decision about his future with a new franchise. In 2020, the CFL shifted from the free agent market opening with career-changing decisions made in minutes or hours to a full week where teams can talk to players prior to putting pen to paper. That enabled professional athletes and those around them to go through a fuller process.
“There are no other professions out there where if you’re considering doing a cross-country move, moving across the world, that you don’t actually have time to consider or see the place or do anything. For us, it was about what we’re doing with our family. If we’re given no time, you’re shooting in a barrel,” Woodmansey said.
“Can I at least look into the schools there and make sure that my son has a school close by to an area that we might live? That’s what that week gives me the time to do. It’s not about Ottawa’s offering me this much money, Edmonton’s offering this much money. That does matter, but what matters more is that I know my kid is going to have a safe place to be.”
The University of Guelph graduate, who completed a degree focused on real estate and housing, went about his free agent process in a measured way. Woodmansey stated the Ticats made him “very generous” offers to re-sign in the Hammer. The Redblacks put enticing money on the table, but the Elks won him and his family over for many reasons.
“We had to make a decision based on what we believe would be best for my kids and my wife. When we made the decision on where we’re going to go, we’re going there to be committed to that organization, that city, and stay there for the long haul. We made the decision for Edmonton because we want to be here, build our family, help build this organization, put roots down, and perform for this city,” Woodmansey said.
“Where I go, we’re going to win. I’m going to Edmonton knowing that this organization is going in the right direction. We are going to win a lot of football games this year, and we are going to bring a championship back to Edmonton.”
Woodmansey plans to help the Green and Gold become contenders in the West Division and win the team’s first Grey Cup since 2015.
