FanDuel Canada Day Weekend is in the books, and it gave us lots to talk about.
The league no longer has an unbeaten team after Edmonton’s loss to the Lions with the latter also picking up their first win. And led by Calgary’s Vernon Adams Jr. (more on him later), we also saw some spectacular individual outings.
In the spirit of Canada Day, here are some of the best Canadian performances from the weekend.
JALEN PHILPOT | DEJON BRISSETT | RECEIVERS | CALGARY STAMPEDERS
It seems fitting a couple Red and White receivers helped us celebrate Canada to kick things off Thursday night. Delta’s Jalen Philpot and Mississauga’s Dejon Brissett both featured large as Adams Jr. had a game for the ages.
Philpot reeled in a pair of touchdowns and 83 yards on seven receptions, which was good for his first ever multi-touchdown game as a pro. Brissett, on the other hand, caught two touchdowns passes for the second time in his career to go along with 70 yards on three receptions. And just to top it off, Brissett’s second major helped Adams Jr. tie the Stampeders single-game franchise record with his sixth touchdown pass.
JACKSON FINDLAY | DEFENSIVE BACK | BC LIONS
BC native and 2025 16th overall pick, Jackson Findlay with a pick of his own 😤🇨🇦
🗓️: Touchdown Kelowna: Elks vs. Lions LIVE NOW
📺: TSN and CFL+@fanduelcanada Canada Day Weekend | #CFLGameDay pic.twitter.com/PcJpT8bpfs— CFL (@CFL) July 5, 2026
BC has their first win of the season thanks to an impressive 36-24 win over the Elks and North Vancouver’s Jackson Findlay was a big part of it. Now in his second CFL season after the Lions made him a second-round pick in the 2025 CFL Canadian Draft, Findlay excelled with different deployment Saturday.
With T.J. Lee missing his second game and a shakeup needed, the Lions shuffled their defensive backfield vs. Edmonton. Part of that new alignment included Findlay moving from his regular spot at safety down to SAM linebacker. The move paid off; Findlay finished the win with six defensive tackles and his first interception of the season.
TAYLOR ELGERSMA | QUARTERBACK | WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS
Highlighting a Canadian quarterback not named Nathan Rourke? That seems odd. And while Rourke threw for 320 yards and a touchdown for BC, the weekend ended with a great moment for London’s Taylor Elgersma and that deserves some recognition.
With Zach Collaros exiting Sunday’s 14-13 win over Hamilton, Elgersma was thrust into his first CFL regular season action, and the 2025 second-round pick didn’t disappoint. Elgersma completed 11 of 15 passes for 86 yards and a touchdown, which included being under centre for a game-winning drive. Elgersma completed one pass and also rushed for three yards to help the Bombers march 54 yards to set up a late Sergio Castillo field goal.
JOEL DUBLANKO | LINEBACKER | EDMONTON ELKS
JOEL DUBLANKO SAID “I’LL TAKE THAT” 🫨
Off the bobble and 2024 first overall pick Joel Dublanko is there for the grab 👐
🗓️: Touchdown Kelowna: Elks vs. Lions LIVE NOW
📺: TSN and CFL+@fanduelcanada Canada Day Weekend | #CFLGameDay pic.twitter.com/pRsLOLRJK0— CFL (@CFL) July 5, 2026
Despite picking up their first loss of the season, the Elks still got another great performance from blossoming superstar Joel Dublanko. The first overall selection in the 2024 CFL Canadian Draft racked up seven defensive tackles and another on special teams while recording his first career interception in the first quarter.
Dublanko is now up to 19 defensive tackles, one interception, one sack, and one forced fumble on the season as he rapidly develops into one of Edmonton’s most important pieces.
QUICK HITS
My stomach sank when I saw Bo Levi Mitchell carted off the field early in the third quarter of Hamilton’s loss to the Blue Bombers on Sunday. The future Hall of Famer is off to another outstanding start this season and had already completed 18 of 29 passes for 228 yards and a touchdown before sustaining the injury on a Jake Ceresna sack.
But, assuming Mitchell misses a stretch of time, the Tiger-Cats planned for this. Hamilton’s off-season signing of Tre Ford on a two-year contract is very much in the spotlight now. Ford entered Sunday’s game after Mitchell left and completed three of seven passes for 12 yards and an interception, but the circumstances were tough. We’ll see what a full week of practice does for Ford and Hamilton’s offence entering next weekend’s tough showdown in Saskatchewan.
Finally, let’s finish by giving Vernon Adams Jr. a little more love. While tying Calgary’s franchise record with six touchdown passes, he also compiled a perfect quarterback rating of 158.3. And his combination of accomplishments put him in the league history book, too. Adams is now just the fifth player in CFL history with 400+ passing yards, six or more touchdown passes, and zero interceptions in the same game. He finished the night completing 20 of 25 passes for 405 yards.
