The Grey Cup Visits A Toronto Vodka Distillery And Leaves Sober!

Family round  cup. L to Rt: Juede, Divahd, Lievi, Susanna Noel and Don Morelan

It Happened Monday Night In Toronto

By Stephen Weir - as seen in the Caribbean Camera newspaper ... The Grey Cup came to a Mas Camp event at Nickel 9 Distillery in Toronto’s Junction district. For three hours the famed Canadian Football League sat on a round bar table in the middle of a room filled with barrels and vats of  vodka in the making.

The Toronto Argonauts won the 105th annual Grey Cup game last November. Argo wide receiver and special teams player, Llevi Noel got  to borrow the cup for a day (as does each member of the winning team). 

“ I wanted to share the cup for a little while with my family and friends,” explained 26 year-old Toronto Argonaut Llevi Noel.  “I took it down to U of T this afternoon, and finished off my day here with the Cup at the distillery.”

Llevi and his family trace their  roots to Grenada, but is a Torontonian through and through.  He attended high school at Toronto’s Western Tech followed by university at U of T.  He was discovered by the Argonauts when they scouted him playing university football.

Don Moreland sets up shot for me

“You know it was a remarkable year for the Argos and for me. No one expected us to win it all. I have been with the team for two seasons and I just contracted for another two years with the team! 

The 6-2, 220-pound receiver has led the Argos in special team tackles in both of his professional seasons.. His five special team tackles against the Calgary Stampeders in the 105th Grey Cup Game set a new franchise record.

Joining Llevi to toast the Cup with freshly bottled Northern Temple Vodka were his brother Juede, sister Divahd,  mother Susanna Noel and stepfather Don Moreland.  His older sister Ivell  noel was unable to attend!

The Grenadian Canadian Noel family are football fans first, and carnival lovers second.  Lievi remembers playing Mas many summers in the Caribana Kiddies Carnival. 

Members of the Tru Dynasty Carnival Mas Band came out to show their admiration for the Argo player and to gawk at the slightly battered Grey Cup. 

Nickel 9 Distillery is both a new evens destination and a vodka distillery – the owners threw open their doors to show off their new space and  provided a suitable showcase for the Grey Cup.

 The trophy has been part of football in this country since 1909. It was donated by Governor General Earl Grey for the Canadian football championship.

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