MONTREAL – With less than a week to go before Alouettes training camp begins at Coulter Field at Bishop’s University, team president and CEO Mark Weightman and general manager and head coach Jim Popp held court with the media as part of the CFL’s series of conference calls previewing the 2016 season.

In 2016, stability will be the operative word for the Alouettes. “We have stability with our coaching staff and we also have an experienced quarterback. As well, over-and-above looking for impact players, experienced coaches and excellent draft choices, Jim did a great job keeping the core of the team intact. Jim did everything possible to ensure that our loyal fanbase will be happier this year,” said the president and chief executive officer of the Alouettes.

“We have stability with our coaching staff and we also have an experienced quarterback.”

Regarding season ticket holders, Weightman and his staff are pleased with the numbers: “We exceeded 11,000 season ticket holders and this number continues to grow. We are very happy and grateful to have such a passionate fanbase who come to the games regardless of weather conditions to cheer the team on,” he said.

The 2016 season also points to an outstanding year for the team’s partners. “With the renewal of our partnerships with Lesters and TELUS, and the arrival of new partners such as Famili-Prix, Mise-O-Jeu and L’Aubainerie, we are expecting to surpass last year’s results by 25 per cent by the end of 2016,” said Weightman, who is entering his third season as president and CEO of the Alouettes.

“We are very happy and grateful to have such a passionate fanbase who come to the games regardless of weather conditions to cheer the team on,”

“These results are due to our rejuvenated client base which is very interesting to our partners. Our efforts on our digital platforms – like our website and our social networks – allow us to better reach that clientele,” said Weightman.

Several new initiatives at McGill’s Percival-Molson Memorial Stadium will be unveiled when the 2016 season kicks off. “First off, the Fan Zone will be revamped and will be accessible two hours before kick-off with a ‘Happy Hour’. Also among our new features will be cushioned seats with chairbacks available in certainsections. A new terrasse will also be available at the stadium, with tickets in this area priced at $25 for adults and $20 for students. As well, a new screen has been added – above the existing screen – ensuring that fans can easily see statistics pertaining to the players and the game. Finally, a ‘Game Day’ section will soon be launched on the team’s website: This will include information pertaining to the day’s game such as weather reports, traffic around the stadium and exclusive pre-game interviews,” said Weightman, who is originally from Saint-André-d’Argenteuil in the Laurentians.

Cheer on your Alouettes at training camp, which takes place at Coulter Field at Bishop’s University from May 29 to June 15. Training camp is open to the public!

-> SCHEDULE