The Toronto Argonauts‘ 150th birthday arrives this Thursday, October 4th. The 18-time CFL champions will be celebrating their 150th anniversary with two milestone activities featuring legendary players of the past, the present, and the future.

On October 4, the date the team was founded in 1873, the Argonauts will host the Argos Cup presented by Football Ontario, a co-ed flag football tournament that will bring together 20 teams from schools from across the Greater Toronto Area. Ahead of the championship game, current Argos players and alumni, including quarterback Chad Kelly, AJ Ouellette, Damon Allen, and Andre Talbot, will be presenting a cheque of $200,000 demonstrating the Argos’ commitment to youth football development.

The Argos Cup, presented by Football Ontario, will start Wednesday morning at 9 a.m. at the Hangar, 75 Carl Hall Rd in North York, Ontario. The tournament will start at nine and conclude at 4 p.m. There will be a Cheque presentation between 2:45 and 3 p.m. with Chad Kelly, AJ Ouellette, Damon Allen, and Andre Talbot.

On Friday, October 6, the 12-2 Argos will host the Edmonton Elks; fans are invited to celebrate history at a special pre-game tailgate event presented by BMO at the Stanley Barracks. The event will feature a DJ, giveaways, food and drink stations, on-stage programming, and an autograph session with legendary Argos, including Terry Greer, Ricky Ray, Raghib ‘Rocket’ Ismail, and more surprise guests. Argonauts players, alumni, team General Manager Michael ‘Pinball’ Clemons, and the Boatmen’s fan base will be on hand.

The Argos Pre-Game Tailgate festivities presented by BMO will start at 4 p.m. on Friday and conclude at 6:15. The special event will include autograph sessions with legendary Boatmen from the past, including Ricky Ray, Conredge Holloway, Damon Allen, Terry Greer, Raghib Rocket Ismail, and Derrell Mookie Mitchell. There will also be on-stage programming with special guests in tow.

For long-time and newer Argonaut fans, the events celebrating the football club’s anniversary is a monumental one.

TORONTO ARGONAUTS ADD FIVE TO EXPANDED PRACTICE ROSTER 

On Monday, the Toronto Argonauts Football Club announced that they’ve signed five players to their expanded practice roster: Canadian WR Richie Sindani, Canadian DB Daniel Valente, American DT Tyler Williams, American WR Aaron Parker, and American WR Justin Marshall.   

The signings will help the Boatmen’s depth during a period when many of the team’s top players will be resting for the playoffs.

WR Richie Sindani, 28, is a familiar name in CFL circles. He should provide quality depth for Double Blue, who already have some key Canadians contributing at receiver. Sindani played 12 games for the Ticats this season, catching 12 passes for 90 yards in six starts. The 6’2, 220lb receiver was an eighth-round draft pick of Calgary in 2017 and played 60 games over four seasons with the Stampeders hauling in 92 receptions for 986 yards and three touchdowns. He has a history of playing in a Ryan Dinwiddie/Pete Costanza offence.

The Regina native, who played at The University of Regina and The University of Calgary, also spent time with the New Orleans Breakers of the USFL this past offseason.  

Canadian DB Daniel Valente, 23, most recently spent time with the Montreal Alouettes after being signed in August by the Quebec team. The London, ON native, was drafted 31st overall by Ottawa in the 2022 CFL Draft but was released in June of this year. The 5’11, 176lb defensive back played five seasons at Western University, winning two Vanier Cups and four Yates Cups and being named 2022 OUA Outstanding Stand-Up Defensive Player of the Year after a five-interception campaign.  

DT Tyler Williams, 24, spent training camp with the Argos this past May and, prior to that, played five years at Wake Forest (2018-2022). Over the course of 44 games, the 6’2 and 295lb Williams tallied 65 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, and five sacks. The Florida native helped the Demon Deacons to back-to-back bowl wins in 2022 and 2021, as well as a historic season for Wake Forest in 2021 as they won 11 games and captured the ACC Conference title.   

WR Aaron Parker, 25, signed with the Argonauts back in December and previously signed with the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2020 before a move to Carolina, where he played one game for the Panthers in 2021. The Panthers released the 6’2, 210lb receiver in May of 2022 and signed with the Kansas City Chiefs in June.

The Maryland native attended the University of Rhode Island (2016-2019), where he played in 44 games, catching 216 passes for 3,443 yards and 30 touchdowns. In his senior season, Parker hauled 81 balls for 1,224 yards and nine touchdowns, leading the CAA in receiving and named First Team All-Conference in 2018 and 2019.

WR Justin Marshall, 24, signed as an undrafted free agent with the Atlanta Falcons in May before a move to Seattle halfway through August. The 6’3, 213lb pass-catcher played for the University of Buffalo in 2022, catching 64 passes for 837 yards and nine touchdowns in 13 games for the Bulls. The Georgia native played three seasons at Louisville from 2019-2021, where over the course of 31 games, he caught 36 balls for 544 yards and one touchdown for the Cardinals.