Christensen embraces CFL visit to Kelowna - BERITAJA

KELOWNA – The B.C. Lions person touched down successful Jay Christensen’s backyard, bringing his shot profession afloat circle.

Forced retired of Vancouver’s BC Place by the FIFA World Cup, the Lions (0-2) will look for their first triumph successful a impermanent location astatine Kelowna’s Apple Bowl.

The Lions big the besides winless Calgary Stampeders (0-2) connected Saturday earlier facing the unbeaten Edmonton Elks (3-0) adjacent weekend, pinch Christensen watching arsenic an alumnus of each 3 CFL clubs.

“(I have) a batch of fond memories from everyplace I played, but B.C. will ever clasp my bosom because I was from Vancouver and played successful the Okanagan,” said Christensen, whose family moved to Kelowna erstwhile he was 12. He went connected to prima for the Okanagan Sun inferior shot squad earlier going pro.

Christensen started his profession pinch the Stampeders, enjoyed his top individual occurrence pinch the Lions, and went connected to triumph a Grey Cup title pinch Edmonton successful 1993 during his eighth of 10 CFL seasons arsenic a slotback. He retired arsenic an Ottawa Rough Rider successful 1995, finishing pinch 21 receiving touchdowns and much than 3,600 yards connected 248 catches arsenic a target for Hall of Fame quarterbacks Doug Flutie and Damon Allen.

After retiring, he returned to the Okanagan and coached the Sun for a decade, reaching 3 consecutive Canadian Bowls and winning a nationalist title successful 2002. The 62-year-old still serves arsenic a head astatine ample connected the club’s committee and is nearing status from Valley First Credit Union, wherever he specializes successful taxation and property planning.

Back wherever it each began astatine the Apple Bowl, the games will beryllium a family affair, pinch some of Christensen’s children now joined and his boy bringing 2 granddaughters to his aged stomping grounds.

“I americium looking guardant to it. A batch of family, friends and moreover erstwhile teammates will beryllium here,” he said. “It’ll beryllium breathtaking for maine to show that off, wherever my inheritance was and conscionable the shot civilization we person here.”

The Okanagan Sun will besides beryllium represented connected the section by B.C.’s Jacob Bond and Calgary’s Kelon Thomas. The 2 were teammates successful 2022, erstwhile Thomas was named the B.C. Football Conference’s outstanding protect lineman. Bond earned BCFC protect subordinate of the twelvemonth honours successful 2024 arsenic a linebacker, but is now listed arsenic a fullback pinch the Lions.

“He’s conscionable a bully athlete,” Christensen said of the 23-year-old from Terrace, B.C. “He’ll get a batch of playing clip connected typical teams, arsenic a blocker (on returns) and a tackler connected the screen teams. He’ll beryllium a stalwart there.”

But will Bond get immoderate touches retired of the backfield successful Week 3?

“Getting a triumph is going to beryllium paramount,” said Christensen. “I would deliberation that the coach, about apt successful the backmost of his mind, is for illustration ‘if we get measurement up, it would beryllium nosy to manus him the shot a mates times and perceive to the crowd.’ But that would beryllium down his database of priorities, I’m sure.”

Christensen is besides judge that Bond will make an effect disconnected the section for the Lions.

“There’s not a nicer young man retired there. He’s going to beryllium that type of feline who is awesome successful the community, he’ll animate kids successful precocious schools and beryllium a bully domiciled model, and conscionable get group excited about the shot squad again.”

There is nary shortage of excitement successful the Okanagan city, pinch tailgating and intermezo planned complete the adjacent 2 weeks. The Apple Bowl, a organization stadium usually location to section shot and way and field, has been expanded to accommodate much than 20,000 fans, up from its regular capacity of 2,314.

“To me, that’s the about astonishing thing, is to spot the vanished product,” Christensen said. “I had doubts that they could propulsion it off, but now you spot the Apple Bowl, and it’s for illustration ‘holy cow, that looks good.’ Between playing and coaching hundreds of games connected that field, it doesn’t moreover lucifer it. It’s awesome and everyone successful municipality is talking about it.”

And that buzz should use the Lions, firing them up and perchance fuelling their first triumph of the season.

“They’re going to travel up present and hopefully provender disconnected the energy,” Christensen said. “They’re not going to beryllium capable to spell anyplace without group cheering and talking to them and getting autographs. It’ll beryllium an breathtaking clip for the players arsenic well, conscionable to consciousness that, and hopefully that motivates them a small spot connected the field.”

EXTRA POINTS

Kelowna has hosted a drawstring of awesome events complete the past year, including the Brier, the Canadian Country Music Awards, the Memorial Cup and HOOPFEST. The metropolis will besides shape the B.C. Summer Games from July 22-26.

“It’s been a crazy twelvemonth for the city, events-wise,” Christensen said.

In summation to Christensen and Bond, respective Okanagan Sun alumni person gone connected to play for the Lions complete the years, including Super Bowl champion and CFL all-star Mo Elewonibi, kicker Steven Shott and moving backmost Elelyon Noa.

This study by BERITAJA was first published June 26, 2026