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CTV News
17 hours ago
- Sport
- CTV News
EXCLUSIVE: BC Lions player misses grandma's funeral after cancelled Air Canada flight
BC Lions defensive back Patrice Rene was very close to his grandmother Carmen Cange. 'She was the glue of the family in a lot of ways,'' Rene said. 'She was the sweetest lady you could possibly meet. Made sure that everybody was taken care of, make sure that everybody had what they needed.' When Cange passed away in Ottawa on Aug. 8, the family scheduled the matriarch's funeral for the morning of Monday, Aug. 18, so Rene could attend the service without missing this past Saturday's game against the Montreal Alouettes. 'I played for my grandmother, I had her in my mind the whole time. I know that she was watching over me,' said Rene. 'I know that she would want me to play this game, and I really felt her presence with me.' Riding high from the Lions' victory, Rene checked his phone after the game and learned his Sunday morning Air Canada flight from Vancouver to Ottawa had been cancelled. 'I tried to call customer service, couldn't reach anybody. Tried to email, couldn't reach anybody. And then at that point, I'm just looking at the different flights, different airlines, just trying to find my best possible way to get to Ottawa. But unfortunately, everything was booked,' said Rene. Out of options, the 27-year-old realized he would miss his grandmother's funeral. 'The thing that hurts me the most is not that she passed. Everybody has their day and time, she lived a great life, she was older. But the thing that hurt the most was just not being able to be there for my family. Not being able to be there for my mom, not able to hug her on this day, after she lost her mother,' Rene said. He was able to watch the service on a live stream that had been set up for extended family in Haiti. 'That's a surreal experience in itself, just watching the live stream and seeing my family and I can't even touch them,' said Rene. 'Seeing the casket, it was crazy to know that I don't get to see my grandma anymore. I missed my chance to see her.' Patrice Rene and grandma BC Lions player Patrice Rene is seen in this photo with his late-grandmother. Rene said he's not angry at striking flight attendants, adding: 'I studied labor relations and employment relations. I understand what's happening.' He just wishes Air Canada was doing more for impacted passengers. 'They don't really understand or try to really consider what the impact of missing a flight could be,' he said. So far, an estimated 500,000 people have seen their flights cancelled. For Rene, the impact was devastating. 'That's going to be with me for the rest of my life,' he said. 'I didn't get to see my grandma get buried. I didn't get to say goodbye.'
CTV News
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Legendary rapper Snoop Dogg performs ahead of B.C. Lions home opener
Snoop Dogg performs before the Edmonton Elks and the B.C. Lions play a CFL football game in Vancouver, on Saturday, June 7, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns VANCOUVER — Snoop Dogg was a B.C. Lions fan on Saturday — if only for one night. The legendary rapper donned a Lions jersey with the number 20 and his name emblazoned on the back as he took the stage for a concert at B.C. Place before the Lions hosted the Edmonton Elks in their first game of the CFL season. Over the course of a 35-minute set, Snoop Dogg sang several of his hits, including 'P.I.M.P.,' 'Gin and Juice,' and 'Drop it Like it's Hot,' plus abbreviated versions of songs he has featured on, such as Katy Perry's 'California Gurls' and the explicit version of Akon's 'I Wanna Love You.' His dancers and backup singers also donned Lions gear for the show. B.C. previously announced more than 50,000 fans were expected to take in the show. Several hundred danced and sang in the end zone below the elevated stage, while thousands more stood in their seats. A few Lions players and staff — including kicker Sean Whyte and defensive back Patrice Rene — took in parts of the show from the sidelines. Snoop Dogg has been making music for more than three decades and has seven platinum records, 20 Grammy Award nominations, and multiple BET Awards and MTV Movie Awards. He has become a pop culture icon known for working with a variety of entertainers from rapper-producer Dr. Dre to television personality Martha Stewart, and was a roving correspondent for NBC at last summer's Paris Olympics. The 53-year-old musician closed his set Saturday by signing several footballs and handing them out to kids in the end zone. 'You've got to promise to grow up to be a B.C. Lion,' he said to one. 'You getting good grades in school?' he asked another. Before leaving the stage, Snoop Dogg signed yet another football, removed his trademark sunglasses and the gold, bejewelled Wu-Tang Clan ring on his pinky, and handed off his gold microphone. He then launched the ball into the upper deck of the stands. He formed his hands into a heart and clapped for the crowd, then left before the game got underway. Big concerts have become an annual tradition for the Lions. Last year, the team launched its season with a performance by rapper 50 Cent that drew an announced crowd of 53,788. This report by Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press, was first published June 7, 2025.
