The Canadian Business Journal March 2026

11 CANADA’S GAME IS RISING: INSIDE THE CFL’S NEXT ERA MARCH 2026 « The Canadian Business Journal 10 I n 1970s Ottawa, football wasn’t background noise — it was the heartbeat of the city. The Ottawa Rough Riders were the main event, autumn royalty in a capital that measured its seasons in first downs and Grey Cup dreams. For a young Stewart Johnston, the game wasn’t just something he watched — it lived down the street. A few houses away was Jerry Organ, the Rough Riders’ kicker and punter, whose son Jamie often joined Johnston for backyard games that quietly shaped his early connection to Canadian football. Then came 1976 Grey Cup delivering one of the most enduring images in league history — Tony Gabriel’s iconic catch. But Johnston remembers another moment just as vividly: Organ faking a punt and racing for a crucial first down. “I remember jumping up and down on the couch,” Johnston says. It wasn’t just a play — it was possibility, audacity on a national stage, and a league that felt like it belonged to the country watching it. “That was my first taste of just how amazing this game is.” — Stewart Johnston, CFL Commissioner Today, as commissioner of the Canadian Football League, Johnston still carries that memory with him. His leadership isn’t rooted solely in balance sheets or broadcast metrics. It’s grounded in the understanding that somewhere in Canada right now, another five-year-old is bouncing on a couch, discovering the magic of the game for the first time. In a recent interview with Canadian Business Journal, Johnston spoke about the league’s growth, its uniquely Canadian identity, and the strategy guiding the CFL into its next era. Stewart Johnston, CFL Commissioner