Press Release
The annual “International Tug of War: Pulling for Peace” between Canada and the United States, an annual celebration held on International Peaceful Borders Day (July 2), resulted in victory for Canada.
The standings are now 3-1 for Canada in the four annual tugs-of-war to date.
However, there was conflict over the results of a new “Celebrity Pull,” an event added just this year, due to bad communications on the start signal for the U.S.
Fort Frances bylaw officer Patrick Briere, the head Canadian referee, has issued his final ruling on the contested start.
“[Local MP] John Rafferty and I agreed this required a ‘do-over,’” Briere noted.
“I was prepared to line up the ‘celebrities’ for a second try just as I was radioed from the other side that the Canadians were already lined up for the pre-scheduled community tug-of-war between the two countries.
“I am ruling there was a faulty start in the ‘Celebrity Pull’ and because no ‘do-over’ was executed, no official winner is declared,” Briere added.
“I am pleased the referee made the right call because we all knew it was a bad start as soon as it happened,” Minnesota Vikings’ alumnus Matt Blair, captain of Team USA, remarked when informed of the official decision.
“I congratulate the Canadians for winning the trophy,” he noted.
“But they better enjoy it while they can because next year we are not only going to come back to win the ‘Celebrity Pull’ but the United States will win back the trophy, too,” he vowed.
