Toronto Argos to honour John Candy with tribute game Saturday as Elks visit BMO Field

Then-Toronto Argonauts co-owners John Candy, right, and Wayne Gretzky along with player Raghib (Rocket) Ismail talk to reporters at the team's training camp in Guelph, Ont., June 7, 1991. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Hans Deryk

TORONTO — The Toronto Argonauts will honour John Candy with a tribute game Saturday at BMO Field against the Edmonton Elks.

Candy, the late Argos co-owner and beloved Canadian comedian, is the subject of a new documentary — “John Candy: I Like Me” — that debuted last week at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Members of the Candy family will be at the game, and the first 5,000 fans will get a limited-edition John Candy T-shirt. The Argos will also announce a permanent fixture that will be installed at BMO Field dedicated to the “SCTV” star.

Candy, whose movie credits include “Planes, Trains and Automobiles” and “Uncle Buck,” was a longtime CFL fan and co-owned the Argos from 1991 to 1994, a stretch that included Toronto’s 1991 Grey Cup title.

He died of a heart attack in 1994 while filming “Wagons East” in Mexico. He was 43.

The Argos (4-8) enter on back-to-back wins, while the Elks (5-7) are coming off a 31-19 win over the Calgary Stampeders.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2025.