After seeing more than 1,000 Ticats games together, Hamilton couple, both 89, get to attend 1 more

Over the course of 60 years, Alex and Eileen Reynolds have seen the Hamilton Tiger-Cats play more than 1,000 times.

Alex is a former broadcaster with a career that lasted decades. He was a talented storyteller covering arts and entertainment in the city as a reporter for CHCH television and worked in radio at CHML before that.

Eileen was crowned Miss Canada in 1952. Soon after, they met and fell in love with each other and with the Ticats. They are both now 89-years-old.

When Tim Hortons Field was built in 2014, they thought their ritual, attending games together, had ended.

In 2015, the stadium was criticized by the city's Advisory Committee for Persons with Disabilities for having poor visibility for people with visual impairments and barriers for people using mobility devices.

I never missed a game before 2014. It warms the heart, not being forgotten.- Alex Reynolds

For Alex and Eileen, it was difficult to see the games or even getting to their seats.

Then, thanks to their son William Tudoroff and The Chartwell Foundation — a charity that grew after the closure of Wish of a Lifetime Canada — the Reynolds were able to watch the Oct. 7 game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders, surrounded by their children and grandchildren.

The stadium is undergoing an Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act review, expected to be ongoing until 2026, and that's already leading to changes. 

Last weekend, Craig Nyman, a representative of the Ticats, met the family at Tim Hortons Field, gave them a tour of the building and guided them to their newly accessible seats.

Dressed in Tiger-Cats gear before the game, Alex said, "My son tells me 'it's on!' This was a couple of weeks ago, I couldn't believe it, and now here we are."

Ticats win with the Reynolds family watching

This was the fourth wish granted by The Chartwell Foundation since 2020. The first three included a chance to see the Toronto Argonauts, a trip to the mountains in Banff, Alberta and a helicopter ride in Quebec.

The Chartwell Foundation says "we're never too old to dream and live a life well lived." The program encourages any senior to apply and determine if they're eligible for their own wish to be granted. "We would like to help grant as many wishes as possible for seniors across Canada."

Eileen and Alex were married in 1961. They had met when Alex was hosting an event where Eileen — then the reigning Miss Canada — was guest of honour. A few months later Eileen applied for a secretary position where Alex was working. She didn't know he worked there too.

Alex asked her out, to see a Tiger-Cats game, and after six months and many Tiger-Cats dates later, they got married. Oskee Wee Wee.

Today, they live in separate long-term care homes in Ancaster, with their children and grandchildren living in Florida for work. 

Last Friday's game ended in an 18-14 win for the Tiger-Cats over the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

"I never missed a game before 2014," Alex said. "It warms the heart, not being forgotten."