Rider fans stream into Nova Scotia for Touchdown Atlantic

Instead of playing just a few kilometres away from rolling fields of canola, the Saskatchewan Roughriders will be a ways away from crashing waves in the Atlantic Ocean on Saturday.

The Green and White are in Nova Scotia for Touchdown Atlantic on Saturday afternoon and, as they always do, Rider Nation has followed them there.

Bert Bartake is from Melville, but is in Halifax before heading to Wolfville for the game.

“The Riders are playing and we always wanted to go to the Maritimes, so it was a good excuse for us to come out here,” Bartake said.

He’s staying in downtown Halifax and, coincidentally, is staying at the same hotel as the Riders.

“They say hi to all of us; they’re happy to see us. They say there’s quite a few Roughriders fan that come and a lot are staying at our hotel. Plus there’s the pep band; they’re staying in our hotel too.

They were on our same flight,” said Bartake.

As he has been out and about, Bartake said there are a lot of people wearing green with more coming. He joked that half the people at the game might end up being from Saskatchewan.

Bartake is no stranger to travelling to see the Roughriders. He’s a season-ticket holder and drives in from Melville for every home game. He also has been to the last three Grey Cups the Riders won.

Walking around Halifax, Bartake said he has been a little disappointed that people from the city often don’t know what’s going on.

“We went on a harbour tour and the tour guide said, ‘So yeah, I noticed a few people here wearing green,’ ” Bartake said. “I said, ‘We’re here for the game.’ He said, ‘What game? What are they playing?’ ”

Bartake said he’ll be hitting some of the tourist spots in and around Halifax before coming back home on Monday.