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The Grey Cup organizers took a bit of a chance by going with a beaver for a mascot considering that it somehow became a euphemism for … well a lot of Canadian teams (North Battleford Beavers, etc.) used to be named Beavers, but not many anymore.

And Justin, being the first name of a highly unpopular prime minister in Oil-berta thanks to the pipeline problem, is not a first name a lot of newborns have been given lately, either.

But the league signed off on J.B. and will bring him back for the 107th Grey Cup in Calgary next year after he ‘Brings The Heat’ here, and for all the Grey Cups until it’s Edmonton’s turn to hold another one.

Justin Beaver was born and raised in Edmonton.

There’s more to the City of Champions when it comes to teams and athletes, there’s the mascots that cavort on fields and stadiums around the world that come out of Edmonton’s International Mascot Corporation that began here in 1983.

The firm that has grown to include two manufacturing facilities in Edmonton and another in Atlanta has delivered costumes to 82 countries around the globe.

Designed by Tom Sapp, IMC’s creative director and North Americas leading designer of character costumes, Beaver will switch logoed outfits each year for each Grey Cup, a gift from the Edmonton organizing committee.

From Heidi and Howdy for the Calgary Olympic Winter Games to the mascots for the Atlanta 1996, Salt Lake 2002 and Vancouver 2010 Olympics to Winnipeg 1999, FIFA 2015 Women’s World Cup, IMC has given birth to hundreds of mascots.