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It’s a good thing Russ Jackson makes more frequent visits to Ottawa, now that the CFL game is thriving here again.

The presence of one of the game’s all-time great quarterbacks with the Ottawa Rough Riders of the 1960s, gives us a chance to know a living, breathing, Canadian-born starting quarterback. Otherwise? They scarcely exist in the pro Canadian game.

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How long has it been since a Canadian was behind centre on a regular basis? Let’s just say if it was much longer, we would need fossil records and hieroglyphics to prove they existed.

OK, slight exaggeration. The point is, not since the early to mid-1980s has a Canadian pivot been a CFL regular. Think Gerry Datillio of the Montreal Alouettes and Calgary Stampeders. And Greg Vavra, with Calgary, B.C. and Edmonton.

Barring a sudden development, the fall of 2016 will mark 20 years since a Canadian quarterback started a CFL game. That would be Toronto native Giulio Caravatta, who made one lonely start for the B.C. Lions against the Argos on Oct. 27, 1996. Danny Brannagan, who led Queen’s to a Vanier Cup title in 2009, took a few snaps and completed a couple of passes for the Argos in 2010.