Summit Steel Buildings partners with the B.C. Lions for their 2026 football campaign

The theatre at the Great Canadian Casino was buzzing in excitement and anticipation. Groups of people from 28 different organizations, all dressed in their finest suits, anxiously waited for the first draft ball. Nearby, massive pro athletes from the CFL’s B.C. Lions sat eagerly waiting for their name to be called. They’ve been through this process before. 

For assembled crowd of sponsors and supporters, a top selection would mean possibly partnering with former NCAA star and NFL veteran, Nathan Rourke, a Canadian quarterback and the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player and Top Canadian last year. A longer wait could mean looking further down the team’s roster to find a substitute who would carry the company’s sponsorship dreams for the rest of the Lions’ season.

Slowly, little by little, balls were drawn and sponsors were eliminated until only three spots remained. The third pick went to Sandman Hotel Group. It then came down to only two: Every Route Transport and Summit Steel Buildings. George Chayka, Senior Vice President of Business for the B.C. Lions football team, reached into the raffle drum and pulled a ball. Not ours. Amid cheers, fist bumps and shouts of joy, members of the Summit Steel Buildings leadership team were ecstatic to win the top spot and get the first pick in the 2026 Draft A Lion selection.

Drafting a Lions player – how it works

The B.C. Lions “Draft-A-Lion” program is an annual event where local companies can buy sponsorship of a particular player for the full season. In addition to a featured promotional night and free tickets, the sponsoring company gets their logo prominently and proudly associated with that player every time they are highlighted on the scoreboard, in the game program or in promotions or outside the stadium. The company’s support is recognised alongside the player for both their on- and off-field accomplishments.

Whom a company gets to sponsor is decided by a draft lottery – a random selection drawn by balls from a drum. This year, a coin flip determined they would start by drawing the number 28 spot and then work their way up to first. In other years, the top pick would be chosen with the first ball, and sponsors would anxiously await to see how far down the list they’d fall. If it were not for random chance of a coin, our last drawing from the raffle drum could have left us the final draft pick and not the first.

Random chance plays a big part, but so does the ability to negotiate with other participants. Business services, free yacht rentals or bottles of bourbon can be exchanged for a higher pick. If you watch the annual pro football rookie draft or have ever seen the movie “Draft Day”, then you know how much a positive difference smart bargaining can make in getting the player you want.

Leading the way with quarterback Nathan Rourke

Getting the top selection is only the first part. The more difficult decision was which player to select and be associated with for the season. As a the top seed to win the CFL championship in 2026, the B.C. Lions’ roster is stacked with top football talent from around the world.

Despite many tempting offers from other companies to trade away their first pick, Summit Steel Buildings decided to use their top selection. It was an easy choice. They decided on the CFL’s most outstanding player for their associated sponsorship.

Nathan Rourke has established himself as one of the most prolific dual-threat quarterbacks and prominent figures in Canadian football. His dedication to overcoming adversity, commitment to his community and record-breaking statistical dominance serve as a major inspiration for young athletes across the country.

Read our Draft A Lion profile on Nathan Rourke and why he was the best choice as our number one pick...

Talent makes winning teams: Nathan Rourke leads the way as MVP quarterback.

Previous year’s picks

In 2023, Tree Island Steel won the draft and cleverly used their top seeding to select kicker Sean Whyte. Placekickers get highlighted a lot, especially at the game’s most important and critical moments. Sean would end the season in second place for overall scoring (by one point) and in second for most field goals. He’s been in the league since 2009, and the White Rock native is one of the most accurate kickers in CFL history. Over his 18-year career, he has earned multiple West Division All-Star honors, was a 2015 Grey Cup champion and became the league's all-time career leader in field-goal percentage.

Another example is Sentinel Storage that received a 15th round pick in 2025 and chose to select B.C. standout Michael Couture. Born in Burnaby and graduating from Simon Fraser University, it was the 6’4”, 302-pound offensive lineman’s first year with B.C. after spending his first five seasons with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The veteran enters 2026 in his tenth season in the CFL, having played almost 150 games.

What you can expect for the season

Selection night is only the beginning for the B.C. Lions. The draft is a fun-filled affair with other companies from the local area, meeting new friends and trading information about each others’ businesses. The networking opportunities are as promising and successful as the B.C. Lions football team hopes to be on the field this season.

With the best odds to win the championship, when the Lions hoist the Grey Cup in November, Summit Steel Buildings will be cheering for our associated player partner, Nathan Rourke, as much as or more than the rest of the team. We hope our sponsorship will contribute in some small way to the team’s on- and off-field success by supporting the club’s many local community and charitable endeavors.

Our construction team is proud to support Nathan and have him represent us throughout 2026. Associating ourselves with his name, image and likeness in addition to his on-field accomplishments is a great honour. Go Lions!