Buffalo Bills bring first live Canadian draft pick to Niagara Falls
April 24, 2026 at 9:51 PM
The Buffalo Bills bring their draft north Saturday, calling a live pick from Niagara Falls for the first time on short notice.
The Bills and Niagara Parks will host the Day 3 NFL draft selection call from the Friendship Arch outside Table Rock Centre, the first time the club will announce a pick from Canada. The event will run from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and ends with Niagara Falls lit blue and red at 10 p.m.
Tamara Dickinson, an administrator with the Fort Erie Bills Backers, told Fort Erie Radio the Backers are excited, but she is watching turnout closely.
“I know there’s a lot of fans, so I just really want to see how many people actually show up,” she said.
Niagara Parks said the afternoon will include mascot Billy Buffalo, giveaways, photo opportunities, complimentary coffee and a draw for Bills home-game tickets.
Dickinson said members of her Fort Erie group only learned on Wednesday that the draft pick would be called live in Niagara Falls, which may have limited confirmed plans.
“I put it in our page. I got a lot of likes, but I think there’s only one person that actually confirmed, maybe two,” she said.
The Bills remain one of the strongest NFL brands in Niagara, where many fans regularly cross the border for games and follow the club year-round.
“I don’t want the Niagara Parks to go and put all this money into this event and then nobody show up,” said Dickinson.
Her hope is that a strong turnout can turn the draft gathering into an annual tradition for Bills fans across Niagara.
The Fort Erie Bills Backers already run an annual golf fundraiser at the Fort Erie Golf Club, now in its third year. This year’s event is set for August 22 with a $70 fee that covers 18 holes, a cart and steak dinner, with prizes and donated raffle items available.
Registration opens May 30 and more details can be found on the Fort Erie Bills Backers Facebook page.
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About The Author
Andrew Hawlitzky
Andrew is a Niagara community journalist who has covered everything from local politics to annual festivals and breaking news. He works to make local news a platform where community voices lead the conversation. "If you don't like the news, go out and make some!"
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