'Cute and cuddly': Justin Beaver in Edmonton for Grey Cup festivities

Justin Beaver will be in Edmonton for four full days as part of the Grey Cup Festival.

We're not talking about the pop superstar but rather a semi-aquatic rodent who is the new mascot for the Grey Cup.

"It's an iconic Canadian animal," Duane Vienneau, executive director for Grey Cup 2018, said Thursday, explaining how Justin Beaver came to be.

"It was sort of that cute and cuddly animal that would attract that whole family demographic."

Justin Beaver, of course, is a play on the name of a certain well-known Canadian singer.

"We all sort of talked about it and when Justin was born, it just seemed right," Vienneau said. "If [Justin Bieber] wasn't such an iconic Canadian superstar, it wouldn't make sense."

Edmonton-based International Mascot Corp. developed the mascot.

"Justin is intended to live on, not just to be a mascot for this current Grey Cup but ultimately be the mascot for future Grey Cups to come," Vienneau said.

Justin will be busy as a beaver during the four-day festival leading up to the Grey Cup final on Nov. 25 at Commonwealth Stadium.

"You'll be able to see Justin all over that festival — every event, everything that we're doing for four days," Vienneau said.

"Like everybody else at Grey Cup, you don't sleep a lot."