‘What are you doing here?': Carney makes first Stampede visit as prime minister
Over an hour-long tour winding through the rodeo grounds, Mark Carney crawled into a tank, snacked at food stations and posed for dozens of selfies, marking his first visit to the Stampede as prime minister.
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Toronto Sun
31 minutes ago
- Toronto Sun
'What are you doing here?': Carney makes first Stampede visit as prime minister
Published Jul 05, 2025 • 1 minute read Prime Minister Mark Carney, centre, chats with two young women at the Calgary Stampede in Calgary, Alta., Friday, July 4, 2025. Photo by Jeff McIntosh / THE CANADIAN PRESS CALGARY — Canada's new prime minister, best known as a buttoned-down banker, donned a cowboy hat and toured the stables Friday evening at the Calgary Stampede. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Over an hour-long tour winding through the rodeo grounds, Mark Carney crawled into a tank, snacked at food stations and posed for dozens of selfies, marking his first visit to the Stampede as prime minister. 'We gotta see some chuckwagons, huh,' Carney said as he strolled down the Midway with an entourage of security and cameras, sampling mini doughnuts and pretzels as he made his way to the grandstand stadium for the chuckwagon races. The Stampede visit is a long-running tradition for sitting prime ministers no matter their political stripe. But it's not guaranteed: former prime minister Justin Trudeau didn't appear at last summer's rodeo, coming as his party struggled in the polls. One year later, the Liberals' political fortunes have flipped, with Carney leading the party to a minority government in the recent federal election. The party has two Albertans sitting in the House of Commons despite predictions the party could nab more seats in the true-blue provinces. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Wearing dark-blue jeans, a navy sport coat and cream-coloured cowboy hat, Carney was met with a warm reception on the grounds, shaking hands with surprised Stampede-goers and taking photos with employees behind food stands. He did not wear cowboy boots or a belt buckle, instead wearing brown sneakers and a thin belt. 'What are you doing here?' Carney jokingly said to a group of women on the Midway. 'What are you doing here?' one of them yelled back. Later, as he walked on the stage before the chuckwagon races at GMC Stadium, Carney was met with a mix of boos and applause from the crowd of approximately 17,000 people. 'They're saying woo. I heard woo,' the announcer said. Carney was scheduled to attend a pancake breakfast on Saturday morning and is hosting a party fundraiser in Calgary later in the day. RECOMMENDED VIDEO Ontario Editorial Cartoons Other Sports Editorials Toronto Blue Jays
Calgary Herald
2 hours ago
- Calgary Herald
Calgary Stampede, July 5: Shania Twain at Dome tonight
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Country star Shania Twain performs at the Saddledome in Calgary during her Queen of Me tour Tuesday, May 9, 2023. Dean Pilling/Postmedia file Today marks the only arena show as part of the Calgary Stampede's concert series, with country music superstar Shania Twain taking to the stage. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Calgary Herald ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Calgary Herald ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Opening for her at the Saddledome will be Calgary-born singer Devon Cole, who's currently living in Los Angeles and working on an album. Read on for everything you need to know to make the most of the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth. Your weekday lunchtime roundup of curated links, news highlights, analysis and features. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again Country star Shania Twain performs at the Saddledome in Calgary during her Queen of Me tour Tuesday, May 9, 2023. Dean Pilling/Postmedia Well, this is as big as it gets this year at the Calgary Stampede. The lone Saddledome concert will kick off the weekend in a suitably spectacular manner as Shania Twain brings her stadium show to the masses. It's been a few years since Twain's two-night stop to tour her most recent release, 2023's self-affirming Queen of Me. In the meantime, Twain finished yet another Las Vegas residency earlier this year that allowed her rev up the flash and spectacle. Make sure you get there early to see Calgary-born signer Devin Cole, a Twain super-fan and inventive purveyor of feminist anthems herself. She will be making her stadium debut. When/Where: Saturday, 7:30 p.m. at the Saddledome Hailey Benedict performs on stage during day three of the Country Thunder Music Festival at The Confluence (formerly Fort Calgary) Sunday, August 18, 2024. Dean Pilling/Postmedia While the Calgary Stampede often puts a spotlight on up-and-coming locals on their various stages, it can probably safely be argued that St. Albert country singer Hailey Benedict has safely graduated from that phase in her career. It was more than 10 years ago when she picked up the Fan's Choice Award in Red Deer during the Country Music Alberta Awards. She was 11. In 2023, she was co-hosting the awards. In 2024, she offered a spirited mainstage set at Country Thunder. Her newest single, the steel guitar-sweetened ballad Carl Dean — named after Dolly Parton's husband — is an affectionate ode to unconditional love. When/Where: Saturday, 9:30 p.m. at Nashville North Pancakes fill the griddles at the Makami College Stampede breakfast on July 6, 2024. Gavin Young/Postmedia file Westside Recreation Centre, 2000 69th St. S.W.: 9 to 11 a.m. Cavalry FC Regional Field House, 125 Field House Dr. E., Aldersyde: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. This advertisement has not loaded yet. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Seton YMCA, 4995 Market St. S.E.: 9 to 11 a.m. CrossIron Mills, 261055 CrossIron Blvd, Rocky View County: 9 to 11 a.m. Calgary-born pop singer-songwriter Devon Cole will open for Shania Twain at the Saddledome on July 5. Supplied Singer Devon Cole, who was born and raised in Calgary, will be opening for her musical hero, Shania Twain, at the superstar's Stampede concert at the Saddledome tonight. She is currently writing songs for her debut full-length album. All in all, it seems as if things are well in hand. But while Cole's rapid ascension may seem overnight, she says there were bumps in the road. 'My favourite quote is that it takes 10 years to become an overnight success,' she says. 'I think in the first five years that I've been doing this – I started releasing music in 2020 – the biggest learning has been this sense of confidence I have now and to trust my gut. Because I was trusting it in the beginning and I kind of fell out of touch with my gut, and I'm rebuilding that relationship.' Shelby Boisjoli-Meged competes in breakaway roping at the Calgary Stampede rodeo on Friday, July 4, 2025. Photo by Darren Makowichuk / Postmedia Day 1 of the 2025 Calgary Stampede rodeo welcomed the stars of breakaway roping to the main stage. And the brightest in the much-ballyhooed debut was a hometown cowgirl. Shelby Boisjoli-Meged, of Langdon, Alta., was all smiles after winning Friday's event and forever etching her name in the rodeo's record books. 'I didn't really think about (making history),' said the smiling Boisjoli-Meged. 'But that is really cool to think about. And in terms of just having an event here … yeah … it's extra special for me. 'This is my hometown rodeo.' The Heritage Park entry makes it way down 9th Avenue during the Calgary Stampede Parade on Friday, July 4, 2025. Gavin Young/Postmedia Can't help it, sorry, but over three decades of watching the Calgary Stampede Parade I've not just been entertained every year, but often deeply moved. It's so purely, utterly, sweetly, cornily Canadian. That means more than ever in this first Stampede of the Donald Trump era. All of Canada was on proud display Friday — First Nations, dozens of ethnic Canadian groups, the Flames, the military, the veterans — together in one long, serpentine display of pride and goodwill. Stampede may bring an uptick in measles cases, say health experts, as large numbers of people gather in indoor and outdoor photo Calgary has largely evaded the brunt of the province's measles outbreak, but experts say an uptick in cases is likely as the city hosts the annual Stampede festivities. Organizers expect over 1.3 million people to visit the Stampede this year, locally, nationally and from around the world. Experts have long warned that measles is an especially infectious disease as the virus is airborne and can spread both indoors and outdoors. The virus can remain in the air for up to two hours after an infected person has left the space and those infected may only show symptoms days after they have contracted virus. 'One of the advantages of Stampede is that it brings a lot of us together to celebrate and have a good time,' said infectious disease specialist Dr. Craig Jenne. 'But unfortunately, that advantage is also something viruses can leverage to travel or transmit to perhaps part of the provinces that haven't yet seen cases.' Andie Johnston at the Calgary Stampede with a simple western look. Photo supplied A career as an influencer means Calgary-based TikToker Andie Johnston gets to combine two of her biggest passions: western fashion and her hometown. The Calgary Stampede, naturally, is her time to shine. 'I always wanted to work with fashion my entire life,' Johnston said. 'I also just really love Calgary. I adore this city.' Though not all of her content is specific to Calgary, for the weeks leading up to and during the Stampede, her videos are centered around western fashion — including her impressive collection of cowboy boots. Harry the Horse celebrated his 40th birthday at the start of the Grandstand Show at the Calgary Stampede on Thursday, July 3, 2025. Brent Calver/Postmedia The Calgary Stampede's most well-known steed, Harry the Horse, is celebrating his 40th anniversary with the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth. Harry the Horse debuted as the official mascot of the Stampede on March 14, 1985, at the Rodeo Royal, after replacing Jim Dandy and his horse, Nellie. Since his establishment four decades ago, Harry has secured a soft spot in Calgarians' hearts, said Bob Ell, current chair of the Stampede promotion committee. Artist Cherisse Mia was photographed at the Calgary Stampede's Art Showcase on Thursday, July 3, 2025. Gavin Young/Postmedia Roughly 12 years ago, Cherisse Mia decided she was going dedicate herself to art. Her children had grown up, so the self-taught Calgary artist committed herself to her practice full-time. She treated it as if she were taking art in university, buying all the books and supplies, and taking inspiration from artists such as early 20th-century Russian abstract painter Wassily Kandisnky and Austrian symbolist artist Gustav Klimt. She also made hundreds of sketches and set out to find her voice through trial and error. 'I started teaching myself full-time, just dived head on,' Mia says in an interview from her booth at the Western Oasis Art Show at the BMO Centre. 'I did painting every day for three years.' In 2017, she applied to get in to the Western Oasis Art Show, the annual Calgary Stampede gathering of dozens of artists. She didn't get in, so she opted to set up a booth on Stephen Avenue near the Calgary Convention Centre, which had a street market set up during the Stampede. 'I had to put up my booth and take it down every single day for the entire time,' Mia says. She caught the attention of someone who worked at the convention centre, who gave her a window to display her art. She eventually sold pieces to the centre. In 2018, Mia was accepted into the Stampede art show and has attended every year since. Jared Parsonage rides Ranhan during the Calgary Stampede rodeo on Friday, July 4, 2025. Photo by Darren Makowichuk / Postmedia When Jared Parsonage emerged as the top bull rider at the Calgary Stampede rodeo in 2023, he proclaimed that the third time was a charm. Having finished second in 2019 and third in 2022, Parsonage had extra motivation to finally capture the $50,000 prize and championship bronze statue. Now, he's on the hunt for more as one of 10 bull riders competing in Pool A from Friday to Saturday looking to lock down one of three coveted Championship Sunday spots on July 13. As the fourth competitor out of the chutes on Friday, Parsonage posted a respectable score of 81 points atop Ranhan to put him in second spot. He then watched on as Utah's Hayes Weight surpassed him with an 83-point performance on Smoke Show before Idaho's Tristen Hutchings had the ride of the afternoon and the best score of 88.5 on Alberta Prime Devil's Advocate. Visitors pass by the Yahoo sign on Family Day at the Calgary Stampede, Sunday July 7, 2024. Gavin Young/Postmedia From how to get to Stampede Park, when you can save money, highlights from the rodeo infield, where to dance up a storm and how to fill your belly, we have you covered with our ultimate Calgary Stampede visitor's guide. Ready to watch this year's Calgary Stampede Rodeo? This primer will help, whether you're a rodeo newbie or veteran. Pictured, Dawson Hay rides One More Reason during the Saddle Bronc event at day nine of the Calgary Stampede Rodeo in Calgary in 2023. Darren Makowichuk/Postmedia. The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth begins Friday at GMC Stadium, and with it comes the world's largest outdoor rodeo. The Calgary Stampede Rodeo features 210 of the globe's top cowboys and cowgirls competing for a prize purse of $2.17 million in 2025. Get the lowdown in the ins and out of the rodeo. Jason Glass cheers as he heads to the win and the overall championship in Heat 9 of the Rangeland Derby chuckwagon races at the Calgary Stampede on July 14, 2024. Mike Drew/Postmedia Chuckwagon historian and commentator Billy Melville said although the sport has been around for more than a century, the objective has always remained the same. 'Even though it's gone through a number of changes, there are three underlying principles that have guided the chuckwagon races since Day 1,' said Melville, who loves talking about the sport his grandfather, Orville Strandquist, excelled in at as both a driver and an outrider for seven decades up until the 1990s. 'A chuckwagon race does three things. Number one is that it tests the skill of the driver; number two is that it tests the skill of the outriders; and number three, it demonstrates the speed of the team. It's really no more complicated than that.' Country star Shania Twain will perform at the Saddledome on July 5. Dean Pilling/Postmedia While the Calgary Stampede is not likely to lose its boastful moniker 'The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth,' organizers of the 10-day spectacle have been taking great effort in recent years to add to its branding to emphasize there is more than a rodeo happening at Stampede Park. It is also being sold as 'The Greatest Music Festival in the West,' a testament to the eclectic music programming that takes over four venues on the Stampede grounds. More than 100 acts, including many that can be seen with the price of admission, will be playing over 10 days. The Calgary Stampede fireworks on July 13, 2023. Photo by Darren Makowichuk / Postmedia Where else can you watch fireworks 10 days in a row? Calgary has the special privilege of a spectacular nighttime show starting at around 11 p.m. from July 4 to 13 while the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth takes over the city. Want to know where you can best see the fireworks? Here are the four best spots to take in the Stampede fireworks from around the city. While not free, this option gets you the best possible view. The fireworks shoot off right after the Grandstand show ends and you can get the best close-up view while on the Midway or right outside the rodeo grounds. This spot has the best free vantage point. It is right across the river from the Stampede grounds in the community of Ramsey. Scotsman's Hill a very popular spot for fireworks viewing so show up early to find a spot to park and sit. Getting dropped off by a generous family member or a ride-share or taxi is a great option. A little farther north from Scotsman's Hill is Tom Campbell's Hill Natural Park. Near the Calgary Zoo, this spot still is close enough to give a great view of the fireworks. There is a parking lot on the north side of the park and is an 11-minute walk from the Calgary Zoo CTrain parking lot. The Max Bell Centre, on the edge of Albert Park and Radisson Heights, offers good views of the Stampede fireworks and a large parking lot.
Toronto Star
2 hours ago
- Toronto Star
Mark Carney, Pierre Poilievre to partake in competing Calgary Stampede events
CALGARY - Looking to shore up support at one of the summer's biggest political blowouts, Prime Minister Mark Carney and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre are scheduled to court supporters at the Calgary Stampede today. Carney, who strolled the Stampede grounds on Friday night, is scheduled to attend a pancake breakfast this morning and host a party fundraiser later in the day.
