Latest news with #Cowley
Calgary Herald
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Calgary Herald
Calgary Stampede close to breaking attendance record as 2025 event wraps up
Article content 'It sounds like they are all recovering,' Cowley said, adding a CPS investigation is ongoing and no arrests have been made. Article content 'This was a targeted altercation,' he added. 'That's incredibly disheartening for an event like ours that is supposed to be a celebration, that someone would come on grounds and look to do harm to others.' Article content Cowley said Stampede security protocols are reviewed daily in collaboration with the Stampede's security team and Calgary police. Article content Article content The 2025 Stampede saw several attendance milestones. TC Energy Community Day drew more than 193,000 guests, the second-highest single-day total in Stampede history. BMO Kids Day set another attendance record, welcoming more than 161,000 visitors. Article content Seventy-three per cent of visitors were from the Calgary area, on par with last year's numbers. 'We take pride in that,' Cowley said. 'This is a community celebration where Calgarians can come together and celebrate fellowship and share an experience.' Article content Article content Article content Cowley said the remaining 27 per cent of attendees coming from outside Calgary represents a major boost to the local economy, pointing to increased hotel booking and visitor spending. 'That money is coming to Calgary, and it would not otherwise come to Calgary if it weren't for the Calgary Stampede.' Article content He cited numbers from the Calgary Hotel Association showing occupancy increased by 2.4 per cent over 2024, with roughly 10,000 more people staying in hotels this year. Article content The Stampede is set to wrap up Sunday night with a celebration of Indigenous culture at the Stampede Powwow at the Saddledome. Article content 'Calgary showed up' Article content According to early results from an internal visitor survey, the Rangeland Derby received the highest satisfaction rating of the Calgary Stampede's programming, with 80 per cent of respondents giving it a perfect score, Cowley said. Other popular attractions included the relay race, the Grandstand Show, the rodeo and the Dog Bowl. Article content 'We're very proud of the offering that we put forth this year,' Cowley said. 'Our focus is truly on providing the greatest experience we can to everyone who steps on park. Article content 'It is a decision to come to Stampede Park, and we want to make that decision as easy as possible.'
Winnipeg Free Press
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
‘Uniquely Canadian': Stampede begins with parade led by country star Shania Twain
CALGARY – The Old West will be on full display as thousands clad in tassels, boots and buckles march through city streets today to kick off the Calgary Stampede. Country superstar Shania Twain will saddle up and lead the parade on horseback before performing Saturday at the Scotiabank Saddledome. The Stampede runs until July 13. The 'Man! I Feel Like a Woman' singer, who was raised in Timmins, Ont., last took the stage at the Stampede in 2014. Twain, 59, is country music's top-selling female artist, according to Billboard. She is currently a judge on Citytv's 'Canada's Got Talent.' Her long string of hits includes 'That Don't Impress Me Much,' 'Any Man of Mine' and 'Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?' 'I can't think of a better parade marshal,' said Joel Cowley, the Stampede's chief executive. 'We expect to see 300,000-plus lining the streets once again. What a great way to kick off the Calgary Stampede.' People have traditionally arrived hours before the parade begins to get good seats. Stampede Park has been busy for the past week as crews assemble midway rides and concession stands. Gregg Korek with North American Midway Entertainment will be making his 49th appearance at the Stampede. He likens it to getting ready for the prom. 'We're just putting on the corsage right now,' he said. Growing up in Calgary, Korek joined the midway group as a teen. 'I always say I like all of our fairs exactly the same, but I like this one a little bit better because I'm a Calgarian.' Cowley said Stampede attracted almost 1.5 million visitors last year. Of that number, he said about 73 per cent were from the Calgary area. Another nine per cent were from Alberta and 10 per cent were other Canadians. The rest came from the United States or other countries. Weekly A weekly look at what's happening in Winnipeg's arts and entertainment scene. With Canadians unhappy about tariffs from the U.S., Cowley said domestic visitors could be higher this year. 'It is an international event, and I would think this year we would see a lot of Canadians looking for a Canadian vacation to come here to the Calgary Stampede,' he said. The first Stampede was in 1912, and Cowley said the event stays true to its agricultural roots. 'It's really something that needs to be experienced. At the heart of what we do is agriculture and Western heritage,' he said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 4, 2025.
Hamilton Spectator
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
‘Uniquely Canadian': Stampede begins with parade led by country star Shania Twain
CALGARY - The Old West will be on full display as thousands clad in tassels, boots and buckles march through city streets today to kick off the Calgary Stampede. Country superstar Shania Twain will saddle up and lead the parade on horseback before performing Saturday at the Scotiabank Saddledome. The Stampede runs until July 13. The 'Man! I Feel Like a Woman' singer, who was raised in Timmins, Ont., last took the stage at the Stampede in 2014. Twain, 59, is country music's top-selling female artist, according to Billboard. She is currently a judge on Citytv's 'Canada's Got Talent.' Her long string of hits includes 'That Don't Impress Me Much,' 'Any Man of Mine' and 'Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?' 'I can't think of a better parade marshal,' said Joel Cowley, the Stampede's chief executive. 'We expect to see 300,000-plus lining the streets once again. What a great way to kick off the Calgary Stampede.' People have traditionally arrived hours before the parade begins to get good seats. Stampede Park has been busy for the past week as crews assemble midway rides and concession stands. Gregg Korek with North American Midway Entertainment will be making his 49th appearance at the Stampede. He likens it to getting ready for the prom. 'We're just putting on the corsage right now,' he said. Growing up in Calgary, Korek joined the midway group as a teen. 'I always say I like all of our fairs exactly the same, but I like this one a little bit better because I'm a Calgarian.' Cowley said Stampede attracted almost 1.5 million visitors last year. Of that number, he said about 73 per cent were from the Calgary area. Another nine per cent were from Alberta and 10 per cent were other Canadians. The rest came from the United States or other countries. With Canadians unhappy about tariffs from the U.S., Cowley said domestic visitors could be higher this year. 'It is an international event, and I would think this year we would see a lot of Canadians looking for a Canadian vacation to come here to the Calgary Stampede,' he said. The first Stampede was in 1912, and Cowley said the event stays true to its agricultural roots. 'It's really something that needs to be experienced. At the heart of what we do is agriculture and Western heritage,' he said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 4, 2025. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Calgary Herald
03-07-2025
- Business
- Calgary Herald
Financial Post Economic impact from Calgary Stampede at heart of growing tourism targets
Tourism Calgary has its eyes on the prize of growing the city to $6 billion in annual visitor revenue by 2035, more than double last year's $2.9 billion. Article content Massive economic impact from the Calgary Stampede has become the cornerstone of that target. With more international eyes on Calgary than it has seen in decades during the recent G7 leaders' summit in Kananaskis, the city hopes to stick the Stampede landing and translate the worldwide attention into long-term economic growth. Article content Article content Article content Calgary has already been a hot spot for travel so far this summer. According to Tourism Calgary CEO Alisha Reynolds, the city is coming off a 'record-setting hotel revenue month in May, where occupancy citywide hit a 13-year record at 73.2 per cent.' Article content Article content 'Stampede visitations and hotel stays specifically are looking very strong, and are pacing where they were last year in the record-setting year, and in some cases ahead,' Reynolds said. Article content Deborah Yedlin, CEO and president of the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, says the yearly Stampede canvas auction has always been an indicator of Calgary's economic outlook. The event allows corporate sponsors to bid on the chance to advertise on chuckwagon tarps over the course of the Rangeland Derby. This year, it broke records for the highest average bid and combined to the second highest all-time pot at $3.84 million, just below the Stampede's centennial anniversary in 2012. Article content Article content More premium seating planned at grandstand Article content Article content Calgary Stampede CEO Joel Cowley says tickets for the rodeo and evening show are outpacing last year's record, with premium grandstand seating already on an extensive waiting list. They're tearing down a structure on the north end of the GMC Stadium to build more, as soon as this year's Stampede ends. Article content 'We'll add seven new suites and a party deck on top to help meet that demand,' Cowley said. 'That's going to be ready for 2026.' Article content The building currently houses broadcast production, judges and EMTs in the space, although Cowley says the new construction will house all three in addition to the new suites. He says that no regular seating is being sacrificed for the sake of premium spaces, and that the only thing being relocated is a room that the Calgary Stampede chuckwagon and relay committee uses to host during the rodeo and evening shows.
The Star
24-06-2025
- Science
- The Star
Curbing animal flatulence with seaweed, to help the planet
It is barely visible, and needs no irrigation or fertilisers: lying off the coast of Australia is a vast seaweed crop destined to curb livestock's climate-altering flatulence and belches. The underwater farm stretches across 1,800 hectares in the Tasman Sea, about 10 minutes off the portside town of Triabunna in the island state of Tasmania. Beneath the waves are forests of asparagopsis, a native red seaweed abundant in Tasmanian coastal waters which is rich in the organic compound bromoform. More than 40 studies have shown that the seaweed can lower methane emissions from livestock when added to fodder or grain, said Fran Cowley, researcher at Australia's University of New England. SeaForest's headquarters in Triabunna, Tasmania. According to the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), emissions from ruminants and manure management practices account for more than 32% of the world's methane emissions related to human activity. 'When we look at gold-standard measurement of methane inhibition, asparagopsis is able to achieve almost complete suppression of methane suppression – so, 95%,' said Cowley, professor of livestock production and a leading researcher into ruminants. While far less abundant in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide, methane is about 80 times more potent over a 20-year timescale at warming the planet. But its lifespan is shorter, making it an important lever in attempts to limit global warming. Elsom at the company's headquarters. Juicy meat Cowley led one of the longest experiments into asparagopsis, held over 200 days in bovine feed lots in the eastern state of Queensland. Results published in August 2024 showed emissions from the animals were halved over that period when compared to animals that received no supplements. The outcome indicated an improvement from a previous study, one of the most advanced in the field at the time, in which emissions from a Japanese herd were reduced by 28%. The bromoform within the seaweed affects the digestive system and curbs the animals' burps and farts without impacting their health or the quality of the resulting food products, Cowley said. Bromoform is a concern because at high levels it has been considered to be carcinogenic in rats, and potentially humans, she said. But researchers found it was degraded in the stomachs of grazing animals. 'So there is no accumulation of bromoform in the meat or in the milk because it's only coming in at a relatively low dose to start with,' Cowley said. 'All the studies that have been done on meat have shown absolutely no accumulation of bromoform, or any impact on the taste, or the tenderness, or the juiciness of meat.' Studies had shown that any damage to the animals' rumen – a chamber in the stomach that breaks down plants – was no worse than in those fed a grain-based feedlot diet, she said. SeaForest's headquarters in Triabunna, Tasmania. 'Enabling force' In Triabunna, Sea Forest's marine farm produces feed supplements from the seaweed: oils, pellets and 'lick blocks' – a solid form that animals can lick to consume. Sea Forest founder and chief executive Sam Elsom turned to seaweed farming in 2019, after about 15 years in the textile industry. The company wants to be the 'enabling force' to make agricultural products sustainable without extra costs to farmers and consumers, said. The seaweed is grown partly in the open sea and partly in filtered seawater ponds on land, which are easier to replicate elsewhere in the world and allow growers to control light, nutrients and the availability of carbon. Sea Forest is already working with Tasmanian dairy company Ashgrove and Australian burger chain Grill'd, and had signed an agreement last year with British supermarket chain Morrisons, Elsom said. It also held 'encouraging' talks with some French dairy producers and was in the process of registering its seaweed products with the European Food Safety Authority, he said. A SeaForest employee observing an algae sample under a microscope. One of the big challenges was cost to farmers, who need financial incentives and support to make the effort to lower livestock methane emissions worthwhile, Elsom said. The ocean provides an 'amazing natural resource' for food security, he said. 'About 71% of the Earth's surface is surrounded by the ocean, and seaweed require zero inputs: No irrigation, no fertiliser, no pesticides. 'So, it can grow up to 30 times faster than land-based plants. It's very exciting.' – /AFP
