Stampede fun exactly what we need to blow off a little steam
My first job was in housewares at Woodward's and one of the hot items then was the Presto pressure cooker. Today, they come with an electric cord, but they are still the same and people who use them still worry about them blowing up. That virtually never happens, because of the little pressure valve on top that releases steam at just the right moment to prevent kitchen destruction.
For the past 16 months, it feels as if we have been living in a pressure cooker. The hourly news begins with the presentation of COVID-19 statistics, then the tragedy of unmarked graves, followed by the breathless announcements by the prime minister of some initiative designed to save the world at the expense of Canadians, and now the insanity of having to create a lottery to encourage people to obtain a vaccine designed to save their own lives and the health of those around them.
If all of that isn't enough to make your pressure pot explode, you can always add in the latest person to be offended by some comment made by someone, often innocently, or the ongoing rhetoric of people who want to cancel the celebration of Canada Day.
Where is our relief valve? Well, for me, on July 9, in whatever form it may take, it will be the Greatest Outdoor Show On Earth, the Calgary Stampede. We can put on our freshly shined boots, cowboy hats and crisp, western shirts for no other reason than to just enjoy our history. For over a hundred years, the Stampede has been a great equalizer for millions of people. You might be the president of a huge company or a worker on a simple job site, you
It is impossible to go to any quadrant of our city and not be aware that the Stampede is on.
can all rub shoulders together and enjoy the spirit.
The relationship of the Calgary Stampede with our Indigenous Peoples is something that we are proud of, and no matter how far we still have to go in our relations with others, we can look back at Guy Weadick as one of the individuals who recognized a hundred years ago the importance of working with Treaty 7 nations in building a new relationship. If you have not visited the Elbow River Crossing at Stampede Park, this should be the year. There will be a major turnout of First Nations families this year and the camp provides a living history of the people who were first on this land. This is a place to take your children and spend some time. They will learn, but they will also be intrigued and thrilled with what they see there.
Of course, the Stampede has its critics, but that does not detract from the sense of community the city feels during those 10 days. In almost every city with a major festival, you need to go to the fairgrounds to experience the event; but not in Calgary. It is impossible to go to any quadrant of our city and not be aware that the Stampede is on. From breakfasts to barbecues to just simple community celebrations, a cowboy hat seems to be all we need to know that we are all in this fight together. My favourite words are “The Calgary Stampede is not an event, it is a culture.” A culture of handshake honesty, western values and, yes, respect for each other, for our similarities and our differences.
We all need a break from being afraid to shake hands or hug each other. We need a break from a continual stream of uncertainty and to have a chance to celebrate all that is amazing and great about our city, our province and our country.
Let's take 10 days in July and celebrate that in spite of our faults and our issues, we still live in the greatest nation on earth, and no matter what your heritage might be, I will guess that you are not trying to get back there.
This is it. Time to blow off a little steam.