On this date in 2013, much of Calgary’s downtown was underwater from the greatest flood ever to hit southern Alberta. City hall, with provincial help, worked furiously to make the Calgary Stampede happen. A slimmed-down version opened on schedule. It was a stunning feat of united action by governments and the Stampede, then led by CEO Vern Kimball. The rallying cry was “Hell or High Water,” commemorated on T-shirts still worn proudly. The task seemed impossible, but Calgary did it.
Prelude to Stampede 2026: Political conflict over noise
But the prelude to Stampede 2026 makes me furious. Conservative politicians are dishing out the worst pre-Stampede publicity ever. The city and the province are locked in mortal combat over noise from music in and around party tents through the downtown and the new west-end Cowboys Park. City hall brought in new rules to tamp down noise earlier, responding to hundreds of complaints about noise and disorder.
Paul Vickers, the force behind Cowboys, wrote a blistering piece in the Herald, accusing the city of collapsing the party scene and costing hundreds of jobs. What happened next showed how far politics has sunk since 2013. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Canada’s Official Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre backed Vickers and attacked Mayor Jeromy Farkas.
Politicians’ statements and economic impact
“Looks like the fun police have struck again in Calgary, this time targeting the Calgary Stampede music scene,” Smith said. “By reducing allowable noise levels and shutting shows down early on weeknights, the city will negatively affect hundreds of workers and create additional public safety and crowd-management problems due to guests leaving in a shorter time frame.” That’s an apocalyptic view of the economic effect. She didn’t mention the social harm to thousands of downtown residents who feel they’re in a nightly torture chamber.
Nonetheless, Poilievre piled on. “City hall gatekeepers are making a big mistake killing jobs, smothering country music culture, and cutting back performances at the world-famous Cowboys celebration during the Calgary Stampede. Millions flock to the Stampede because IT IS FUN to stay up late and listen to loud music. That brings nearly a billion dollars in tourism and excitement for the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth,” he said.
Calgary MP Michelle Rempel, former opposition leader Rona Ambrose Veitch, and Coun. Dan McLean, who seeks a UCP nomination, added their own disdain.
Who is really hurting the Stampede?
So, who’s hurting the Stampede? I’d say it’s these pop-cork leaders who tell the world Stampede won’t be fun anymore. They — not city hall — say the fun is gone, the jobs are vanishing, country music culture is under dire threat of obliteration. If attendance does drop, if legions stay away, it will be their fault, not city hall’s for making a bylaw adjustment. This public talk of fun dying in a silent beer tent is just plain stupid.
In all the blizzard of social media action, I was taken by a comment from Les Stelmach, son of former premier Ed Stelmach.
