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Calgary Stampede celebrates Alberta’s western heritage and identity. (CTV News) Calgary Stampede celebrates Alberta’s western heritage and identity. (CTV News) <\/p>\nFor more than a century, the Calgary Stampede has evolved from a celebration of the West\u2019s ranching and frontier heritage into one of Canada\u2019s largest festivals, bringing together rodeo, agriculture, Indigenous culture and western traditions.<\/p>\n
For longtime volunteer Will Irvine, that evolution has never changed what the Stampede represents.<\/p>\n
Cattle broker by trade, Irvine also helps operate the vintage wagon rides.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have a team of horses. We\u2019re going with nine wagons, and we go downtown,\u201d he said. \u201cWe take tourists for a ride around the city.\u201d<\/p>\n
The rides offer visitors a chance to experience a piece of Alberta\u2019s western heritage.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis morning we had people from Brazil, Ukraine, Venezuela, New Zealand, Australia,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
For Irvine, the Stampede isn\u2019t just a 10-day festival. He said it reflects Alberta\u2019s culture, celebrates its ranching roots and is part of who he is.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a steer show, there\u2019s the Cowboy Up Challenge. There\u2019s so many things that are part of the ranching and the livestock community,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The Stampede was founded in 1912 by American-born cowboy and showman Guy Weadick, who envisioned a celebration of the culture, traditions and spirit of the Canadian West.<\/p>\n
That legacy continues at Elbow River Camp on the Stampede grounds.<\/p>\n
Shawn Runner of the TsuuT\u2019ina First Nation said his family\u2019s connection to the Stampede stretches back to its earliest days.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m a legacy teepee holder. My great-grandfather, Chief Big Billy, was one of the first individuals that were a part of Guy Weadick\u2019s exhibition, Calgary Stampede. He was invited. And we always try and keep that legacy up.\u201d<\/p>\n
Calgary Stampede celebrates Alberta’s western heritage and identity. (CTV News) Calgary Stampede celebrates Alberta’s western heritage and identity. (CTV News) <\/p>\n
Runner said the Stampede gives Treaty 7 First Nations an opportunity to share their history and culture with visitors.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a highlight for all First Nations because we get that opportunity to show the world exactly where First Nations people come from, their survivals, their ability to adapt.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another organization helping preserve those traditions is Little Pro Rodeo, located in the Kids Zone on the Stampede midway.<\/p>\n
Founder Nikky Passmore said the group introduces children and families to rodeo, while explaining the practical ranching skills behind many of its events.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re bridging the gap between the urban and the rural,\u201d she said. \u201cWe travel to fairs and festivals not only in Alberta but across the country. We are showcasing rodeo as the sport as well as the ranching purpose behind it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, explaining, you know, tie-down roping has a purpose on the ranch. It\u2019s showcased in rodeo so that we can have a little bit of fun with it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Seven-year-old Lawreena Safi and her 11-year-old brother Ozair both tried out the scaled-down versions of the rodeo events in their western gear.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love being a cowgirl,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The Stampede also attracts visitors eager to experience Alberta\u2019s western culture firsthand.<\/p>\n
Maeva Quesada and Eliot Venturini, who are from France and have spent the past year working in Canada, including on several Alberta ranches, said attending the Stampede was a highlight of their time in the province.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe rodeo is insane. So, we really enjoy it a lot,\u201d Quesada said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlberta is the best place for us for the Western culture,\u201d Venturini said.<\/p>\n
For Irvine, watching visitors embrace the Stampede\u2019s traditions is what keeps him coming back year after year.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just love the Stampede. I really do.\u201d<\/p>\n
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