As the only federal leader attending this year’s Calgary Stampede, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre enjoyed his own political rodeo by showcasing an election-style speech in which he took shots at his two main rivals—Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh—both of whom missed the 2024 “Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth,” and Poilievre’s rant targeting them.

“Soon you can imagine a caucus meeting of the NDP-Liberals in a phone booth with just Jag and Justin,” said Poilievre (Carleton, Ont.), referring to his oft-used yet false narrative that the Liberals and New Democrats are in a formal coalition.

He didn’t mention Green Leader Elizabeth May (Saanich-Gulf Islands, B.C.), who—in the 10 Stampedes she’s attended since she was first elected party leader in 2006—has preferred to flip pancakes rather than focus on politics at the event.

May, too, missed this year’s installment after fears about Calgary’s since-resolved water shortage prompted a schedule reorganization. May said she was saddened to miss Alberta’s annual summer extravaganza where, in 2009, she was chosen best-dressed leader wearing a Stetson, belt with big buckle, and cowboy boots—a year after she was named worst-dressed when she showed up dressed in a second-hand denim outfit.

Beyond the western fashion, Calgary’s Stampede is “a tremendously significant community and cultural event,” May told The Hill Times. “Literally thousands of volunteers work very, very hard—and there are very few communities in Canada that host anything that is on the same level as Stampede where the city of Calgary basically shuts down and everyone is doing Stampede.”

“I can’t think of anything that is a close parallel—Canada Day on Parliament, sure,” but, she added, opposition party leaders tend to be in their own ridings for July 1 festivities.

“It’s an interesting cultural phenomenon—and it’s so much fun,” added May, who has taken a pass attending any of the animal events, such as chuckwagon races and calf roping, due to her party’s viewing such activities as forms of animal cruelty.

In the first four days of competition at the Stampede, three animals died after being injured during chuckwagon races and the rodeo. The event is also facing public backlash following a $9.5-million class action settlement granted to 300 complainants who said the Calgary Stampede permitted an employee to sexually abuse young boys. The former staffer was sentenced in 2018 to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to charges including luring and sexual assault between 1992 and 2014. A judge approved the settlement on June 28, just days before the July 5-14 event.

May has flipped her share of flapjacks at Stampede free breakfasts where, given the “schmooze factor” in play, she got to know other politicians “across a grill,” such as Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and some of the province’s other past first ministers, such as Jason Kenney, Rachel Notley, and Alison Redford.

“It’s a place that can be a non-partisan gathering,” offered May. “You’ve got every politician of every stripe at the federal and provincial levels. You’ve got Conservatives, you’ve got Liberals. You’ve got New Democrats, you’ve got Greens. And everybody’s in a good mood.”

Lori Turnbull, a political scientist and a professor at Dalhousie University, said the Stampede is “a big event” that provides federal politicians with “an opportunity to connect with a part of the world that’s not Ottawa, that’s not Ontario, that’s not Quebec.”

“It’s important for federal leaders to show that they are not totally central-Canada-centric and are actually interested in this cultural event and can meet lots of people,” she said. “To me, it would be a no-brainer that a federal leader should go to that.” 

But the political headlines leading up this year’s event, which traces its roots back to 1886, focused more on the leaders who wouldn’t be attending.

With Calgary as Poilievre’s childhood hometown, and his parents and brother still living there, it was a given the Conservative leader would show up.

“It was almost like old-home week for him,” said Turnbull. “He was in a very politically friendly crowd, and wouldn’t miss it.”

Poilievre participated in the 112^th parade on horseback, riding alongside his wife, Ana, captured in the party-produced “great to be home” video. They also served pancakes. The couple addressed Conservatives at the party’s annual barbecue in a joint “common sense” speech in which Poilievre—wearing a white Stetson and matching T-shirt—decried “the woke ideology” he claimed Trudeau (Papineau, Que.) instituted when the prime minister “and the NDP took office.”

“He’s not here at the Stampede, is he? Is anybody missing him?” Poilievre asked the crowd, who responded on cue with a resounding “No.”

“But don’t feel offended, Calgary, that Justin Trudeau is hiding from you,” the Conservative leader continued. “He’s actually hiding from his own caucus, terrified to meet with the people who are supposed to be his greatest supporters.”

Following a devastating byelection loss in a safe Toronto Liberal riding last month, Trudeau has faced repeated calls to convene a caucus meeting to address concerns and next steps to shore up support as the party struggles in the polls. Liberal MPs, including several cabinet ministers, touched down in Calgary during the opening weekend.

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland (University-Rosedale, Ont.) flipped flapjacks and attended a breakfast hosted by the Filipino community. Small Business Minister Rechie Valdez (Mississauga-Streetsville, Ont.), Canada’s first Filipino-Canadian Member of Parliament and federal cabinet minister, joined her community in the Stampede Parade.

Also in attendance were the Liberals’ two Alberta MPs: Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault (Edmonton Centre, Alta.) and George Chahal (Calgary Skyview, Alta.), who hosted his third annual Stampede pancake breakfast.

Diversity Minister Kamal Khera (Brampton West, Ont.) helped out Chahal flipping pancakes.

Other cabinet members at the Stampede were Treasury Board President Anita Anand (Oakville, Ont.) and Mental Health and Addictions Minister Ya’ara Saks (York Centre, Ont.).

Freeland was unavailable for an interview, but spokesperson Katherine Cuplinskas highlighted in a statement that the government has supported the event with nearly $200-million.

“The Calgary Stampede is an economic driver that showcases the very best Alberta has to offer: hard-working farmers and ranchers, strong businesses and vibrant industries,” Cuplinskas said. “Federal representation matters, and we will always be there for Alberta and Albertans.”

The prime minister’s office did not respond to a request for comment as to why Trudeau would not be there in Calgary for the Stampede, which he has attended regularly in the past since becoming Liberal Party leader in 2013.

Lori Williams, a political scientist at Mount Royal University in Calgary, has some theories for the no-show despite the event being a “huge political opportunity.”

She said the prime minister has to “figure out what’s going on with his caucus, and bring people on board and hit the reset button for his party, which is obviously taking a lot of energy.”

“The second thing that might be in play is that he may not actually help by coming to Calgary,” said Williams, adding it could be “a bit awkward” given Chahal—whose Stampede pancake breakfast Trudeau has staffed for the past two years—is among MPs calling for an immediate, in-person national caucus meeting following the Toronto-St. Paul’s, Ont., loss to the Conservatives on June 24.

As CBC News reported, national caucus chair Brenda Shanahan (Châteauguay–Lacolle, Que.) shut down that request saying in a caucus email it was “impossible” to organize due to summertime “scheduling logistics.”

Williams speculated that with Chahal in Calgary, “perhaps Justin Trudeau doesn’t want too close an association with someone who is now publicly associated with the demand for an emergency caucus meeting.” 

She said the prime minister might prefer the safer photo-ops with fellow world leaders attending NATO’s 75th anniversary summit held in Washington, D.C., from July 9-11.

Because of those leadership challenges, “Trudeau is really carefully scripting his appearances,” she said.

“I think he’s going to play this summer extremely carefully because I think he’s trying to stretch out the time that he meets MPs. The choreography around his public appearances in Canada is going to be very strict and deliberate,” she said.

“But he’s the prime minister. It’s the Stampede.” 

An NDP spokesperson told The Hill Times on background that Singh (Burnaby South, B.C.) had been “unavailable” to attend the Stampede, but that he was in Calgary and Edmonton last month, and plans to “connect with Albertans during his ‘Change the rules’ tour this summer.”

However, Williams said Singh may have wanted to avoid his own awkward moment in Calgary where the city’s former mayor and newly elected provincial NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi has indicated his intention to ask his party’s membership to part ways with their federal counterparts.

That’s because Singh is associated being pro-environment, as well as “anti-oil-and-gas,” she said.

“That doesn’t fly very well in Alberta, and it could be a real liability showing up,” Williams explained. 

Gone are the days, said Williams, where federal leaders—such as the late NDP leader Jack Layton—could drop by the Stampede without any direct partisan considerations. Now, the focus is on federal and provincial seats at risk in Alberta. 

For Turnbull, it’s a troubling trend.

“I think it is not a good sign of the political times that we’re in that political leaders do not see enough value to go to places where it’s going to be hard for them,” she said. “Our politics are so microtargeted. ‘Do we have a chance of winning this riding? No? Okay, well then we’re going to go somewhere else. We’re going to places where we could score points and we’re not going to bother with the places that we’re not.’ It’s so transactional.”

The Stampede, meanwhile, is the perfect playground for the Conservatives—who hold 30 of the province’s 34 seats in the House of Commons—to connect with their electoral base.

The Hill Times reached out to Poilievre’s office as well as to several Conservative MPs about the summer festival but did not hear back.

Conservative MP Greg McLean (Calgary Centre, Alta.) posted a photo of four of his colleagues—Jasraj Singh Hallan (Calgary Forest Lawn, Alta.), Tom Kmiec (Calgary Shepard, Alta.), Stephanie Kusie (Calgary Midnapore, Alta.) and Pat Kelly (Calgary Rocky Ridge, Alta.)—on the Stampede Parade bandwagon.

Still, Williams credited Trudeau for visiting Alberta, a province generally considered a “fly-over” by federal leaders, even during election campaigns, and not one where the prime minister or the Liberals have much political support.

“He’s just stubbornly refused to let that deter him,” she said of Trudeau. “He came here when he had no seats—and has a couple, which is not enough to make a huge difference in the House. It’s just a matter of refusing to fly over Alberta the way so many politicians do, and that’s been appreciated by Calgarians and Albertans who are not necessarily Liberal supporters or party members.”

The Hill Times