This is my second Stampede and I’m starting to get the hang of things. I can definitely say that Calgary is NOT a one horse town. 

We got up early for the kick-off breakfast. The Grand Marshall of the Stampede is Rick Hansen. He gave one of his moving and emotional speeches. I’ve said it before, but he is a real Canadian treasure. 

Then it was on to the parade. There were hundreds of thousands of people lining the parade route. It started with the Royal Couple. Rick Hansen rolled the whole route in this chair. Then there were horses, wagons, floats, bands, and every manner of entertainment. The Stampede is known as the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth and I’m not about to disagree. 

We then went to the Calgary Zoo to see the Royal Couple off from Canada. Having been lucky enough to be at four events during their nine-day Canada tour I am reminded of a great line from Premier Dalton McGuinty last year as he accompanied the Queen to several events on her tour. At one event he got up to speak and he said that he had been traveling around with the Queen and it was amazing how many people had been showing up to see him. Same deal. Everywhere I went with the Duke and Duchess there were huge crowds. No doubt for me!  (For those of you who don’t get my jokes — both Premier McGuinty and I are kidding!!!) 

Next I went to watch some rodeo. The people in the store were right. No one made fun of my skeleton shirt — at least not to my face. We spent the afternoon watching the festivities with Jim and Karen Prentice, Steve Snyder of TransAlta, and a bunch of friends including Ambassador Gary Doer.  

I finished the day with a late night dinner with Ambassador Doer, his wife Ginny, one of my predecessors Ambassador Gordon Giffin, and his wife Patty. We compared “ambassador notes” and settled a few bets. Great fun. But we had to get to bed. Tomorrow, Ambassador Doer and I fly to Halifax for the Eastern Premieres and the New England Governors’ Conference.  

DJ