Stampede

I am in the lovely City of Calgary today celebrating Stampede, well, working AND celebrating. My office mates are wearing hats and boots and western dress. I crossed a street in downtown cowtown behind a horse at lunch. There are parties, parties, and more parties. It is very cool! Even though I am an Albertan from birth, I didn’t realize what a big deal Stampede is.

Stampede often serves as an excellent analogy for our Alberta politicians. Evidence of this can be found in the Alberta Hansard from March 5, speaking about the budget and the economy:

This is a rollercoaster ride. It’s a seven-ticket ride on the Conklin midway at the Stampede. It’s going to go on for a while yet. There are a few loopthe-loops in there and some nasty surprises. There are going to be times when your stomach is above your head. We just don’t know what all the twists and turns on the ride are and when and where it’s going to end.

For those interested in reading Stampede analogies from all Canadian jurisdictions, remember the lovely Queen’s University Canada Legislation table which includes links to all of the assembly documents for the country. Simon F. posted about this site in 2007, but I like reminders of great sources.

I am off to shine up my boots .