The world famous "Calgary Stampede" is happening this week. 10 days of drunken debauchery and steer wrestling. Calgary is extremely proud of its western heritage and there is infact much to be proud of. Today however, the stampede consists of a midway park with rides and foods pumped full of transfats that cost as much as a pair of Gucci sunglasses. Concerts happen each night, although this year Jon Bon Jovi is one of the headliners - I don't quite see the connection... There is a rodeo with the required Bull Riding, Saddle Bronc, Calf Roping, Barrel Racing and the Chuchwagon races... Millions of people come from all over the world just to see real cowfolk.
Ironically Calgarians either embrace or shun the stampede. Those who embrace it get dressed up in all manner of western gear. Some outfits look legit, others look like poorly designed and rather dated Halloween costumes made for adults. Judging by the fact that I call them "outfits" you can safely bet that I don't a pair of Wranglers, roppers, a white stetson or a bejewelled rodeo shirt. All the big Oil and Gas entities have elaborate parties, the small businesses and community groups have smaller ones... starting at 6 or 7 am, literally hundreds (sometimes thousands) of people will line up - rather like cattle - to have a free sausage, a pancake and some tang (aka OJ) with a bunch of strangers in the spirit of the west. I guess its all good if it makes people happy.
I'm amazed in a city of over a million people that you'll find thousands of people absolutely pissed out of their trees "square dancing" in the streets by noon and that dozens of roads around the city are blocked off by bales of hay to indicate that stampede parties and pancake breakfasts are occuring. People apparently "network" and "do business" at these events. I've never been so much as able to find a place to sit let alone come to a deal with someone.
The stampede party beside the office building where I work has daily parties that start at 9 am and go until 4 am. This year in a new and classy move, those who are married can check their wedding rings at the door and have a spray tan cover the white ring mark left by the wedding band upon entry. That's right. One of Calgary's biggest and most well promoted parties also advertizes this fact... come, spend a couple hundred dollars on booze and tackarama and hopefully get laid by a complete stranger amongst a crowd of several thousand... all the while, across the street there are hundreds of underpaid and over worked people working for the homeless, the elderly, the United Way sponsored programs, those with mental health struggles, disabilities...
I attended a "party" last year as a "Charity of Choice" had a table set up to let people know that they could make donations to the charity and that all donations raised at the event would benefit the group. The party cost almost $300,000 and had over 2,500 of Calgary's most prominent lawyers, judges, movers and shakers and after 8 hours of "working" the crowd - the charity got a cheque for not quite $2,500. Yep - about a dollar a person.
There's something wrong when millions of people come to see the best that Calgary and Western Canada has to offer and you check your wedding ring at the door, spend hundreds of dollars on booze and candy apples, wear ridiculous and ill fitted clothes, leave a city blocked and covered in horse crap and through it all in the face of those who have not, who struggle and battle daily to meet their most essential and basic needs.
Maybe tomorrow I'll be in a better mood and "catch the true spirit of the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth"
Hmmm...
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