Though the sky offered little in the form of sunny ways, Stampede-goers were overjoyed for Prime Minister Justin’s Trudeau’s first visit to the festival as head of state Friday.
Torrential rains poured down before Trudeau stepped onstage at the Stampede Grandstand, with lightning streaking the sky and thunder rattling the stadium that was packed Friday afternoon with cowboys, rodeo fans and families with kids.
Jenna Field, 23, and Mackenzie Olson, 19, said they didn’t know Trudeau was coming, but were thrilled to have snagged a photo with the prime minister.
“He was so nice,” Field said, smiling despite having been drenched by the storm.
“We waved and he ran over.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau walks through the crowd during the start of the rodeo at the Calgary Stampede in Calgary, Alta., on Friday July 15, 2016. Leah Hennel/Postmedia
Trudeau, accompanied by his daughter, 7-year-old Ella-Grace, stood onstage for the national anthem and the opening of the rodeo before retreating to a private suite to watch the competition.
The pair were decked out in western attire, with Ella-Grace wearing a tiny, pink cowgirl hat.
Though many in the audience were excited to Trudeau, the response wasn’t all enthusiastic. Boos could be heard from the other side of the stadium, and as Trudeau left the Grandstand, 60-year-old Auvo Wahlberg yelled for him to hurry up on the issue of pipelines.
With a tight smile, Trudeau waved and said, “Working on it.”
Wahlberg said he was glad for the chance to communicate with Trudeau directly.
“I wasn’t yelling at him, I had to yell for him to hear me,” he said.
“It’s good that he’s here … He might be OK, eventually.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau enjoys a ride with daughter Ella-Grace at the Calgary Stampede in Calgary, Alta., on Friday July 15, 2016.
Ella-Grace and her father spent some time enjoying the midway as well, testing out some of the rides.
Though a few people gathered to watch and ask for photos, the majority only shot a curious glance in their direction before continuing on their way.
Nora McCluskey, 10, and her eight-year-old sister Claire had the chance to go on the Deep Sea Adventure submarine ride with the Trudeaus.
“It was super cool and fun,” said Claire.
“And we got to ride for free,” added her mom, Lisa.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau enjoys a ride with daughter Ella-Grace at the Calgary Stampede in Calgary, Alta., on Friday July 15, 2016.
Lighthearted as the trip was, with Ella-Grace and her father joking around as they enjoyed the grounds, the visit had more serious moments, too.
The pair joined elders at the Sweetgrass Lodge at Enmax Park in a traditional prayer, accepting an eagle feather as a gift, before shaking hands with the group and digging into a mountainous platter of bannock.
The visit was historic, as no sitting prime minister had ever visited the Indian Village before.
Trudeau spoke of a “renewed relationship” between the federal government and Canada’s First Nations people based on reconciliation and respect.
“Thank you for the hard work that we are all going to do in the coming years,” he said.
“It’s not going to be easy for Canada, it’s not going to be easy for Indigenous people.”
The Prime Minister did not take questions from media.
But Ellery Starlight, a teepee owner and council member for the Tsuu T’ina Nation, said the visit was incredibly meaningful, since no previous prime minister had made the effort to do so before.
“Him coming and making visits not just to his people, but to us, is significant,” Starlight said.
“It makes us feel a lot better. It makes us feel that we have good neighbours.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and daughter Ella-Grace leave Indian Village at the Calgary Stampede in Calgary, Alta., on Friday July 15, 2016.
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