Politicians flip pancakes for Calgary Stampede as part of summer barbecue circuit

Matthew Scace · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Jul 04, 2025 8:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 4 hours ago

The archetypal governmental pancakes were flipped Thursday arsenic enactment leaders from astir Canada stitchery for the Calgary Stampede — a can't-miss lawsuit for politicos trying to enactment up enactment for elections adjacent and far.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek led an aboriginal greeting assemblage done a bid of "yahoos" and donned aprons for the accepted flapjack flip that informally heralds the commencement of the rodeo that dubs itself The Greatest Outdoor Show connected Earth.

"When the vigor is coming disconnected the griddle and you're intensely competing to person the champion pancakes, archetypal it's fierce competition, and past it's a small spot of camaraderie," Gondek said soon aft joining Smith to flip pancakes into a waiting tray.

WATCH | Politicians footwear disconnected Stampede astatine 'First Flip':

The 2 successfully tossed the flapjacks without a hitch, proving themselves amended with the batter than Alberta Tourism Minister Andrew Boitchenko. He sent 1 disconnected the tin's rim, bringing Smith, his boss, to swoop successful and scoop it to information with a spatula.

Smith, clad successful a jean overgarment and bluish cowboy hat, posed for photos and did high-fives betwixt pancake flips.

"Stampede is perfectly our past — it's our culture, it's our past, it's our present, it's our future, it is unfastened to perfectly everyone," she said.

Summer barbecue circuit underway

The 10-day lawsuit is an yearly staple for politicos of each stripes arsenic they deed what's commonly known arsenic the summertime barbecue circuit, with their ain problems and goals simmering successful the background.

"If you privation to marque nationalist quality successful July, this is the spot to bash it," said Lori Williams, governmental idiosyncratic astatine Mount Royal University successful Calgary. "Everybody shows up."

Prime Minister Mark Carney is scheduled to big a enactment fundraising lawsuit connected Saturday with Energy Minister Tim Hodgson and Emergency Management Minister Eleanor Olszewski.

Federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is besides hosting a Saturday barbecue.

Alongside the Stampede looms the upcoming Aug. 18 byelection successful Battle River-Crowfoot, the agrarian Alberta riding successful which Poilievre is moving aft losing his Ottawa spot successful the caller national election.

Williams said Poilievre's attendance volition beryllium a nonstop effort to tribunal voters successful a immense riding, viewed to beryllium 1 of the safest successful the state for the party. He has precocious visited towns successful the riding, posting photos connected societal media from Stettler and Sedgewick.

The byelection involves "a assemblage that Stampede is each about," Williams said. "It volition person greater immediacy than astir Stampedes. It's conscionable astir pressing soma and making connections."

But antithetic leaders effort to marque antithetic connections.

Alberta Opposition NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi said helium calls Stampede a "political petting zoo" and to get distant from that, helium says helium has encouraged his caucus to sojourn each religion pancake meal they can.

Nenshi, the erstwhile Calgary mayor, arrives having precocious won a spot successful the Alberta legislature but successful a combat for his enactment to marque gains successful the polls against Smith's UCP.

"Last twelvemonth was funny, due to the fact that aft 2 years of glorious status [from the politician job] and taking Stampede easy, I had conscionable been elected [NDP] leader, truthful I walked into Stampede similar I owned the place," Nenshi said.

"A fewer radical had to say, 'You know, you're not the politician anymore.' But I'm feeling large astir it — this is the champion clip of year."

Smith, meanwhile, is trying to negociate the caller emergence of 2 caller blimpish parties — 1 that's seeking to woo separatists and the different championed by 2 ex-caucus members hoping to pull centrist conservatives they accidental person been abandoned by Smith.

"The much [Smith] leans to placate those connected the far-right fringe of her party, the much challenging it could go for her to clasp the centre successful a wide election," Williams said.

"That, I think, is her continuing governmental challenge."

Gondek, meanwhile, said she had much than a twelve events scheduled for Thursday, and that fig volition lone ascent implicit the adjacent 10 days arsenic she ramps up a re-election bid successful October.

She said the cardinal is taking things 1 sip astatine a time.

"You gotta enactment hydrated," said Gondek. "You gotta portion a ton of water."