Danielle Smith to host Calgary Stampede breakfast after mixed reception at parade

The increased cost of living hasn’t stopped these Canadians from visiting the Calgary Stampede, but they’re keeping a strict budget. Kathy Le reports.

Danielle Smith will have a bright-and-early start today flipping pancakes at the Premier’s Stampede Breakfast in Calgary.

The annual event at the McDougall Centre typically includes cabinet ministers and caucus members, and the premier’s office said about 4,000 people attended last year.

Staff say last year’s turnout was the largest in over a decade.

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During the Calgary Stampede parade on Friday, Smith heard both cheers and jeers while riding shotgun on a horse-drawn wagon that clip-clopped through the city’s downtown.

The parade came a day after Smith and Prime Minister Mark Carney jointly announced a new West Coast pipeline proposal, which she framed as a nation-building project.

Smith has enjoyed strong poll support in her term, though those numbers have slipped amid the recent debate on whether Alberta should separate from Canada.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 6, 2026.