Prime Minister Justin Trudeau looks like he will not be attending the Calgary Stampede this year. Politico reported Tuesday Trudeau’s schedule might be altered, but an email from the Prime Minister’s Office confirms he will be skipping the Calgary Stampede. The PMO has not confirmed if a decision has been made. Since the Liberals lost the Toronto-St. Paul’s byelection, Trudeau has tried to avoid reporters. However, he has not been avoiding the public. He participated in Toronto Pride events and danced at the Taste of Asia in Markham, ON, over the last few days. For Canada Day, he headed to St. John’s, NL, for the Memorial Day repatriation of Newfoundland and Labrador’s unknown soldier and participated in festivities. He took questions from CBC host Heather Hiscox after the repatriation. He said he would be staying on as prime minister. The strategy has become staying to the script and avoiding reporters in the Ottawa circuit. While Calgary might hate Trudeau, he once boasted about the time he spent in it. He made it his first leadership campaign stop in 2012 and came back in 2013 with a positive speech at the Calgary Petroleum Club. “Keep an open mind,” he said. “You can find friends in the most unexpected places.”Although he might be missing the Calgary Stampede, going to the first weekend is often an activity every major political leader does. Liberal MP George Chahal (Calgary Skyview, AB) holds a pancake breakfast. Trudeau and cabinet ministers have gone to the breakfast in the past. Trudeau said in 2023 he was happy to be attending Chahal’s Stampede Breakfast. READ MORE: Trudeau thanks supporters at Stampede breakfast, hecklers shout out“George is an incredible voice for Calgarians as part of our government and our party,” he said. “But the reality is George needs reinforcements.”
