The Calgary Stampede announced Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen will lead the 2023 Stampede Parade. .“Jeremy Hansen is a trailblazer who exemplifies the values of the Calgary Stampede,” said Calgary Stampede Board of Directors President and Chair Will Osler in a Wednesday press release. .“His integrity and commitment to community are an inspiration, and all Calgarians, Albertans, and Canadians are proud of him and everything he has accomplished.”.The release said the Stampede Parade starts on July 7 at 9 a.m. and marks the official start of the event. .NASA announced in April Hansen will become the first Canadian to travel around the Moon in 2024. .READ MORE: Canadian to make history in NASA's Artemis II mission.In the first mission to carry humans around the Moon in more than 50 years, Hansen will join Artemis II, which could take place as early as 2024..Hansen joins NASA mission commander Gregory Reid Weisman, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialist Christina Koch..Before he leaves Earth, Hansen will kick off the Calgary Stampede by leading the Stampede Parade as parade marshal. .“I am thrilled to be selected as the 2023 Calgary Stampede Parade Marshal and to come back to a province that holds a special place in my heart,” he said. .“I look forward to seeing you along the parade route in July!”.Looking up from the fields of Ontario as a child, he always knew he wanted to become an astronaut. It is a journey which brought him to Alberta, where he completed CF-18 fighter jet training in Cold Lake before joining the CSA. .The release went on to say Hansen will be joined by Stampede Parade Marshal General Wayne Eyre. It said it's a fitting partnership, as they are dedicated to public service through their work with the Canadian Armed Forces and started off as cadets. .They will join the Calgary Stampede in celebrating 100 years of chuckwagon racing. The world’s first chuckwagon race was staged at it in 1923. .In 23 days, Calgary’s streets will be lined with people ready to watch him lead the chuckwagon entry and more than 100 others, comprised of 400 animals and close to 5,000 people. .The Stampede Parade prelude begins at 7:30 a.m. People unable to attend on scene are invited to join it from the comfort of their living rooms through a special broadcast from Corus Entertainment. .Following the parade, people can take advantage of Stampede Parade to Park by receiving free admission to the event from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. .“We are honoured to have Jeremy lead our Parade as an example of what you can achieve when you work hard and dream big,” said Osler.
