96-year-old volunteer Jack Armstrong keeps Stampede spirit alive
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'He usually shows up for his shifts half an hour to 45 minutes early,' said Naomi Green, chair of the Calgary Stampede's downtown attractions hotels subcommittee, who has worked with Armstrong for the past eight years.
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When asked why he keeps coming back each year, Armstrong's answer is simple: 'I just get into a habit, really, but I do enjoy it,' he said with a chuckle. 'The people I work with, and the people I meet.'
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32 years of volunteering
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Armstrong has volunteered with the Calgary Stampede's downtown attractions hotels committee for 32 years, almost exclusively at the Palliser. He began volunteering after a friend asked him to help out, and he's been a mainstay ever since.
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'Everyone knows Jack. Even on all the other Stampede committees, they all know who Jack is. He's been around a very long time,' said Green. 'I think if you talked to everybody, they could probably tell you a story about Jack.'
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Originally coming from a military background, Armstrong spent many years working 'all over,' but primarily worked on a military base before retiring and ending up volunteering.
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'Jack doesn't open up a whole lot but we do know that he was in the military for many years, and he's very proud of that,' said Green.
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Outside of Stampede season, Armstrong keeps busy with friends, spending three days a week on the golf course.
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'He's a very spry guy, and he's always got something on the go,' said Green.
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He also makes time to visit the Stampede himself, heading down to the park to take in the rodeo on one day and the grandstand show on another.
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Calgary Herald
13 hours ago
- Calgary Herald
96-year-old volunteer Jack Armstrong keeps Stampede spirit alive
Every morning during Stampede week, long before most visitors have arrived, 96-year-old Jack Armstrong is already at his post at the Stampede information booth in the Fairmont Palliser hotel. Article content 'He usually shows up for his shifts half an hour to 45 minutes early,' said Naomi Green, chair of the Calgary Stampede's downtown attractions hotels subcommittee, who has worked with Armstrong for the past eight years. Article content Article content Article content When asked why he keeps coming back each year, Armstrong's answer is simple: 'I just get into a habit, really, but I do enjoy it,' he said with a chuckle. 'The people I work with, and the people I meet.' Article content 32 years of volunteering Article content Armstrong has volunteered with the Calgary Stampede's downtown attractions hotels committee for 32 years, almost exclusively at the Palliser. He began volunteering after a friend asked him to help out, and he's been a mainstay ever since. Article content 'Everyone knows Jack. Even on all the other Stampede committees, they all know who Jack is. He's been around a very long time,' said Green. 'I think if you talked to everybody, they could probably tell you a story about Jack.' Article content Originally coming from a military background, Armstrong spent many years working 'all over,' but primarily worked on a military base before retiring and ending up volunteering. Article content Article content 'Jack doesn't open up a whole lot but we do know that he was in the military for many years, and he's very proud of that,' said Green. Article content Article content Outside of Stampede season, Armstrong keeps busy with friends, spending three days a week on the golf course. Article content 'He's a very spry guy, and he's always got something on the go,' said Green. Article content He also makes time to visit the Stampede himself, heading down to the park to take in the rodeo on one day and the grandstand show on another.
Calgary Herald
3 days ago
- Calgary Herald
Chorney-Booth: Where to get the best smoky and succulent barbecue in Calgary
Article content Stampede and barbecue (also, of course, known as 'BBQ' for its more hardcore fans) go hand in hand. The smell of slow-smoked brisket and pork ribs wafting from the barbecue area of the midway toward the Stampede Grandstand is one of the great culinary pleasures of Stampede week. But once the rides are packed up and the cowboys are off to other rodeos, that craving for smoked meat will linger. Article content Article content Calgary, like most of Canada, has not traditionally been known as a hotspot for American barbecue (as opposed to Korean or Brazilian barbecue), certainly not in the same way as U.S. destinations like Kansas City, Tennessee or Texas. Part of this is cultural — barbecue as we know it evolved in the southern states, growing out of a mash-up of African, Caribbean and European food customs — but other factors, such as the availability of traditional barbecue equipment and the right kinds of (typically expensive) wood, also play a factor. We saw a bit of a barbecue boom about a decade ago, although several spots from that era didn't last long. That said, there are a few outstanding Southern-style barbecue places still standing for those hankering for a post-Stampede fix. Article content Article content Article content Tool Shed Brewery Company At the top of the list is Tool Shed Brewing Company, which is not only one of Calgary's pioneering craft breweries but has one of the finest competitive barbecue teams in the world. Graham Sherman and his crew have proved their chops at several top American competitions, including tying for first place in last year's Jack Daniels Invitational's 'Home Cookin' from the Homeland' international category. Last month, Sherman and his son were in Kananaskis for the G7 summit, cooking ribs with an aroma so enticing that an American Secret Service agent coaxed them into giving him a taste at 4 a.m. Article content To get to this level, Sherman has had to develop a nerdy attention to detail when manning his smokers, but he says what he loves about barbecue is that it's the 'opposite of pretentious.' Article content 'When you think about having somebody over for barbecue, you're familiar with them. You're going to break bread and share time together,' he says. 'That's very different than going to a fancy restaurant.' Article content Over the years, Tool Shed's food service has been a work in progress with Sherman — now pretty much retired from competition — travelling frequently and the staff dealing with the challenges of making barbecue to order at a relatively low-volume restaurant. Sherman has his staff dialled in and consistently serving up extraordinary ribs, brisket, pulled pork, Alabama chicken wings and 'pig candy.' He also plans to do a monthly event to showcase his competition-style barbecue dishes, starting in July.
National Post
5 days ago
- National Post
Mark Carney is on holidays. The government won't say where
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. While the secrecy around Carney's vacation plans isn't unusual in Canada, other nations' leaders regularly inform the public where they are Prime Minister Mark Carney took a visit to the Calgary Stampede before dropping out of public view. Photo by Darren Makowichuk/Postmedia Prime Minister Mark Carney is retreating this week for vacation, but the federal government isn't saying where. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS Enjoy the latest local, national and international news. Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events. Unlimited online access to National Post. National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE ARTICLES Enjoy the latest local, national and international news. Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events. Unlimited online access to National Post. National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors All that has been revealed is that Carney is staying somewhere in the National Capital Region. 'As he does so, he will remain in close coordination with his team and officials on several priorities, including ongoing negotiations on the economic and security relationship between Canada and the United States,' Carney's spokespeople told reporters in an email. Carney could be at Harrington Lake, the country retreat set aside for Canadian prime ministers in the picturesque Gatineau Hills north of Ottawa, or he could be at his personal cottage in the Val des Monts, Que., area. Get a dash of perspective along with the trending news of the day in a very readable format. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again 'For security reasons, we won't be disclosing his exact location,' said spokesperson Audrey Champoux in an email to National Post. Harrington Lake sits on a 13-acre property. It has both the main cottage and a farmhouse and is used for regular visits and official functions. Since 2018, the National Capital Commission, which manages the property, has spent $8.7 million on renovations. It was first acquired in the late 1950s as a personal retreat for then-prime minister John Diefenbaker. The House of Commons has risen for the summer, but Canada remains engaged in tense negotiations with the United States surrounding trades and Carney, still in his first months in office, has been dealing with bullish premiers, including Alberta's Danielle Smith. The two bumped into each other at the Calgary Stampede this weekend and exchanged pleasantries after Carney tried — and failed — to fry and flip a beautiful flapjack. While the secrecy around Carney's vacation plans isn't unusual — in 2015, Canadians only found out where his predecessor, Justin Trudeau, was holidaying because the celebrity tabloid TMZ published photos — other nations' leaders regularly inform the public where they are. During the Trudeau years, extravagant vacations — and the concomitant secrecy — caused considerable controversy. Most notably, Mary Dawson, then Canada's ethics commissioner, found that Trudeau broke a number of rules when he vacationed on the private Bahamian island of the Aga Khan, the late Karim al-Husseini. Trudeau further courted controversy in 2021 when he vacationed in Tofino, B.C., with his family on the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation; his official itinerary had him listed as staying in Ottawa that day. This advertisement has not loaded yet. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. However, politicians weren't always so cagey. The Canadian Press reported than when Brian Mulroney was prime minister, he routinely informed reporters where he was vacationing. Former prime minister Jean Chrétien broke from the practice, causing what the media described as a 'furor' in 1993 when his office refused to follow protocol and disclose his week-long holiday at Florida's PGA National Golf Resort and Spa. The official rural getaway for Canadian prime ministers in Harrington Lake, Que., seen in 2012. Photo by Fred Chartrand/The Canadian Press/File Yet, holidays have long caused controversy: Free vacations at the hands of the wealthy Irving family caused a major problem in 2003 for Chrétien, who said politicians had every right to accept freebie holidays. 'You know, we have the right to accept hospitality. I do accept hospitality once in a while. I visit my son-in-law, who has a lake, and I fish with him and I'm there with my grandson. Perhaps I should confess that,' Chrétien said at the time. (His son-in-law is billionaire Andre Desmarais.) It's not just Liberals, either. Prime minister Stephen Harper's Labour Day visit to New York in 2011 — he saw a New York Yankees game and a Broadway show with his family — cost taxpayers some $45,000 and Peter MacKay, then the defence minister, had a military helicopter pick him and his buddies up during a fishing trip in July 2010. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our newsletters here.
