'Let's go, cowgirls!': Country icon Shania Twain leads Stampede Parade
'It's been a dream of mine for a very long time,' said Twain, this year's parade marshal who will also perform at the Saddledome on Saturday night.
'I get to take full advantage of the Stampede, enjoy the whole spirit of the Stampede, and this historic event that people come from all over the world to attend.'
Twain said she's particularly thrilled to be leading the parade on horseback.
'I'm going to be riding a horse in the parade — this makes me very happy,' she said.
'Personally, I am just a very basic, simple rider,' she said. 'I won't be doing any trick riding or barrel racing while I'm here, although that would have been wonderful.'
Despite the gathered crowds, Twain said she doesn't view the parade as a performance.
'I see this more as a welcoming,' she said. 'I feel like I'm representing something very important, and I'll be doing it with pride and joy.
'I'll have a smile stuck to my face the whole time.'
She called being in Calgary for the Stampede 'very special.'
'This is the community that lives my dream every day, being so close to horses,' she said. 'This is something that I admire and envy.'
Twain was presented with her official parade marshal badge before the parade — but with great power comes great responsibility.
'Following in the bootsteps of the parade marshals who have gone before you, you will spread fun — I'm sure you will — western spirit, which you have, and plenty of 'Yahoos' for one and all along the road,' said Blair Barkley, chair of the Stampede parade committee.
Many of the parade's floats and bands honoured Twain's presence by playing her music — including the Stampede Showband, which started the parade off with a medley of her greatest hits.
Calgary police estimate that 330,000 spectators flocked to downtown Calgary to watch the parade, which is the second largest in North America.
It featured more than 100 entries, including 35 floats, nine marching bands, representatives of the Treaty 7 First Nations and more than 700 horses. Politicians including Danielle Smith, Pierre Poilievre and Jyoti Gondek smiled and waved at onlookers as they went by — some on horseback and others in wagons.
Many local cultural associations, such as the Nigerian-Canadian Association of Calgary and the United Calgary Chinese Association, entertained crowds with music, dancing and colourful attire.
The parade kicked off at 9 a.m., with parade prelude performances starting at 7:45 — but many arrived early to get the best seats.
Some, like Becky Bowie, have been there since 4:30 a.m. Bowie is a first-time visitor to Calgary from Atlanta, Ga., who came for the Stampede with a friend and her four grandsons.
'I don't know what to expect, but I just hear it's fantastic,' Bowie said, seated in a lawn chair in front of the Calgary Tower at 7 a.m.
'When I heard there was going to be 300,000 people, I thought, 'We gotta get here early.' '
Following the parade, crowds flocked to Stampede Park, taking advantage of free admission between 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Monarch butterfly sculptures on Fredericton bridge send environmental message
Thirty delicately carved monarch butterflies greet walkers and cyclists who cross Fredericton's Bill Thorpe Walking Bridge, which spans the Saint John River. Each brightly painted wooden butterfly has a wing span of about two feet, and has been handmade by artist Gary Crosby. The butterflies are one of Fredericton's temporary public art installations. This flutter of monarchs is part of a project Crosby calls A Splash of Colour. "It could achieve all the aims I wanted to achieve with public art," Crosby said. "But at the same time have a message — an environmental message." WATCH | 'Whimsical' public art installation to greet people all summer: Angela Watson, cultural development officer for the City of Fredericton, said the public art selection committee was "enchanted" with Crosby's project. "I think visually it's just a lovely, whimsical piece that we knew people would enjoy on the bridge," Watson said. "This monarch butterfly display will also provide an opportunity to educate the public about the environment and the importance of plants and butterflies." Crosby came up with the idea about a year ago but says his interest in sculpture and wood carving was inspired by his time in the military. He spent four years in Germany's Black Forest, an area that is known for its iconic cuckoo clocks. "Everything's painted, everything's carved, sculpted. There's art everywhere and it was four years of just being completely buried in art," he said. A peacekeeping tour in Rwanda is where Crosby realized he could be a sculptor or carver. He was clearing out a university and came across a classroom where people had been learning woodcarving. The teacher had filled the room with his work. "That's how he taught carving to all his students, because they could see each piece as it was being cut," Crosby said. "I looked at that and thought, 'I think I could do that.'" It was at that moment that Crosby decided to take up woodcarving. On the walking bridge, cyclists, runners and families out for a walk can be seen stopping to look up at the butterflies. And while many people in Fredericton can count on seeing Crosby's installation, seeing a real monarch is much less likely. Ryan Godfrey from World Wildlife Fund Canada says there has been a 90 per cent decrease in the number of monarch butterflies found in Mexico over the last 30 years. The monarch is one of the few butterflies that migrate from southern Canada to Mexico each year. Godfrey says this biological phenomenon makes them vulnerable to extreme weather events that are becoming more common due to climate change. "Fewer monarchs are arriving back to their overwintering grounds and when they do, they're really stressed out. A lot of them are really beaten up, they might have holes in their wings or they might be a lot smaller." Monarch butterflies were listed as endangered in New Brunswick and every other province except Newfoundland and Labrador on the species at risk registry in 2023. "It's an indicator of a larger systemic problem in the ecology," Godfrey said. "What we might not be noticing is, hundreds of other species of insects that are also in decline and that are collectively a really important part of the food web." According to Godfrey, the decline in monarch populations can be largely attributed to habitat loss, pesticides and climate change. He says planting "thousands of milkweeds," a plant that monarch caterpillars feed on, is the best way people can help. "I really do believe that the monarch population would respond quickly to that," he said. "We could return the landscape to a habitat level that's similar to how it was hundreds of years ago." Crosby, who spends a lot of time in his garden with his wife, hopes his project will inspire people to learn more about monarchs and to plant some milkweed in their own yards. He already has plans for his installation, which will be on the bridge until October. Crosby hopes to display his flutter of butterflies in cities around the province, and is planning to add other butterfly species to the project.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Musicians fight uphill battle as AI infiltrates streaming platforms, cutting into royalties
Musicians are calling for regulations and finding creative ways to fight back as AI "bands" climb the charts on streaming platforms, soaking up already meagre royalty payments. But as a major musicians' union works for legal change, a copyright expert says the law is failing to keep up with artificial intelligence. This comes as an act called The Velvet Sundown has hit 1.2 million monthly listeners on Spotify after stirring controversy over its use of AI, sparking conversations about the future of the music business. "It's obviously a challenge in the industry," Allistair Elliott, director of Canadians affairs for the American Federation of Musicians, which represents 70,000 professional musicians in the U.S. and Canada, told CBC News. "Same as everything else, the technology gets created and gets used before there's any guardrails or policies in place to protect musicians." Elliott said musicians should have to provide consent for their work to be used to train AI learning models, and they should be compensated if they do consent. He said he hopes to see the federal government step up with policies and legislation but acknowledges that a "careful balance" needs to be struck between the advancement of technology and the protection of creators. If that doesn't happen, Elliott said, he worries the technology could "eradicate" a generation of creative workers. "The frustration, I think, for creators is governments tend not to move very quickly," he said. While AI can't compete for the live music market — at least not yet — Elliott said there are a lot of musicians who only make recorded music, be it for television, movies or commercial jingles, whose livelihoods will be directly affected by AI. CBC News reached out to the Department of Canadian Heritage, but late Friday it said it wasn't yet ready to comment. WATCH | Musicians seek protection against unethical use of AI: Kristian Heironimus, a Florida-based musician who records and tours under the name Velvet Meadow, was miffed to see The Velvet Sundown amass such a huge following when it seemed elements of the name and imagery were eerily similar to his own. "It's definitely disheartening," he said in an interview. But instead of getting down about it, the multi-instrumentalist set to work tracking guitar, bass, drums and vocals on a fuzzy, garage-rock inspired "diss track" called The Velvet Sundown, released July 1. "Pick a real guitar to play, not damn mouse," Heironimus sings. "Cut your teeth just like me, and all the artists whose fingers bleed." Without using artificial intelligence, Heironimus is challenging The Velvet Sundown at its own game, effectively "memeing" the AI band and using its name to push his own song into the algorithm. "As artists, we just have to outperform [AI] the best we can," he said. "I think we're going to be in for kind of a new wave of sound, because I feel like there's going to be a lot of artists who will be chasing something truly unique to get away from that sphere of AI music as it takes over. I'm optimistic about it." On the heels of the Velvet Sundown controversy, India's Collective Media Network launched an AI-generated "spiritual" rock band called Trilok this week, along with videos explaining each of the AI-generated band members' personas, in the latest sign that AI music is going mainstream. And in France, streaming platform Deezer said in April that 18 per cent of its uploaded songs — about 20,000 a day — are fully generated by AI. Other major streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple don't track those numbers or label AI-generated music. WATCH | Nova Scotia artists on artificial intelligence: Artists unlikely to get fair deal: musician New York-based pop musician and vlogger Hadji Gaviota, who discussed the recent controversies in a video called Spotify's Fake AI Band Problem, said musicians have long known they can't rely on streaming services to make a living. But because Spotify's royalties are distributed based on a percentage of the company's overall revenue, the influx of AI acts means real musicians are now getting an even smaller slice of the pie. "You need to figure out how to make that money somewhere else," Gaviota said. "It's been clear, but it's only clearer now." The rising use of generative AI in creative industries has triggered a wave of lawsuits, with artists, authors and rights holders accusing AI firms of using copyrighted material without consent or compensation to train their models. AI music tools Suno and Udio are each facing legal action from Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group and Sony Music, which have accused the startups of mass copyright infringement for allegedly training AI systems on their recordings. Gaviota said he has little faith in record labels to fight for artists, noting they're seeking equity in Suno and Udio as part of their lawsuits. He said he's hopeful about developments in attribution technology, which aims to pick apart the songs used to train AI models in order to credit and compensate artists, though he expects any compensation would likely amount to "fractions of pennies." "Artists getting a fair deal is usually like the last part of anything," Gaviota said. "I wouldn't put my eggs in that basket." AI regulation talk 'going in circles' Mira Sundara Rajan, a visiting professor at the University of California, Davis, law school and former Canada research chair in intellectual property law at the University of British Columbia, said talks about regulating AI have been "going in circles" for more than two years in Canada and globally. Many in the legal community don't want to appear critical of AI, out of a "knee-jerk fear" of being branded as Luddites, she told CBC News. Legal frameworks are in place around intellectual property, but Sundara Rajan said it's hard to stretch existing laws to cover AI. "Because legal actions tend to be very precise for obvious reasons, you don't have catch-all legal provisions," she said. Sundara Rajan, who is also a classical pianist, tackles these topics in her recent book, The Moral Rights of Authors and Artists: From the Birth of Copyright to the Age of Artificial Intelligence. She said there's been debate in the world of intellectual property law about whether scraping artists' music for AI is "fair use," as it's called in the U.S., or "fair dealing" in Canada. She argues it falls short in both cases. "I think, on any reasonable understanding of copyright law as it stands today, this is not fair use in the United States, and it's definitely not fair dealing in Canada," she said. Sundara Rajan said large technology companies, by way of lobbying, have a heavy sway in how their products are regulated — and whatever happens in the U.S. is often followed by Canada and other countries. She cites Canada's recent scrapping of the digital services tax as an example of that. "It's a total vicious-cycle situation," she said. "The sad thing for me is that two constituencies that I really care about end up losing out — one being the artist and the other being the public — because they're not in a position to do a lot, they don't have the lobby power." LISTEN | Festival criticized over AI-generated art:
%3Amax_bytes(150000)%3Astrip_icc()%2Ftl-affnet-roundup-lululemon-sale-tout-deee567994d44886b20bc0f012e7cc85.jpg&w=3840&q=100)
Travel + Leisure
2 hours ago
- Travel + Leisure
Lululemon Is Having Its First-ever Summer Sale—and It's Filled With Jaw-dropping Finds Starting at $29
High-quality activewear is an investment that can sometimes come with a hefty—albeit totally warranted—price tag. Take it from me, a travel editor who reviews clothing for a living, if you want your most-worn wardrobe staples to look great, fit like a glove, and stand the test of time, you may need to set aside a few extra dollars. Still, a $100-plus pair of pants can be a tough pill for anyone to swallow. That's why we always recommend checking out Lululemon's We Made Too Much storefront, which was recently renamed Summer Scores for the season. This section is freshly stocked with the brand's best-selling running shorts, workout tops, travel pants, and accessories in honor of the Lululemon Summer Sale event, running now until Monday, July 21. We found heaps of travel-friendly finds among the mix, including this internet-viral Everywhere Belt Bag and these Align High-rise Pants that shoppers say feel like a 'second skin." Keep scrolling to see more of our top 18 finds from the Lululemon Summer Sale, starting at just $29. Lululemon put its spin on the classic racerback tank with this ruched cutie, which provides comfortable coverage with its hip-length silhouette. Between its gorgeous pastel colorways, sweat-wicking capabilities, and breezy design that feels weightless so it "floats away from your body," this is bound to be the most-worn item in your suitcase this summer. Constructed with water-repellant fabric, the Everywhere Belt Bag functions both as a sling bag and a fanny pack. This internet favorite has earned over 24,000 five-star reviews for functionality and versatility, with one reviewer writing that it's big enough to carry a wallet, phone, and sunshades, while still being 'small enough to be comfortable whether hiking, shopping, or running errands.' This lightly-stretchy cotton Lululemon tee is a must-have addition for any travel wardrobe. It goes with everything from jeans to flowy maxi skirts, and has a below-waist length that can be tucked into low-rise bottoms. Crafted from organic cotton, this breathable, year-round staple is yours for $34 Forget rigid, unforgiving trousers: These cropped Softstreme pants will take you from the office to 12-hour flights, while keeping you comfortable the entire time. Lululemon shoppers say that the Softstreme fabric is so soft, they could live in these pants. 'These pants are so flattering and comfortable,' one five-star reviewer wrote. 'I especially love them for traveling.' ICYMI, Lululemon has footwear, too—and according to reviewers, the Blissfeel 2 Running Shoes are well worth the buy. Per the brand, the neutral running shoe's orthotic design is the product of 1 million Volumental foot scans and four years of thorough product research and development. The flexible, seamless upper provides breathability, while the shock-absorbing cushioning in the midsole adds bounce to your step. Still sitting on the fence? Get this: They come with a 30-day trial period that allows you to return them for a full refund, no risk necessary. These Dance Studio High-rise Short fits like a pair of easy, roomy joggers—minus the heavy pant legs, of course. These relaxed shorts won't cling to your skin on sweltering afternoons, while the sweat-wicking, stretchy material will work overtime to keep you cool. Bonus: They have a hidden zippered pocket to tuck away your keys, ID, or cash. Keep your cool on sunny hikes, high-intensity workouts, and walking tours thanks to this Swiftly Tech Cropped Racerback Tank. Available in 13 colors, this workout tank is made with a sweat-wicking, body-hugging elastane blend and has flat seams on the neck, straps, and waist that won't chafe or dig into your skin. Looking for a lightweight pant that won't weigh you down? These airy performance joggers are 'great for airplane travel, even in 90-degree-plus temps,' one five-star reviewer wrote. That's because the quick-drying fabric of these pants is perforated throughout, promoting air flow on hot, humid days. Outfitted with zippered pockets, zippered ankle cuffs, a hidden drawcord waist, and a built-in liner, these versatile joggers are the ultimate 'wear everywhere' pants for summer. The Lululemon Curved Crossbody bag is the everyday sling bag of our dreams. The main compartment opens up via a magnetic flap top, and on the bottom, there's a discrete bottom zipper that has a mesh water bottle holder inside. Plus, there's an additional hidden zipper pocket on the back, perfect for stashing your ID cards, cash, or jewelry. Never choose between inseam lengths again—these Side Cinch Shorts can be customized to find your perfect fit every time. These lightweight shorts, equipped with a built-in brief liner, a hidden card pocket, and a thick, elastic drawstring waistband, can be shortened or lengthened via drawcords on the side of each leg. The review section is packed with shoppers demanding more colors of this 'perfect running short' to be released. 'I have several pairs of different styles of Lulu run shorts, but these are definitely my fave so far,' wrote one five-star reviewer. 'They flow nicely, sit at a nice spot on the waist, and are super flattering.' Over 11,000 Lululemon shoppers agree: These comfy, classic Align High-rise leggings are worthy of a perfect five-star rating. The wide, flat waistband provides plenty of coverage without digging into your midsection, and the stretchy material retains its shape while you move, preventing sagging around the knees and ankles. The Nulu fabric of these Align High-rise Pants is so buttery-soft and light, reviewers share that they feel like a second skin while walking, working out, and lounging around the house. 'It feels like I'm wearing absolutely nothing,' wrote one five-star reviewer, calling them the 'best leggings' they've ever worn ( psst : The biker short version of these pants is also marked down). Game, set, match: This Wrap-front Tennis Dress is so comfy and flattering, you'll want to wear it on and off the court. Made with Lululemon's smooth, supportive Ultralu performance fabric, this mini dress comes with built-in shorts that have hidden thigh pockets for stashing your phone, wallet, or keys, plus a built-in shelf bra with removable pads. This high-rise tennis skirt is so comfy, it'll rival your favorite sweatpants (aka why it's hard for Lululemon to keep in stock). Perfect for the court, the trails, or the beachside, the Varsity Mini Skirt keeps you cool with its lightweight, quick-drying design that's enhanced with supportive built-in shorts and side pockets (to stash tennis balls or your phone). Whether your itinerary calls for a sporty or casual dress code, its preppy pleats will have you looking elevated and put-together. A supportive bra is the foundation to any outfit when you're on the move, which is why Lululemon shoppers can't get enough of the light-support FlexyFlex Strappy Yoga Bra. It's comfortably soft for long days on the go, and strategically made with quick-drying, sweat-wicking fabric to ensure you stay cool and dry when things get sweaty. This stretchy, high-rise Nulu skirt was made 'for us office girlies who want to live life in leggings and sweats,' according to one five-star reviewer. The smoothing, thick high-rise waistband, back slit, and below-knee midi length make it workwear-appropriate while feeling as soft and comfy as Lululemon's best-selling workout attire. UV-protective, chafe-free, and breathable are the top takeaways from Lululemon's Metal Vent Tech Short-sleeve T-shirt. When you throw it on, the breathable mesh construction keeps airflow moving when you're on the move, while the seamless design ensures minimal chafing. And, the UPF 40+ has you covered against the sun's UV rays. Needless to say, it's the perfect tee. These naturally breathable shorts are designed to be your go-to travel bottoms with their four-way stretch, sweat-wicking fabric, and streamlined fit (which is intentional to give the glutes and thighs breathing room). What's more, the ergonomic gusset removes tension from the crotch so you can move in comfort, which means you'll have no problem wearing them for long stretches of time on a plane, train, or road trip. This Lululemon Steady State sweatshirt proves that there is such a thing as the perfect hoodie. Purposefully designed to have a roomy, relaxed fit around the chest and waist, and made with a soft, breathable fleece fabric, this pullover is the perfect layering piece for chilly flights or lounging at the hotel. A classic kangaroo pocket with a hidden internal sleeve allows you to keep your small essentials close at hand without adding bulk. Love a great deal? Sign up for our T+L Recommends newsletter and we'll send you our favorite travel products each week.
