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Ottawa Citizen
11-07-2025
- Ottawa Citizen
The RCMP's Stetson is 'iconic' Canadiana. It's also made in America
OTTAWA — Go to any event featuring RCMP in ceremonial dress, and you're bound to see Mounties wearing the red serge, blue and yellow breeches, a Sam Browne belt, brown Strathcona boots, and a wide-brimmed, beige Stetson. Article content The hat, nicknamed the 'red Stetson,' has appeared as part of the RCMP uniform on stamps, posters, promotional videos and even documentaries. It is a core piece of the Mounties' iconic image and an internationally recognizable piece of Canadiana. Article content Article content Article content Article content On its website, the B.C. RCMP boast that no other element of the Mountie uniform 'has the mystique of the Stetson hat,' apart from maybe the red serge. The RCMP's official page on the Stetson also notes that the hat is Canadian from its inception as it is 'exclusively crafted by the Biltmore Stetson Canada Company in Guelph, Ontario.' Article content Except that the Biltmore Stetson Canada Company plant in Guelph shut down in early 2012 after it was purchased by Dorfman-Pacific (now Dorfman Milano), according to the Guelph Mercury newspaper. Article content Since then, the iconic Canadian hat has been built at the Dorfman plant — in Garland, Texas. Article content 'Absolutely, I believe that they should be manufactured in Canada,' says Holly Allen, general manager and head of millinery design at Smithbilt Hats, a Calgary-based manufacturer that makes the traditional 'white hat' given to visitors during the Calgary Stampede. Article content Article content The Stetson appears to be the only part of the RCMP uniform that is not made in Canada. For example, the red serge is manufactured in Quebec, the boots are made by the Alberta Boot company, and bidding on a 2015 contract for RCMP breeches was 'conditionally limited to Canadian Goods. ' Article content Article content In a statement, Erica Prince, RCMP deputy director of communications, suggested that the RCMP was not aware of the wrong information on its webpage about the Stetson until the inquiry by the National Post. Article content She said the webpage had not been updated in a long time and that the date of the update was due to aesthetic changes to the website. Article content 'We appreciate you bringing this to our attention and have flagged the page for review,' Prince said in an emailed reply.
Edmonton Journal
11-07-2025
- Edmonton Journal
The RCMP's Stetson is 'iconic' Canadiana. It's also made in America
Article content OTTAWA — Go to any event featuring RCMP in ceremonial dress, and you're bound to see Mounties wearing the red serge, blue and yellow breeches, a Sam Browne belt, brown Strathcona boots, and a wide-brimmed, beige Stetson. Article content The hat, nicknamed the 'red Stetson,' has appeared as part of the RCMP uniform on stamps, posters, promotional videos and even documentaries. It is a core piece of the Mounties' iconic image and an internationally recognizable piece of Canadiana. Article content Article content Article content Article content On its website, the B.C. RCMP boast that no other element of the Mountie uniform 'has the mystique of the Stetson hat,' apart from maybe the red serge. The RCMP's official page on the Stetson also notes that the hat is Canadian from its inception as it is 'exclusively crafted by the Biltmore Stetson Canada Company in Guelph, Ontario.' Article content Except that the Biltmore Stetson Canada Company plant in Guelph shut down in early 2012 after it was purchased by Dorfman-Pacific (now Dorfman Milano), according to the Guelph Mercury newspaper. Article content Since then, the iconic Canadian hat has been built at the Dorfman plant — in Garland, Texas. Article content 'Absolutely, I believe that they should be manufactured in Canada,' says Holly Allen, general manager and head of millinery design at Smithbilt Hats, a Calgary-based manufacturer that makes the traditional 'white hat' given to visitors during the Calgary Stampede. Article content Article content The Stetson appears to be the only part of the RCMP uniform that is not made in Canada. For example, the red serge is manufactured in Quebec, the boots are made by the Alberta Boot company, and bidding on a 2015 contract for RCMP breeches was 'conditionally limited to Canadian Goods. ' Article content Article content In a statement, Erica Prince, RCMP deputy director of communications, suggested that the RCMP was not aware of the wrong information on its webpage about the Stetson until the inquiry by the National Post. Article content She said the webpage had not been updated in a long time and that the date of the update was due to aesthetic changes to the website. Article content 'We appreciate you bringing this to our attention and have flagged the page for review,' Prince said in an emailed reply.
Vancouver Sun
11-07-2025
- Business
- Vancouver Sun
The RCMP's Stetson is 'iconic' Canadiana. It's also made in America
OTTAWA — Go to any event featuring RCMP in ceremonial dress, and you're bound to see Mounties wearing the red serge, blue and yellow breeches, a Sam Browne belt, brown Strathcona boots, and a wide-brimmed, beige Stetson. The hat, nicknamed the 'red Stetson,' has appeared as part of the RCMP uniform on stamps , posters, promotional videos and even documentaries. It is a core piece of the Mounties' iconic image and an internationally recognizable piece of Canadiana. It's also made in the U.S.A. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. On its website , the B.C. RCMP boast that no other element of the Mountie uniform 'has the mystique of the Stetson hat,' apart from maybe the red serge. The RCMP's official page on the Stetson also notes that the hat is Canadian from its inception as it is 'exclusively crafted by the Biltmore Stetson Canada Company in Guelph, Ontario.' Except that the Biltmore Stetson Canada Company plant in Guelph shut down in early 2012 after it was purchased by Dorfman-Pacific (now Dorfman Milano), according to the Guelph Mercury newspaper. Since then, the iconic Canadian hat has been built at the Dorfman plant — in Garland, Texas. 'Absolutely, I believe that they should be manufactured in Canada,' says Holly Allen, general manager and head of millinery design at Smithbilt Hats, a Calgary-based manufacturer that makes the traditional 'white hat' given to visitors during the Calgary Stampede. The Stetson appears to be the only part of the RCMP uniform that is not made in Canada. For example, the red serge is manufactured in Quebec, the boots are made by the Alberta Boot company, and bidding on a 2015 contract for RCMP breeches was 'conditionally limited to Canadian Goods. ' In a statement, Erica Prince, RCMP deputy director of communications, suggested that the RCMP was not aware of the wrong information on its webpage about the Stetson until the inquiry by the National Post. She said the webpage had not been updated in a long time and that the date of the update was due to aesthetic changes to the website. 'We appreciate you bringing this to our attention and have flagged the page for review,' Prince said in an emailed reply. Despite its website and social media posts reiterating the false claim that the hats are manufactured in Guelph, the RCMP noted that its Stetsons are made in Texas in a 2024 press release about a visit to the Dorfman Milano Hat Factory. 'What better place to have our iconic Stetsons made than a state known for their ten-gallon hats?!,' reads the press release. But at a time when Canada is in a trade war with the United States and President Donald Trump frequently proposes to make Canada the 51st American state, is the government comfortable that such an iconic piece of Canadiana is being produced in Texas? The office of Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree referred the question to the RCMP, which demurred. The RCMP also did not respond to questions about if and when it had last proactively sought out a Canadian manufacturer for the Stetson. Prince said that open tenders for the hat contract were completed in 2013 and 2017 and only Biltmore (now Dorfman Milano) submitted a bid. Before renewing the contract to the company in 2021, the RCMP issued a notice of the impending deal, and no other company said it could meet the Mounties' requirements, Prince added. Allen of Calgary's Smithbilt Hats said the company's CEO, Cam Clark, was in the process of receiving the necessary equipment to bid on the next contract and bring back production of the RCMP's Stetson to Canada. 'Mr. Clark is fiercely Canadian and he believes that the hat should be manufactured here,' Allen said. 'We're seriously looking at it.' The Stetson was adopted formally by the force in 1904, making it one of the oldest pieces of the Mounties' ceremonial uniform. But it was an unofficial mainstay for Mounties long before that because its large brim offers riders protection from the sun as well as the rain and snow. 'Members incurred the cost of purchasing a Stetson because it was preferred to the official pith helmet for practical policing. While the official headgear was de rigueur on the parade ground, the Stetson's wide brim was better suited to protect the riders from the harsh elements,' reads the RCMP's website. National Post cnardi@ 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 .
Calgary Herald
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Calgary Herald
Burton Cummings is proud to be surviving the Taylor Swift era
Article content Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. Article content With some turbulence facing the country these days, the Canadian music environment remains strong. It's an outlet to help carry the load. Article content Article content Enter musician and walking music encyclopedia, Burton Cummings, on the phone line. With decades filled with hit songs and historical Canadian firsts, Cummings, 77, has seen it all. Article content In the midst of another leg of his A Few Good Moments tour, the proud Winnipeg native has a brief break after recently headlining the all-Canadian lineup for Line Spike Frontenac, north of Kingston, Ont. Keeping Canadiana spirit in full force, performing Runnin' Back To Saskatoon (co-written with Kurt Winter), was a perfect inclusion. Article content Article content Off the stage, one of his biggest achievements is his ever-growing MP3 collection, staggering in scope. Article content 'The minute CDs were invented, I was a happy guy and I went and got a whole half a dozen iPods and loaded them with all my favourite stuff because I fly all the time … so I've worked on my library now for 40 years and I can say this very honestly, I have way more documented music than any radio station in the world — anywhere. Article content 'I was never a vinyl fan because back in the hippie days we would party for days — and drink beers and play the records and they got scratched all the time — and then I would go and buy another copy of the white Beatles album … I never liked vinyl because there was always so much noise.' Article content Article content But he remains faithful to his era. Article content 'I don't listen to that much modern stuff anymore, but I have to take my hat off to Taylor Swift. She broke all the records that I ever knew about in the industry. I kind of joke on stage now that I've survived into the Taylor Swift era and it makes me very proud.' Article content 'To have a new album out at this age in my life and have the tremendous reviews that I've gotten — it's like people, and the critics, have been very kind to this album. I'm very happy about this at my age.' Article content Article content A Few Good Moments also reveals a bookend to his life. Cummings shot the cover photo. Article content 'It was 1970. The big clock you see I bought on tour in the Maritimes, I think Halifax. The small clock was my mother's alarm clock through her whole entire adult life. The watch in the middle — I got for being on The Dating Game and not getting picked — so there you go.'
Ottawa Citizen
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Ottawa Citizen
Burton Cummings is proud to be surviving the Taylor Swift era
Article content Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. Article content With some turbulence facing the country these days, the Canadian music environment remains strong. It's an outlet to help carry the load. Article content Enter musician and walking music encyclopedia, Burton Cummings, on the phone line. With decades filled with hit songs and historical Canadian firsts, Cummings, 77, has seen it all. Article content In the midst of another leg of his A Few Good Moments tour, the proud Winnipeg native has a brief break after recently headlining the all-Canadian lineup for Line Spike Frontenac, north of Kingston, Ont. Keeping Canadiana spirit in full force, performing Runnin' Back To Saskatoon (co-written with Kurt Winter), was a perfect inclusion. Article content Article content Off the stage, one of his biggest achievements is his ever-growing MP3 collection, staggering in scope. Article content 'The minute CDs were invented, I was a happy guy and I went and got a whole half a dozen iPods and loaded them with all my favourite stuff because I fly all the time … so I've worked on my library now for 40 years and I can say this very honestly, I have way more documented music than any radio station in the world — anywhere. Article content 'I was never a vinyl fan because back in the hippie days we would party for days — and drink beers and play the records and they got scratched all the time — and then I would go and buy another copy of the white Beatles album … I never liked vinyl because there was always so much noise.' Article content Article content But he remains faithful to his era. Article content 'I don't listen to that much modern stuff anymore, but I have to take my hat off to Taylor Swift. She broke all the records that I ever knew about in the industry. I kind of joke on stage now that I've survived into the Taylor Swift era and it makes me very proud.' Article content 'To have a new album out at this age in my life and have the tremendous reviews that I've gotten — it's like people, and the critics, have been very kind to this album. I'm very happy about this at my age.' Article content Article content A Few Good Moments also reveals a bookend to his life. Cummings shot the cover photo. Article content 'It was 1970. The big clock you see I bought on tour in the Maritimes, I think Halifax. The small clock was my mother's alarm clock through her whole entire adult life. The watch in the middle — I got for being on The Dating Game and not getting picked — so there you go.'
