Sundre rodeo parade cancelled amid harassment over rejected pro-Alberta float

Alberta’s heated debate over whether it should stay in Canada has led to harassment, threats and the cancellation of one town’s annual rodeo parade.

A spokesperson for the event in Sundre, northwest of Calgary, said Tuesday they have cancelled Saturday’s event, citing harassment over a pro-Alberta float that didn’t make the cut.

Darby Crouch said the float would have displayed a bevy of blue Alberta flags but that parade organizers, cautious and aiming to be apolitical, decided to exclude it.

That decision prompted emails and messages to board members, including the threat of 1,000 protesters throwing a wrench into the event, Crouch said.

She said the pro-Alberta float should have been allowed — and the organization later apologized and invited it back in — but it was too late.

Some volunteers and other floats dropped out, and it became clear the parade couldn’t go on, she said.

“It’s not worth it this year. It’s too much of a risk,” said Crouch, adding they didn’t make the decision lightly.

“It’s supposed to be a family event, and kids look forward to it every single year.”

In a statement posted to Facebook on Monday, the Sundre Pro Rodeo and Race Association said the volume of online criticism, personal attacks, harassment and abusive messages directed at volunteers had become overwhelming.

It said even after the parade committee reached out to the float organizers, the hostility continued to grow.

“The decision to cancel the parade is not a statement about any political viewpoint, movement or cause,” the statement said.

“We want to be clear: disagreement is a normal and healthy part of any community. Harassment, intimidation and personal attacks against volunteers are not.”

The rodeo, which boasts an annual attendance of almost 10,000 people, will still carry on as planned this weekend, including the pancake breakfast.

“They’re not taking that away from us,” Crouch said.

The debate over Alberta separating from Canada has been roiling the province since Premier Danielle Smith announced last month that Albertans will vote on Oct. 19 on whether they want to remain in the country or begin the process to hold another binding referendum on secession.

Smith has been criticized for holding the vote at all, but she says she was obligated to hold it so thousands of Albertans can have their say.

In southern Alberta, the town of Taber has been in a standoff with a man who refuses to remove a pro-separatist billboard on municipally owned land. The billboard urges residents to send Ottawa a message and to “choose Alberta.”

Crouch said the Sundre parade committee was being extra cautious in part because they’ve been burnt by controversial floats before.

In 2022, a float appeared in which a man with a fake beard and turban was riding a manure spreader with the words “The Liberal” written on the side.

It appeared to be an attempt to depict Jagmeet Singh, the federal NDP leader at the time, who is Sikh. The float was widely condemned, including by Sikh groups.

At the time, organizers said the entry wasn’t approved and joined the parade without passing through registration.

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