Home · On This Day · July 9, 1959
A royal Calgary Stampede
Broadcast Date: July 9, 1959
Queen Elizabeth enjoys many local celebrations as she crosses Canada in her 1959 royal visit, but few are more distinctive than the Calgary Stampede. With Prince Philip beside her, wearing a customary white cowboy hat, the Royal Couple take in the first chuckwagon races of the stampede. But their first race is delayed by an accident when horses rear up and topple as the royal guests look on.A royal Calgary Stampede
• 1959 was an important year for the Royal Family in Canada. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip embarked on a 45-day tour of Canada, stopping in every province and territory.• In Calgary, instead of the usual red carpet that greets the Queen, Elizabeth was greeted with a carpet of buffalo skins.
• More than 100,000 visitors attended the Stampede in hopes of seeing Queen Elizabeth. As the royal motorcade approached the grandstand, the crowd sang Home on the Range.
• The Calgary Stampede was first held in 1912, and is known as "The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth."
• CBC hired Joy Davies, a fashion consultant, to brief their commentators and advise them on what Her Majesty would be wearing each day of her 1959 tour.
Also on July 9:
• 1793: The Act Against Slavery is passed in Upper Canada (Ontario) with certain conditions. Slaves already in the province would remain enslaved until death, no new slaves could be brought into Upper Canada, and children born to female slaves would be freed at age 25.
• 1955: Festival Singers of Toronto give their first concert at the Stratford Festival. Formed in 1954 by Elmer Iseler, the choir turned professional in 1968, and became the Festival Singers of Canada.
• 2003: The federal government announces it would temporarily supply marijuana for medicinal purposes. Prairie Plants Systems in Flin Flon, Manitoba gets the contract.
A royal Calgary Stampede
Medium: Television
Program: CBC Television News Special
Broadcast Date: July 9, 1959
Host: Bruce Marsh
Reporter: Ted Reynolds
Duration: 3:07
Last updated:
April 4, 2008
Topic
On Feb. 6, 1952, Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor was proclaimed Queen of Canada. Her spectacular coronation in Westminster Abbey the following year was heard by millions on the radio and was the first ever to...
Topic
For 10 days in July, mild-mannered Calgarians don skin-tight wranglers, big shiny belts and even bigger Stetsons and go into "Stampede mode." Not much work gets done as cowboys, Indian princesses,...
A royal Calgary Stampede.
The CBC Digital Archives Website.
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
Last updated: April 4, 2008.
[Page consulted on Feb. 12, 2012.]