Prime Minister Mark Carney waves to a suite in the infield at the Rangeland Derby chuckwagon races from the chutes at the Calgary Stampede on Saturday. Photo by Mike Drew /Postmedia Calgary

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Prime Minister Mark Carney made appearances at the Calgary Stampede on Saturday evening, stopping for handshakes and photos with Stampede-goers before taking in the chuckwagon races and Indigenous relays.

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Arriving near the Hitchin’ Post food booth north of GMC Stadium, Carney was immediately swarmed by people who had been enjoying food and drinks before the Evening Show.

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Ryland Kaiser, who had been sitting at a nearby table with his family, said he was surprised to see the prime minister walking by.

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“That was the last thing that I expected today,” he said. Kaiser had greeted Carney, who then stopped to take a photo with him.

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“I accidentally hit him with my hat,” Kaiser laughed. “He said, ‘Did you plan that?’ And I said, ‘No, no, that was not intentional.’ He’s a really nice guy.

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“I appreciate that he came out and and said hello,” he said. “It was a great time.”

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Prime Minister Mark Carney mingles with visitors before the GMC Rangeland Derby at the Calgary Stampede on Saturday. Photo by Gavin Young /Postmedia Calgary

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Another man standing nearby, holding up his phone to capture the moment, yelled, “Hey Carney, you suck, by the way. Get a real job.”

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The prime minister, however, was all smiles as he made his way through the crowd.

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Carney laid low at the Evening Show, going relatively unnoticed while taking in the races from behind the chutes.

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Carney arrived in Calgary on Saturday fresh from a trip to the Middle East, which included a stop in Turkey for the NATO Summit followed by a visit to Saudi Arabia to talk trade, technology, energy, and defense. 

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Earlier Saturday, he met with representatives of the Treaty 6, Treaty 7, and Treaty 8 First Nations, though topics being discussed at the meeting were not disclosed. 

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Carney is expected to remain in Calgary on Sunday.

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Prime Minister Mark Carney watches the GMC Rangeland Derby with his wife Diana Fox Carney and Calgary Stampede officials on Saturday, July 11, 2026. Photo by Gavin Young /Postmedia

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In a post to social media last week, Carney said he was “looking forward to spending some time back home in Alberta.”

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“Every year, Canadians flock to the Calgary Stampede to celebrate Alberta’s ranching heritage, Indigenous traditions, and the spirit of the West,” he said.

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Pipeline gets the go-ahead

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On July 2 — the day before the Stampede kicked off — Carney visited Calgary to announce details for a proposed West Coast pipeline with Premier Danielle Smith.

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Prime Minister Mark Carney stops for photo with a Stampede-goer before the GMC Rangeland Derby on Saturday. Photo by Gavin Young /Postmedia Calgary

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Prime Minister Mark Carney watches the start of the GMC Rangeland Derby with his wife Diana Fox Carney and Calgary Stampede officials on Saturday. Photo by Gavin Young /Postmedia Calgary

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