In June 2013, our beloved Western Canada experienced a nightmare of two storms converging, held together in the grips of a third, with a downpour that went on for days causing a more-rapid-than-normal snow melt.
Much of the ground was still frozen below the surface, so the water falling could not be absorbed. The Bow and Elbow Rivers overflowed, had nowhere to go and were flowing at 12x the normal rate. This all occurred a short time before the 101st Annual Calgary Stampede, one of the largest rodeos in North America, and a long-standing tradition by Canadians and Americans alike.
Evacuations of the park kicked in on June 20th; some people remained to keep water away from the electrical substation on Stampede property. A dirt birm was in place protecting the track, while portable flood walls were installed. Sluice gates were closed preventing upwelling of storm sewers. Tiger Dams, Flood Sax and sandbags were in place to protect the buildings, track and substation. In the wake of the natural disaster, the Stampede grounds was covered in contaminated mud, damaged buildings / arenas. However, determination was made that the Stampede Must Go On.
The community banded together to do everything in their power to deliver the familiar location for people to gather with family and friends allowing for a pause to give thanks and rally community spirits.
On the morning of Monday, June 24th, the waters began to recede and contractors from all over North America began to arrive to help with the recovery process. City resources were left to recovery efforts of their own.
Companies specializing in water removal/flood recovery put forth an effort, pumping water back into the river. Luckily, the city water supply was never contaminated; however, the mud and deposit debris were not without contamination of chemicals, waste, and/or other harmful substances. The river left grass and debris in the fenceline surrounding the park that required 200 people-hours to remove.
Muddy debris had to be removed from the outside and the inside of the Stampede buildings requiring that they be washed and sanitized. The process was required for the facility to pass inspection for occupancy (barns included). The armies of workers put forth a 24/7 effort for a period of time from June 22nd until the day the Park opened -- Thursday, July 4th -- a period of 13 days.
Someone in the community created a Stampede-branded image that read "Hell or High Water" that went viral. The Stampede Consumer Marketing Department made the quote "kid friendly" and printed thousands of "Heck or High Water" t-shirts for all net proceeds to go to the Canadian Red Cross Alberta Flood Funds. Blake Reid, a gentleman who was a few years younger than Brian who went to the same school as he did, wrote and performed "Hell or High Water" in honor of the Calgarian spirit of recovery and accomplishment exhibited in those 13 days.
Click on the black t-shirt above to hear Blake's beautiful ballad, "Hell or High Water."
By July 9th, more than 100,000 shirts were sold. Black t-shirts were emptied from all the Western Canadian suppliers, and they looked to the east, and as far south as the Carolinas to get black tees into Calgary. Every day, three local screen printers printed, boxed and delivered shirts hot off the presses, and every day, 30-40 volunteers showed up to help pack and ship shirts. On the last day of the Stampede, a check was presented to the Red Cross Alberta Flood Fund in the amount of $2.1M.
We are so proud and thankful of the magnanimous effort for those 13 days ensuring the second century of the Calgary Stampede would go on as scheduled. We will continue to travel, support and compete at the Stampede, building a lifetime of memories for our family. Our calendar at Eaglesfield Percherons is already marked for
July 4 - July 13, 2014, and we hope to see more draft horse participation this year in the Agrium Western Event Centre.
Click here to view a video that depicts the devastation and the beautiful efforts of recovery.
Photos Shared From: Calgary Herald & Calgary Stampede
