Calgary Stampede's Refugee-Powered Enviro Program

The Calgary Stampede is a rodeo, amusement park, agriculture, food and music festival that kicks off this week. It attracts hundreds of thousands of people to the city of Calgary each year and is perceived by some locals as being overly rowdy, disruptive, wasteful, and out of touch with its cosmopolitan surroundings. When one colleague learned I helped design and manage some of the Stampede’s waste and environmental programs, he memorably said, “I half expected them to roll it up, stick it in a barrel, light it on fire, and shoot it out of a cannon.” What many don't know is that the Calgary Stampede is full of heart-warming behind-the-scenes stories of inclusion and progress. The following is one of them.

When the Stampede emerged from a devastating two-year hiatus due to COVID-19, they had to work quickly to rehire and replace thousands of staff and contractors. When the Stampede contacted me for help with their compost programs, the timing was difficult. After two years on the sidelines, the team I had groomed over several years to deliver an efficient Stampede program had all gone in separate directions. I really wanted to support the continuation of the environmental programs I helped initiate at the Calgary Stampede, but where could we possibly find the staff needed to manage the project on such short notice?

Through a chance conversation with my friend Anila Umar resulting in an innovative partnership with the Centre for Newcomers , a Calgary-based social services agency, we were able to source, vet, and train a new team of 40 newcomers to Canada in record time.

The team included refugees from Ukraine, Afghanistan, and Syria. For most of them, it was their first-ever Canadian work experience. Their work ethic, enthusiasm, and gratitude for the well-paying, meaningful work was nothing short of inspiring. This was by far the most rewarding and stress-free project I have enjoyed over a decade of collaboration with the Calgary Stampede. The Stampede staff agreed; they hired four of the crew members as permanent staff.

Creative supplier partnerships like the refugee-powered compost program at the Calgary Stampede enable all kinds of positive social impacts. The program generates meaningful employment for marginalized populations, which makes them better equipped to support their families and facilitated a quicker and more fulsome integration into their newly adopted community. The experience engendered an emotional connection and long-term loyalty for all those involved.

The Centre for Newcomers continues to manage this environmental pgram. If you find yourself down at Stampede Park over the next ten days, look for these hard-working newcomers throughout the site and thank them for their work.

Also please don't litter.

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Leor Rotchild is a nationally-recognized speaker, author, podcaster, and consultant with 20 years of sustainable business experience. His new book entitled How We Gather Matters: Sustainable Event Planning for Purpose and Impact is now available at local bookstores or online.

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