The busy day began early at 7 a.m. as Chinook Mall hosted its 62nd annual Pancake Breakfast and welcomed nearly 40,000 people to its east parking lot throughout the morning.
This year’s stage featured Craig Moritz, The Heels and Jake Mathews.
Cadillac Fairview (CF), the company responsible for the mall, says the event is a “beloved family tradition” it has hosted for the past 60 years.
“Our breakfasts are iconic to many residents who come to us each year at our two malls in Calgary. For some, the Stampede experience is not complete without a pancake breakfast, and we look forward to welcoming the community to mark this unforgettable tradition.” , CF vice president of operations Cam Gresko said in a statement.
CF says it will also make a donation to the Alberta Children’s Hospital to support the facility.
Along with a free $25 gift card offer for the first 200 mall shoppers who spend more than $250 that day, CF says it will be running a number of other promotions throughout the 10 days of the Calgary Stampede.
More than 7,000 Calgarians gathered Saturday morning at the Ismaili Community Center and Jamatkhana for Pancake Stampede and to celebrate a special Muslim festival.
The 25th annual breakfast coincided for the first time with Eid al-Adha, known as the Muslim Feast of Sacrifice.
Several hundred volunteers donated food and served thousands of pancakes and scrambled eggs, along with famous bharazi (pigeon in coconut-based gravy) and Jalebi (a special sweet treat to celebrate Eid).
Alisha Kanji with the Ismaili Muslim Community says this year is more special than ever because it’s the first full-scale event since the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s been really hard to try to still have our own traditions and customs that really fit what we’re trying to do with the Stampede, but this year, we thought, why not combine the two celebrations,” he said.
“It was a wonderful opportunity to both come together and be able to have everyone back in a similar place to share a common meal.”
The breakfast featured live bands, visiting politicians including Prime Minister Jason Kenney and Mayor Jyoti Godek.
Children were also able to play games, enjoy bouncy castles and treats with proceeds going to the Canadian Mental Health Association.
MAKAMI STAMPEDE MORNING RAISES FUNDS FOR UKRAINE#
MaKami College welcomed hundreds of people throughout the morning to the Marlborough Mall, where a free community pancake breakfast raised money to support Ukraine.
The event hosted by local Conservative MP Jassraj Singh Hallan of Calgary Forest Lawn accepted donations for the Canadian Red Cross.
Marija Pavkovic-Tovissi, whose family came to Calgary from the former Yugoslavia, reflected on the importance of giving back to those in need.
“As an immigrant who also came to Canada from a country with a long history of conflict, we sympathize deeply with the people of Ukraine.”
“We encourage this year’s Stampede participants to help donate in any way they can.”
Meanwhile, several Conservative MPs, including interim party leader Candace Bergen, also rocked flapjacks for a good cause and interacted with voters.
“It’s so exciting to be here,” he said.
“We feel very positive about the future of our party, the future of our free movement and frankly, the future of Canada.”
Conservative leadership candidates Roman Baber and Pierre Polievre also attended the event.
