As a heat dome settles in over most of western North America, the Calgary Stampede said they are ready.

Environment Canada issued heat warnings for most of Alberta on July 7, with “extremely hot” temperatures expected during the day, and little relief from the heat expected overnight. Forecast highs were expected to be 35 degrees on July 10, with overnight lows not going below 17 degrees.

Speaking on Sunday afternoon, representatives for the Stampede outlined the efforts they will be undertaking over the coming days to ensure that both humans and animals at the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth remain safe regardless of the weather.

Kerrie Blizard, Director of Public Safety and Environment for the Calgary Stampede said that public safety remained the top priority for the organization.

“Part of our overall safety planning in general is for sort of any instance that might come up, and that includes weather of all sorts. Heat is certainly certainly one of the things that we plan for,” she said.

“We think about our programming and making sure that we have the depth and breadth available for our guests to enjoy both indoor and outdoor programming, as well as having on site medical, and we have water fountains available.”

Outdoor misting stations would also be made available for guests, although contingency plans in place due to previously enacted water restrictions meant that they would not be activated until temperatures rose above 28 degrees Celsius.

Once that temperature was reached, the Stampede would also be placing additional fountains to ensure that guests and staff had access to water, Blizard said.

For staff, the Stampede was encouraging their teams to take regular breaks and providing them additional shelter or sun umbrellas, she said.

Staff would also be delivered water throughout their shifts to ensure they remain hydrated.

“Really, we just adjust as we need to, to make sure that everybody’s taken care of. Safety is number one, and that includes our guests, our employees, our volunteers, and our performers,” Blizard said.

Alberta Health Services EMS and Calgary Fire Department firefighters have also been stationed on park to address any health related issues that could arise during the Stampede.

“We’re always encouraging guests to come prepared for any weather events. During the heat we encourage our guests to have sunscreen, wear a hat and lightweight clothing. But we also encourage them to bring their rain gear, because we know what comes with heat is often some late day rain showers as well,” said Blizard.

Blizard wasn’t aware of any major heat related issues that had affected visitors, but that the Stampede was monitoring and preparing for that as the day got hotter.

As part of the monitoring, the Stampede employed an on-site meteorologist to provide weather updates between noon and 10 to 11 p.m. dependant on weather conditions, Blizard said.

“He sits right outside my office, so I get regular updates from him so that I can inform our people on how to best support our guests,” she said.

Animals on park being well cared for in heat, said Stampede

The animals on park, whether they were part of the agricultural showcases or the competitions, were being well cared for, said Kristina Barnes, Director of Agriculture and Western Events for the Calgary Stampede.

Indoor animals as part of the showcase were being housed in barns with fans and air conditioning to keep them cool, along with plenty of water to keep them hydrated.

“They’re in a very calm atmosphere where they’re sitting and relaxing,” Barnes said.

She said that the animals that would be receiving the most focus during the heat wave were the animals that were part of the competitions, like rodeo and chuck wagons.

“With rodeo, the animals come in in the morning, and pre-rodeo they aren’t on park for very long. They have access to water immediately and post competition. So just like people, they need to have that access to water, and they are watched very closely by veterinarians,” Barnes said.

“Specifically to our Calgary Stampede bucking stock, they live in Drumheller, so they are acclimatized to the very warm weather, and when they’re not in Canada they’re often in the southern states where they are very warm. So for them, this isn’t that unusual.”

She said that the length of time that the animals would be competing during the rodeo meant that heat wasn’t a big concern, but that all of the animals would be monitored by veterinary staff regardless.

Chuckwagon racing horses were being housed in one of the coolest spots on Stampede Park.

“They have big huge cooling fans, and a lot of the drivers will have misters in their barns. They will be warmed up to race, and after the race they get a cool down shower. They also get nice cooling leg wraps, if it’s determined that they need those,” Barnes said.

“For their owners, for the Stampede, for their caregivers, it’s really just keeping an eye on them making sure that they’re calm, comfortable, and looking good and feeling good, and then supporting them as needed.”