Sundre Pro Rodeo parade cancelled after volunteers face online harassment
Posted Jun 16, 2026 1:40 pm.
Last Updated Jun 16, 2026 7:42 pm.
A community parade north of Calgary has been cancelled after volunteers were reportedly subjected to online harassment tied to a dispute over a political float.
Organizers of the the Sundre Pro Rodeo parade, scheduled for this Saturday, say the backlash escalated so severely that many volunteers no longer felt safe participating, forcing the association to call off the parade entirely even as the rodeo itself proceeds as planned.
The controversy began when parade organizers initially denied entry to a pro‑Alberta separatist float, a decision they say was made out of caution following a 2022 incident in which a parade entry featured people dressed as Justin Trudeau and Jagmeet Singh as a political statement. The organizers reversed the decision after facing heavy criticism online, but the harassment only intensified.
Darby Crouch with the Sundre Pro Rodeo Association says the volume and tone of the attacks quickly overwhelmed the volunteers who make the parade possible.
“Volunteers didn’t sign up for this, they are in fact volunteers,” she said. “They didn’t feel comfortable and there was a lot that decided they didn’t want to be volunteers anymore. It wasn’t a risk we were willing to take.”
Crouch emphasized the cancellation was not about any one group.
“It was the personal attacks on our volunteers and it’s just unacceptable, which ultimately influenced our decision,” she said.
Town Council says it is “deeply disappointed” the parade will not go ahead, noting that community events rely on residents who freely give their time and should never face intimidation or harassment.
The dispute comes as separatism‑related floats appear in more Alberta parades this summer. Former cabinet minister Thomas Lukaszuk tells CityNews that the Forever Canadian Unity Bus won best entrant at last weekend’s Innisfail parade.
The Calgary Stampede says no floats advocating either side of the issue have registered so far.
RCMP confirmed officers attended an operations meeting for the Sundre parade, but say no harassment complaints have been formally reported to police.
The Sundre Pro Rodeo will continue this weekend as scheduled.
