Royal Visit Show 2005

The groups consisted of members of ethno-cultural organizations in Calgary representing American, Asian, African, European and Pacific nations. Dressed up in their colourful traditional costumes they entered the scene three times, joining the Calgary Stampede Show Band, the Square dancers and all the other performers on the stage. Altogether, roughly 2,000 people were involved in the production. An audience of 17,000, including Governor General Adrienne Clarkson and Prime Minister Paul Martin, enjoyed the show inside the Saddledome. It was also transmitted by several TV channels.

All groups felt honoured by the opportunity to appear in front of the Royal couple and to display Calgary's multicultural roots. Sandra Santoyo, president of the Venezuelan-Canadian Association of Calgary says: "We did enjoy being part of this once in a lifetime event. From what I have heard the show was a big success so being involved in the rehearsals was worth the time and effort. It was an honour as royalty is something that is new to us. We feel closer to the Canadian culture after events such as this. We can now say that we were only a few meters away from the Queen of Canada."