MP wants federal funding to Calgary Stampede pulled after abuse settlement reached

A member of Parliament says he’s calling on the federal government to halt funding to the Calgary Stampede.

Liberal member George Chahal, who represents Calgary Skyview, says the Stampede has lost people’s trust.

A partial settlement was reached this week in a class-action lawsuit alleging the organization allowed a performance school staffer to sexually abuse young boys.

Phillip Heerema is serving a 10-year sentence for luring six boys into sexual relationships when he worked for the Stampede’s Young Canadians School of Performing Arts.

WATCH | Liberal member George Chahal on CBC’s Power & Politics:

The lawsuit’s three dozen plaintiffs are all men who were students, employees, contractors or volunteers with the performance school.

Chahal said government funding should only be restored when the victims feel there has been genuine accountability.

“The Calgary Stampede must recognize that they have lost the trust of many Calgarians,” Chahal said in a letter posted Thursday night on social media.

“It is not about enhancing their image or salvaging their brand; it is about ensuring justice, safety and a commitment to never allow such heinous acts to happen within their ranks again.”

Joel Cowley, Calgary Stampede chief executive officer, said in an emailed statement Friday that the Stampede takes responsibility and acknowledges that “we should have known much sooner. For this, we are truly sorry.” 

“While we can’t change the past, we remain committed to doing everything possible to guard against anything similar ever happening again and have taken many meaningful steps over the past nine years to enhance the safety and wellness of our youth participants,” the statement read. 

He said he hears the concerns raised about what the Stampede knew and when, but said the organization took immediate action upon learning of the allegations in 2014.

Cowley added that the lawsuit is still before the courts. The settlement is expected to reflect agreement with the victims and said he hopes that outcome will help the victims and their families begin to heal.

At a press conference Friday, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said the province will continue to support the Stampede. 

“We have asked the Calgary Stampede and the Young Canadians to tell us what they have done over the years to make sure that children are not exploited or victimized that way. And I look forward to their response.” 

Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek, who is on the Calgary Stampede board, said Friday that she is happy that accountability has been accepted by Calgary Stampede. 

“I can tell you that the board and leadership remain committed to make sure that this never happens again,” she said. 

“And in this particular situation, the fact that children were not listened to when they came forward with their stories, is the tragedy.” 

One of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit said Chahal “hit the nail on the head” by calling for funding to be stopped until the Stampede is fully accountable.

“I don’t think anyone’s trying to get the Calgary Stampede cancelled,” he told The Canadian Press in an interview.

“That is not our goal and that is not what needs to be done for justice to be served. But it’s very clear that the Calgary Stampede still hasn’t fully faced what happened in the past.”

The Calgary Stampede received more than $10 million from the federal government to help it bounce back after the 2021 event was scaled down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, on the heels of a complete cancellation in 2020.

In recent years, the Stampede has also received grants from Ottawa for a handful of construction projects, including $1.6 million for the new Sam Centre in 2022 and $1.6 million for Doherty Hall on its Youth Campus in 2018. 

The organization also received various COVID-19 related funding from Ottawa since 2020, ranging from about $11,000 from the Temporary Wage Subsidy program in 2020 to $247,000 under the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) in 2021, according to its yearly financial statements.