After days of flooding and an ongoing flood cleanup, Calgarians are in the mood to party.
Hundreds of thousands of people were expected to turn out for the official kickoff to the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth- the Stampede parade.
The parade started at 9.05 a.m. MT Friday and followed the usual route, since the flood cleanup downtown is almost complete.
The parade route began at 6 Avenue and 3 Street S.E., travels west on 6 Avenue, south on 10 Street S.W., east on 9 Avenue and ends at 3 Street S.E.
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This year’s parade included an entry honouring the men and women who manned the front lines during Calgary’s flood emergency including fire, police and EMS personnel.
Leading the parade was now-retired astronaut Chris Hadfield, the first Canadian to walk in space and the first Canadian to command the International Space Station.
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