Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen will be Calgary Stampede’s parade marshal this year.
Hansen will be the first Canadian to orbit the moon as part of the historic Artemis II mission. It’s the first crewed mission to the moon since 1972 and will last approximately 10 days, according to the Canadian Space Agency’s website.
According to the Canadian Space Agency, Hansen always had a passion for aviation. He joined the 614 Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron in London, Ont., at the age of 12 and earned his Air Cadet glider pilot wings at 16 in Trenton.
He earned his private pilot licence and wings in Cornwall, Ont. when he was 17, and was later accepted to the Royal Military College Saint-Jean in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que.
He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in space science in 1999 at the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ont. and a master’s in physics from the same institution in 2000.
“Jeremy Hansen is a trailblazer who exemplifies the values of the Calgary Stampede,” said Will Osler, president and chair of Calgary Stampede’s board of directors.
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“His integrity and commitment to community are an inspiration, and all Calgarians, Albertans and Canadians are proud of him and everything he has accomplished. We are honoured to have Jeremy lead our parade as an example of what you can achieve when you work hard and dream big.”
Hansen will be joined by honorary parade marshal Gen. Wayne Eyre. Eyre is the chief of defence staff for the Department of National Defence, which oversees the military.
“I am thrilled to be selected as the 2023 Calgary Stampede parade marshal and to come back to a province that holds a special place in my heart. I look forward to seeing you along the parade route in July,” Hansen said in an emailed statement.
Tune in to Global Calgary on Friday, July 7, at 8:45 a.m. to watch a special live broadcast of the 2023 Calgary Stampede Parade. The Global News Morning team along with Corus Entertainment’s The Morning Show will have all of the action for you from this year’s route. The special broadcast will air on Global Television, the Global TV app, Globalnews.ca, the Global News YouTube channel, Facebook and Amazon Prime.
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