Pierre Poilievre, leader of the federal Conservatives, also went to the annual Ismaili Muslim community event
Politics and pancake breakfasts might seem like an odd pair.
Premier of Alberta Danielle Smith and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau both spoke at a Stampede pancake breakfast put on by the Ismaili Muslim community on Saturday.
The two leaders haven’t always gotten along well, but they shook hands before a private meeting on Friday. During the meeting, they talked about Alberta’s concerns about reducing emissions, the goal of making a net-zero electricity grid by 2035, and the ongoing strike by port workers in British Columbia.
“I’m glad to be here with Premier Smith. “Thank you, Danielle, for being a leader,” Trudeau said at the breakfast as he began.
They didn’t look like they had time to talk.
“I’d like to thank the prime minister for his comments,” Smith said in reply.
WATCH | At the Stampede pancake breakfast, Trudeau flips pancakes.
Instead of talking about politics, the two leaders talked about how the Ismaili community has changed Canada since people started moving here in large numbers more than 50 years ago.
Trudeau said that Ismailis still come up to him to thank him for what his father, Pierre Elliott Trudeau, did to bring a lot of people from that community to Canada.
“It is much more true that my father, I, and Canada owe you a debt of gratitude. “Not just for what you’ve done for this country, but also for being a shining example of how to help people who are running away from violence, persecution, and fear,” he said.
“When we take in refugees, we do more than just give them chances. Everything this group has done in Canada has made our country so much better.
Smith also gave the Ismaili community a lot of praise for how kind they were.
“This Stampede breakfast is another example of how generous you are,” she said.
“It doesn’t care about faith, culture, or skin color, and it has left a deep mark on Alberta. Every day, you change people’s lives by volunteering, making education better, and taking care of other people.
Pierre Poilievre, leader of the federal Conservative Party, also went to the event and spoke. He also planned to go to a pancake breakfast and a party barbecue later in the day.
The leader of the federal NDP, Jagmeet Singh, has no plans to go to the Stampede this year, according to a spokesperson for the party. The spokesperson did not say why.
A spokesperson for the Alberta NDP confirmed that party leader Rachel Notley will be at the pancake breakfast on Monday.
Trudeau spent a short time making pancakes before going to an event hosted by Liberal MP George Chahal for his second breakfast of the morning.
The prime minister’s second speech, which was more political, was heard by a huge crowd.
“The truth is that George needs help, and I really hope that in the next few years we’ll be able to send more Liberals to Parliament from Alberta,” Trudeau said.
In these hard times, he also told those who were listening to keep working to make Canada a better place.
“Right now, the world is facing a lot of problems. Whether it’s war coming back to Europe, the world becoming less stable because of rising energy and food prices, or climate change having a bigger effect on things like wildfires,” Trudeau said.
“There are a lot of reasons to feel anxious and worried about the future, but there are also a lot of reasons to be hopeful, positive, and ambitious about the country we get to build every day.” After Trudeau gave his speech, people rushed up to him to take pictures, get his autograph, or shake his hand.