On Sunday, July 13th, Prime Minister Stephen Harper invited friends to Heritage Park for the annual ‘Calgary Southwest Stampede Barbeque.’

The event, which usually takes place on the first Tuesday of Stampede, was postponed due to the Prime Minister’s visit to the 34th G8 Summit in Japan. Guests who attended, started with cocktails outdoors in Heritage Park’s majestic setting. Thereafter guests moved inside and were seated. More photos and details from the event, after the jump.

The Centrepiece

Each table was adorned with an Evergreen seedling ready for planting.

Your table centerpiece is a potted native evergreen seedling ready for planting and making a small contribution to improve our global environment. Someone at your table, who has a spot to plant it and is willing to make sure it gets some water every couple of weeks for the next two years should take it home. After two years, the seedling should develop a root system sufficient to survive on its own. A few extra seedlings are available at the park exit.

Trees (and other plants) keep our air supply fresh by absorbing carbon dioxide and producing oxygen. In one year, an acre of trees can absorb all of the carbon dioxide emitted by a car driven 8700 miles (2.6 tons of CO2). In one year, an acre of trees will produce enough oxygen for 18 people to breathe. In addition to providing natural beauty and home and shelter for birds and animals, strategically placed trees can provide for shade for buildings and reduce energy consumption.

The seedling is potted in a recycled paper pot which will decompose in the soil. It does not have to be removed for planting but it should be broken so the roots can spread more easily.

One of the guest at the table suggested that I take the sapling to replant BC’s forests which have recently been devastated by the Mountain Pine Beetle.

The Swag

Each attendee was given a Conservative Party of Canada Calgary Southwest Stampede Barbeque bag (made in China - OOOPS!) to use as an alternative to plastic bags in shopping excursions.

Your table placements are reusable grocery shopping bags. Everyone should take their bag and keep it in the car you take to the supermarket.

The plastic shopping bags, given out in abundance at supermarkets, are a huge commercial success. Oil and natural gas are consumed to manufacture them. It is said that it costs only $32 to make a ton of plastic resin for the bags but it costs $4000 to recycle old bags back into plastic resin. Only about 1% of bags are recycled, with the remainder either ending up in landfills, blowing around the countryside or floating around our rivers, lakes and oceans. Buried underground, these bags will last almost indefinitely. Exposed to sunlight, over many years, the will photo degrade into various petro-polymers!

Your shopping bag is made of sturdy, recycled poly-propylene plastic. Every time you remember to use it you will conserve a small bit of our natural resources and avoid some long lasting pollution of our environment.

The Dinner

The Buffet dinner included carved Prime Rib of Alberta beef, mixed greens, Caesar salad, vegetable salad, rosemary roasted baby red potatoes, domestic cheese and crackers, dessert and wine and much more.

To view more photos featuring the Prime Minister, click HERE.