2011 royal tour of Canada
The 2011 Royal Tour of Canada was undertaken by Prince William, and Catherine, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, between 30 June and 8 July 2011.
It was the first such tour undertaken by the Duke and Duchess since their marriage two months prior,[1] and the first duties the couple carried out as members of the Canadian Royal Family.
Departing from Britain, she wore a navy blue blazer by Toronto-based Smythe les Vestes,[8] On arrival, her outfit was by Montreal designer Erdem Moralioglu.
[17] Performers included the Sam Roberts Band, Great Big Sea, Corb Lund, and Maria Aragon.
Outside their first stop, Sainte-Justine University Hospital Centre, Reseau de Resistance du Québécois (RRQ) protesters' bilingual placards called the couple "parasites".
The Mouvement pacifique pour l'indépendence du Québec was planning to protest the visit by dressing in peasant costumes, outside the institute.
"[29] Sovereigntist group Réseau de Résistance du Québécois expected 300 protesters for their demonstration outside City Hall;[24] media reported about 200 showed up.
After visiting Province House, PEI's provincial legislature at Charlottetown, the couple learned of Canadian military accomplishments in Prince Edward Island National Park, before William took part in "a training session for the 'waterbird' emergency landing procedure in a Sea King helicopter at Dalvay-by-the-Sea.
At the hotel, a National Historic Site of Canada, the couple was welcomed to PEI by a traditional Miqmah smudging ceremony, where they sampled several kinds of local foods.
A session of the Youth Parliament at the Legislative Assembly was followed by a visit to Blachford Lake, which included the First Canadian Ranger Patrol Group and Dechinta: Bush University Centre for Research and Learning.
The unannounced stop was made in Slave Lake, Alberta, where the royal couple toured the town that was partially destroyed by a wildfire in May.
Arriving at the town's airport, the couple met with Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach and the Mayor of Slave Lake, Karina Pillay-Kinnee.
They met with emergency services personnel from the fire department, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the medical response team at Northern Lakes College.
[40] They toured the University of Calgary Ward of the 21st Century Research and Innovation Centre (W21C), and attended an evening Government of Canada reception at the BMO Stampede Park.
[41] The first event of the Friday, 8 July, was the day for the couple to launch the Calgary Stampede Parade at Bow Valley College.
[5] A horse died of a leg injury in the Stampede's first night, in spite of an "extensive overhaul to its animal care standards".
Later events included a reception at the ENMAX Conservatory, Calgary Zoo, hosted by the Alberta Government, and a public Official Departure Ceremony.
[41] Finally, after a nine-day Canadian tour that "far exceeded" expectations, according to Prince William, and was by all accounts a huge success, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge boarded a Royal Canadian Air Force aircraft, and departed the Realm, their last stop in North America being a visit to Los Angeles, California.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge departed Canada on 8 July, aboard a Canadian Forces jet bound for Los Angeles, US.
Upon arrival in the Californian city they were greeted by Canadian Consul General David Fransen, California Governor Jerry Brown and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
[55] The Canadian tour become a subject of controversy, as the royal couple planned to attend the annual Calgary Stampede, an event that features steer busting and calf roping and is condemned by animal welfare experts.
Animal Rights groups from Britain and Canada have written to Clarence House urging the couple not to attend the event.
Quebec MNA Amir Khadir, a leader of the leftist party Québec solidaire, referred to the royal couple as "parasites" ahead of the visit, calling the tour "a waste of public funds".
