A clear case of hometown boosterism by none other than Prime Minister Stephen Harper has triggered a flurry of reactions on all sides of the political spectrum.
Helping kick off the Calgary Stampede recently, Harper appeared to go off script, referring to his adopted hometown as superior to all others when speaking about the Stampede's growth over the past 100 years.
"I think that if the founders could be here today and see the great city, see what has built up around this event, they would be amazed,” said Harper. “They would be amazed to see that their Stampede has been part of giving birth to the greatest city in the greatest country in the world.”
The prime minister was born in Toronto, but moved to Calgary in his 20s. He currently represents the riding of Calgary Southwest.
Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson -- whose city residents often pride themselves on permanently owning the title Harper bestowed on Calgary -- jokingly commented that Harper must have slipped up, saying “Calgary” when he meant to say “Vancouver.”
Harper's offhand comment also provoked a mixed response on Twitter.
Many users suggested the comment was being blown out of proportion, and Harper was simply giving some love to his local supporters, as any elected MP does during the summer barbecue season.
Predictably, others used the opportunity to take aim at Harper in tongue-in-cheek commentary on the popular social media service.
For more Twitter reaction, see our Storify post.
