Taylor Swift fans campaign for the pop star to return to the provinces

REGINA – Megan Weiland made a friendship bracelet for each of Taylor Swift’s albums.

The Regina woman also made one in the green and white of the Saskatchewan Roughriders – a tribute to the mega-pop star’s football-playing boyfriend, Travis Kelce. There’s also one in pink and green to give the impression of a watermelon, something Riders fans are known to wear on their heads at games.

Weiland’s bracelets and hundreds of others were strung on a spool and are 100 meters long – roughly the size of a football field.

It’s like a long love letter: Please, Taylor, you belong to us.

“I think if we as a province raise our Taylor flag together, something could happen,” Weiland said in an interview.

“You never know, right? Travis never thought he would win over the most popular woman in the world, but it worked.”

Since June, the Saskatchewan Swifties have been trying to get the star to stop in the province again.

Swift has been on her Eras world tour, drawing hundreds of thousands of fans from London to Tokyo. She’s coming to Canada later this year to perform in Toronto and Vancouver.

While she may not be coming to Saskatchewan, there are plenty of tireless Swifites promoting events and ideas to find ways to lure the star “back to Saskatch.”

Swift referred to the province as Saskatch when she was last here in 2009 for the Craven Country Jamboree, now known as Country Thunder.

She also said earlier this year that she enjoyed antique shopping in Saskatoon.

“I like to abbreviate Saskatchewan. Like ‘I got this lamp in Saskatch,'” she wrote on social media.

Greg Moore, known as Wheels, host of Z99’s morning show, said when he heard she loved Saskatchewan, he came up with the idea to try to bring her back.

Swifties also bring good energy, he said.

“The world needs more of this, and spreading this kind of joy is a win-win,” Moore said.

“It’s tangible and you see it everywhere.”

For example, recently – about two weeks ago – hundreds of people gathered at the downtown Regina mall to make the bracelets that are typically exchanged at Swift concerts.

At this year’s Country Thunder they also hosted a big dance party.

South of Regina, a corn maze was mowed and the words “Corn Era Tour” were carved into the landscape in the hope that Swift would see it from her private plane.

A minor league baseball team recently wore the Eye Blacks with the words “Back to Saskatch” printed on them at a game.

“It was surreal to watch him grow week after week,” Moore said.

Even those who don’t like the singer-songwriter are ready to shake him off.

The City of Swift Current has promised to temporarily change her name, possibly to Taylor Swift Current or Swiftie Current, should she perform there.

Mayor Al Bridal said he didn’t even know who Swift was.

“I had to go online to see a picture of her. I didn’t know what she looked like. She’s 34 and I heard she has a boyfriend in the NFL,” Bridal said.

Kelce plays for the Kansas City Chiefs.

“But I just went with it and said, ‘Keep going.’ It’s a fun thing and hopefully it will resonate with Taylor Swift’s (PR) people.”

City Councillor Ryan Switzer, who persuaded Bridal to agree to Swift Current’s name change, said the economic knock-on effects would be enormous.

Switzer said he was a fan, too.

“She has a beautiful voice and there are some of her songs that I turn on when they come on the radio,” he said.

While Swifties wait to see if her work has paid off, some believe she may have already noticed.

Swift wore a green and yellow outfit – the colours of Saskatchewan – at one of her recent shows. At another show on the same day that the Roughriders played, she wore pink and green.

“Does she see us? Is she suddenly working on something?” Moore said.

“We don’t know at this point, but knowing Taylor Swift and knowing how good she is at having fun with her fans, I would put it past her to bring history full circle and say, ‘You know what, I’m going to come back in some form because I love you too.'”

Weiland, who has secured concert tickets to Swift’s Toronto performance later this year, said she is hoping for good karma.

“It’s a lot of work being a Swiftie. You have to stay on top of things,” she said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 21, 2024.

Jeremy Simes, The Canadian Press