🐎 Happy World Emoji Day from Alberta!

Today is World Emoji Day, and while some people are busy sending hearts 💖 and tacos 🌮, we here in Alberta think it's time to show the world what emojis really should look like when you live in a place where winter lasts 9 months and “casual wear” means plaid and steel-toed boots.

🌾 Existing Emojis That Already "Get" Alberta

🐎 Horse

Mandatory. Whether you're into rodeo, ranching, or just taking a scenic trail ride through the Rockies, the horse emoji is the spirit animal of Alberta.

🛻 Pickup Truck

This emoji has Alberta written all over it. Bonus points if it has a rifle rack, a Tim Hortons cup in the console, and suspicious amounts of hay in the back.

🌨️ Cloud With Snow

This is Alberta’s version of the “always online” emoji. It's our way of life... in July.

🦬 Bison

Strong, majestic, and occasionally confused with a regular cow by city visitors. Just like Alberta itself.

☕ Coffee

Tim Hortons should have its own emoji by now, but until then, this humble cup represents small-town life in Cochrane where a “double-double” is currency.

📲 Emojis That Should Exist For Alberta (But Don’t... Yet)

1. 🐄🐕‍🦺 Cow Being Herded by a Dog in a Hoodie

Shout-out to Cochrane’s legendary ranch dog statue. A whole emoji could be dedicated to this epic duo. Imagine a cowboy emoji watching proudly from the fence.

2. 🏒🛢️ Oil Hockey

Because in Alberta, your two biggest passions are natural resources and dropping gloves in the second period.

3. 🤠🌪️ Cowboy in a Chinook

This emoji would show a confused cowboy standing in shorts and flip-flops in January because it’s +14°C thanks to a chinook, and he forgot how to dress. Happens every year.

4. 🐻🚫 Bear-Blocking-a-Trail Emoji

Essential for Cochrane hikers. This emoji would warn people: "Sorry, trail closed. Bruce the Bear had other plans today."

5. 🐐🧗‍♂️ Goat Watching You Fail at Hiking

Specifically for the people who try to climb Cochrane's Big Hill and get passed by smug mountain goats. They train year-round. You sat in traffic on Highway 1A.

6. 🧊🦖 Frozen Dinosaur

Tribute to the actual dinosaur fossils in Alberta. Also, a metaphor for how your face feels during a January walk in Cochrane.

💬 Alberta-Inspired Emoji Phrases We Wish Existed

• “🥶🏂🍻” → Translation: “Hit the slopes, then hit the pub.”

• “👢🐄❤️” → Translation: “Met my soulmate at the Lions Rodeo.”

In Conclusion: Emojis Need More Cowbell (and Cowboy)

Candice Johnson - Afternoon Drive Host.