Calgary a city in Alberta, Canada, a product of oil culture, and lies where the prairies end and the foothills begin. As such, it is the eastern gateway to the Rocky Mountains and an important centre of trade and tourism for the western prairies. It is your most likely point of access for Banff and Jasper, and a worthwhile destination in its own right. With a population of about 1.1 million, Calgary is also the hub of the country's fifth largest metropolitan area and the largest between Vancouver and Toronto.
Calgary was founded by the Northwest Mounted Police in 1876 and was originally called Fort Briseboise and later changed to Fort Calgary. It was founded in response to a surge of whiskey traders who traded for furs from the natives. In 1883, the first rail station was built and Calgary started to grow in every direction and became a agricultural and business hub. In 1894, it was renamed the City of Calgary. By 1902, oil was discovered, though it didn't mean much until 1947. After, during the fifties, oil became big in Calgary and major companies started heading to Calgary and opening offices. The boom extended into the next twenty years bringing the city to 720,000 people in the metro area by 1985.
The relatively low-key low-rise downtown became filled with a sea of skyscrapers, starting with the Calgary Tower and some sixties towers. By the 80s, Calgary's luck turned, and a drop in oil prices sent the Calgary metro economy downward. High unemployment raged, vacancies became a reality,and growth was slow or even negative in some years. In 1988, Calgary held the Winter Olympics and brought world attention to Calgary. By the 1990s, it was on the rebound and began growing again. It started to diversify its economy because it didn't want to suffer what it already had. Today, Calgary is a cosmopolitan city that is growing steadily and really diversifying its economy and finally realizing that a downtown full of nothing but offices is boring and dull.
PLACE TO VISIT
Prince's Island Park: Calgary's largest inner city park is located immediately north of Eau Claire in the Bow River. In the summer, it plays host toShakespeare in the Park and is also the site of two of the city's largest annual festivals: the Calgary Folk Music Festival and Carifest (Calgary's annual festival celebrating the city's large West Indian population).
Barclay Parade: Barclay Mall is a pedestrian mall that runs from Eau Claire on the north to Stephen Avenue in the south. It is home to a number of high end shops and encompasses the Penny Lane Entertainment District.
Devonian Gardens: The Devonian Gardens is a large indoor urban park located on the 4th floor of TD Square (above the shopping).
The Calgary Tower: The Calgary Tower may not be quite as impressive as the CN Tower in Toronto, but it still commands a great view over the city and the surroundings. On a clear day you can see the Rockies to the west. It features a revolving gourmet restaurant, a bar, and an observation deck. The tower backs onto railway tracks and some run down blocks on the 10th Avenue side and is best approached from 8th Avenue for a more enjoyable experience.
Stephen Avenue Walk: As one of Calgary's most famous streets, Stephen Avenue (8th Avenue S between Barclay Mall and 2nd Street E) was declared a National Historic District by the Canadian Government. It is a major venue for boutique shopping, bars, pubs and restaurants. The mall is free of traffic throughout most of the day.
Chinatown: Canada's third largest Chinatown is located in the northeast portion of downtown Calgary. It is the heart of Calgary's Asian diaspora, although much of north and east Calgary has a Pacific Rim influence. The area of about a half-dozen blocks is located along Centre Street S, from 4 Ave S (on the south) to the Bow River (on the north). Calgary's Chinatown packs in a dense network of Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese and other Asian restaurants, shops, housing and cultural facilities. The area along Centre Street on the north side of the river almost functions as a loosely organized "second Chinatown" with Chinese-oriented businesses stretching for 20 or more blocks.
Olympic Plaza: This public square was built as the site of medal presentations during the 1988 Winter Olympic Games. During the summer, waders can enjoy the water-filled plaza, while winter visitors can go skating.
Glenbow Museum, Western Canada's largest museum, with over 93,000 square feet of exhibition space spreading over three floors. More than 20 galleries are filled with artifacts from Glenbow's collection of over a million objects, emphasizing local history. Regularly changing visiting exhibits focus on art or more distant cultures.
Telus World of Science Calgary (formerly, The Calgary Science Centre): Located in the West End, Calgary's Science Centre has been a favorite of children and science-lovers alike since it opened 38 years ago. It contains a planetarium and telescope, a large domed theatre, and two exhibit halls.
The Calgary Zoo The world-class Calgary Zoo is home to over 1,000 animals from all over the world, as well as to the Botanical Garden and a Prehistoric Park for dinosaur lovers. It is the second largest zoo in Canada.
Fort Calgary Historic Park: Before becoming a city in 1894, the Calgary area was home to Fort Calgary. The Northwest Mounted Police (NWMP) fort was built in 1875. Today, Fort Calgary, located in Inglewood at the confluence of the Bow and Elbow rivers is the city's oldest historic monument.
Inglewood Bird Sanctuary & Nature Centre A 32-hectare wildlife reserve that offers more than two kilometres of walking trails throughout the riverine forest. More than 250 species of birds and 300 species of plants, plus several kinds of mammals, have been observed in the area.
The Stampede Grounds: The site of Calgary's world-famous exhibition and rodeo, the Calgary Stampede grounds are located on the east end of the Beltline in Victoria Park. Not only are the grounds the site of the excitement of every July's Calgary Stampede, they also house a conference and exhibition centre (the Round-Up Centre) and a casino. The grounds can be accessed with Calgary's C-Train via both "Victoria Park Stampede" Station and "Erlton Stampede" Station.
Pengrowth Saddledome,: Located on the Stampede Grounds, Calgary's largest hockey arena plays host to the Calgary Flames (hockey), the Calgary Hitmen (junior hockey), the Calgary Roughnecks (lacrosse), and many concerts.
Canada Olympic Park Take a tour of the site of the 1988 Winter Olympics, which includes going to the top of the ski jump for a fantastic view. 4 runs are available for your skiing pleasure during the winter months, and there is also an on-site museum, as well as the Canadian Olympic Hall Of Fame. The halfpipe and rail park are frequented by some very talented skiiers and snowboarders, making for interesting viewing. The COP hosts Canada's only bobsled track (until Whistler's track is finished) and they offer rides on certain dates during winter. Catch the LRT to Brentwood station, then bus 408 to the park.
Heritage Park One of the largest living historical villages in North America, on 66 acres of land near the Glenmore Reservoir. Attractions include a working Steam Engine, 155 historical exhibits, a candy store and bakery, old fashioned amusement park and ride on the S. S. Moyie, a paddlewheel boat.
HOW TO REACH
By plane - Calgary International Airport, Calgary International has four concourses (A,B,C,D) in one terminal. It is well laid out and easy to find your way around.
WestJet, Canada's main discount airline makes its hub here.
Air Canada, The national carrier uses Calgary International as a secondary hub.
British Airways, Daily flights to London Heathrow.
In addition there are numerous American and International carriers that serve Calgary's airport. Unfortunately, getting in by air from the USA isn't easy if you live just south of Calgary on the American side. In such case, the only routes in are via Seattle, Salt Lake City, Denver, and Minneapolis. There are more flights from further away (e.g. New York, Chicago, Los Angeles), but none closer. If you live in Montana, for example, there's no choice but to drive or make a VERY long detour by air.
From Europe there are non-stop flights from London, Glasgow, Manchester, Paris, Amsterdam and Frankfurt.
By car - This is essentially the prairies; crossing the vast expanses in the comfort of your own vehicle is the main method of transportation. Calgary is just over an hour's drive East of Banff (on the Transcanada highway, #1), and about 3 hours South of Edmonton on highway #2. From the USA side, use the I-15 Fwy. Calgary is about 200 miles (320 km) north of the border. It is likely that you will want to rent a car to explore Calgary and its surroundings.
By bus - Greyhound, The main terminal is located an unpleasant 1 km walk west of the edge of Downtown. However, there is excellent access from the station to the downtown C-Train stations via Calgary Transit.
Red Arrow, Provides service to several Alberta cities, including Edmonton, with a somewhat more accessible bus stop on 9th Ave at 1st St SE.
By train - Due to service cuts back in 1990, There is currently no Via Rail service to Calgary. However, there is service to Vancouver, Jasper, Lake Louise and Banff on the Rocky Mountaineer sightseeing train.
