Calgary AlbertaCalgary Alberta

Calgary, in southern Alberta, is a pretty city featuring a lengthy network of pathways and parks along the Elbow and Bow Rivers, which meet in Calgary, and the big, big sky of the prairies.

The City of Calgary has a distinctly western flavour and is probably best known for the Calgary Stampede , an annual 10 day extravaganza and celebration of all things western that draws spectators and participants from around the world.  According to www.calgarystampede.com , "In 1912 the great Stampede was born from the vision of Guy Weadick. Guy was a famous working cowboy and vaudeville entertainer featured in the traveling wild-west shows that were popular world-wide in the early 1900s. He was a man with a dream of celebrating the romance and authentic culture of the old west."

Calgary was at the centre of the oil boom in the early 1970's.  The population increased by 272,000 in the eighteen years between 1971 and 1989 and another 345,000 in the next eighteen years. During the boom years, skyscrapers were rapidly constructed and the relatively low-rise downtown quickly became dense with tall buildings.

According to the Calgary Economic Development website, which was established to promote business growth, Calgary's key industries are:

  • Energy
  • Finance & Business Services
  • Transportation & Logistics
  • Technology
  • Manufacturing
  • Film
  • Creative Industries
  • Aerospace

As a cosmopolitan city with a population now of over 1 million, Calgary is a center for arts and culture and world class concerts and events.  Attend such diverse performances as the Alberta Ballet or Marilyn Manson in the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium , or take tour of the Glenbow Museum  or the Art Gallery of Calgary .

Calgary offers many options for post-secondary eduction, most notably the world-class research university, the  University of Calgary  and Mount Royal University for theatre and arts.

Calgary has a thriving nightlife and there are hundreds of restaurants, pubs, night clubs and theatres from which to choose. 

Located in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, Calgary is an easy drive away from outdoor adventures like skiing, hiking, horseback riding and river rafting.

For links to local Calgary websites, including the City of Calgary and the Calgary Public Board of Education, please visit our Helpful Links page.

 

Quick Facts about Calgary

(as of April 2008, 2009 Census available in July 2009)

  • Population: 1,042,892
  • Location: in the foothills of Alberta's Rocky Mountains, at the confluence of the Bow and Elbow rivers
  • Comparative size: largest city in Alberta, fifth largest city in Canada
  • Area: 745 square kilometers
  • Elevation: 1,128 meters above sea level
  • Last municipal election: Oct. 15, 2007 cowboy
  • Next municipal election: Oct. 18, 2010
  • Number of recycling depots: 51
  • Number of major parks: 29
  • Total number of regional parks: 40
  • Total area of parks/open spaces: 7,500 hectares
  • Length of Calgary's paved pathways: 660 kilometers
  • Number of library locations: 17
  • Number of Kindergarten-Grade 12 schools: 456
  • Major local daily newspapers – 2
  • Local radio stations – 25
  • Local television stations – 6
  • Number of street lamps: 82,000