February 2, 2006
Presenting: Calgary - Canada's Heart of
the New West
During our upcoming ski trip in the Alberta Rockies this March,
we'll be visiting Calgary for the first time. As a matter of fact,
it will be our first time in the Canadian Rockies ever. We'll have
a brief one-day layover in Calgary before we move on to skiing in
Banff and Lake Louise and will
try to get a sneak peak at Alberta's capital.
To prepare us for our compact discovery of Calgary, I have talked
to Paul Newmarch from Tourism
Calgary to get a lay of the land so to speak, to give us an
overview so we'll be able to explore Canada's New West.
1. Please provide us with some general information about
Calgary. How large is the city, where is it located, what is the
weather like?
According to the civic census, Calgary’s population was 956,078
in April 2005. Calgary is located in the province of Alberta, 145
Km east of Banff, and 250 km from the US border. Calgary’s
average summer temperature is around 20 degrees Celsius, and in
the winter, average temperature is -8 Celsius. That said, there
is a local saying in Calgary that if you don’t like the weather,
wait 5 minutes.
Photo courtesy of Tourism Calgary
2. How can one get to Calgary and what is the best way
of getting around in Calgary?
Calgary is accessible along the TransCanada highway, or by direct
air from a number of cities, including the following:
Edmonton, Halifax, Hamilton, Montreal, Ottawa, Regina, St. John's,
Thunder Bay, Toronto, Vancouver, Victoria, Whitehorse, Winnipeg,
Yellownknife.
The following US cities have direct connections to Calgary:
Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Ft. Lauderdale, Honolulu, Houston, Las
Vegas, Los Angeles, Maui, Minneapolis, New York (JFK), Orlando,
Palm Springs, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, and Seattle.
You will find direct flights to Calgary from the following European
cities:
Frankfurt, London and Manchester.
The best way to get around would be to use the Calgary
Transit System. Train service is free in the downtown core,
and a one way adult fare is $2.25. Otherwise, taxi cabs are available
to and from all areas of the city.
Photo courtesy of Tourism Calgary
3. Please tell us a bit about Calgary's history.
Calgary’s history as a city began in 1875 when a detachment
of North West Mounted Police (NWMP) arrived. The NWMP established
Fort Calgary at the confluence of the Bow and Elbow Rivers in an
area that, at that time, had few permanent inhabitants. Except for
local native peoples who used the area for hunting, the only full-time
occupants were Sam Livingston, a homesteader, and his family.
Calgary was named by NWMP Colonel James Macleod after Calgary Bay
on the Isle of Mull, Scotland. (Although there has been much discussion
on the topic, it is believed Calgary is derived from the Gaelic
Cala-ghearridh meaning “bay farm.”)
On Nov. 7, 1884, Calgary was officially incorporated as a town
and less than a decade later, on Jan. 1, 1894, the town became a
city. Harness-maker George Murdoch was the first mayor of Calgary.
The CPR was delivering a continuous supply of settlers to Calgary
by 1885. These new immigrants had an impact on the established ranching
life surrounding Calgary as they moved on to the range formerly
inhabited by large herds of cattle. Although the ranching industry
changed significantly after its arrival, the presence of the CPR
led directly to the importance of the processing and exporting of
meat to Calgary’s economy.
Photo courtesy of Tourism Calgary
4. Please tell us about some of the major attractions, museums and
galleries in the Calgary area.
Perhaps the best known Calgary attraction is the Calgary
Stampede, a 10-day western extravaganza of rodeo, chuckwagon
races, pancake breakfasts, square dancing and more. It always kicks
off the first Friday of July, this year it runs July 7-16.
In addition, Calgary is home to Western Canada’s largest
museum, the Glenbow
Museum. With exhibitions that change twice a year, and a permanent
exhibit on the history of some of Alberta’s first nations
people, the Blackfoot, it is an attraction not to be missed.
Calgary is also home to the world renowned Calgary
Zoo. The Zoo has more than 1,000 animals, and the new Destination
Africa and Canadian Wilds Exhibits.
There is also Canada
Olympic Park (one of the host sites from the XV Winter Olympic
Games), Heritage
Park, (Canada’s largest living historical village), Spruce
Meadows, a world famous show-jumping facility, Fort
Calgary, the birthplace of the city , the Calgary
Tower and the Calgary
TELUS World of Science, a family attraction offering hands-on
exhibits.
In addition, there are numerous art galleries, and live theatre
organizations. The best resource for this is www.reallivearts.com
Photo courtesy of Tourism Calgary
5. Our readers would like to find out about the festivals
and special events in Calgary.
Outside of the Calgary Stampede, there is also the Calgary
Dragon Boat Race & Cultural Festival August 25-27, 20006;
The Calgary Comedy Festival, FunnyFest
April 28 – May 13, 2006; GlobalFest,
which is a multi-cultural festival and international fireworks competition
August 17 – 20, 2006; and the Calgary
Folk Festival, July 27-30, 2006 .
There is a helpful calender of events on the Tourism
Calgary website.
6. What about restaurants and entertainment / nightlife areas in
Calgary?
There are a number of dining areas in Calgary, including Stephen
Avenue walk (8th Avenue), the 17th
Avenue District, and Kensington.
As far as nightlife, your best bet would be along 17th
(web as above) or there are a few clubs along 1st Street SW, or
9th Avenue SW, including Mynt
Ultralounge which was recognized as best new nightclub by enRoute
Magazine in 2004.
7. Please give us an overview of the performing arts on
offer in Calgary.
Everything from puppetry to the philharmonic, Calgary’s art
scene is growing and thriving. Here is a listing of various performing
arts organizations:
Theatre
Calgary
Alberta Theatre
Projects
One Yellow Rabbit (cutting
edge theatre)
Vertigo
Mystery Theatre
Alberta Ballet
Calgary Opera
Calgary Philharmonic
Orchestra
Theatre
Junction
Loose Moose
Theatre (improv)
Lunchbox
Theatre (longest running lunch time theatre company in the world)
Photo courtesy of Tourism Calgary
8. What are some of the shopping opportunities in Calgary?
The Uptown 17th District
(as above) is also a upscale clothing district. As far as unique
products from Calgary and area, there is Alberta
Boot, Alberta’s only western boot manufacturer, Crave
Cookies & Cupcakes (they’re to die for! ), Chocolaterie
Bernard Callebaut , Alberta made art at The
Croft or Art
Central. There are also two large malls – Chinook
Centre and Market
Mall.
9. What are the outdoor, recreational and sports opportunities
in and around Calgary?
Calgary has a 635 Km long system of paved pathways on which you
can walk, in-line skate or bike. Many of the pathways are cross-country
ski accessible during the winter, but more than 95 km is cleared
in winter months.
There is also hiking and biking in Fish Creek Provincial Park, skate
boarding at Millennium
Park and
The Source Skateboard Park which is one of the largest indoor
skate parks in North America, skiing at Canada
Olympic Park during the winter, and downhill mountain biking
in the summer. There are also a number of guest ranches where you
are able to horseback ride.
Just outside of Calgary in Kananaskis
Country, which is a 45 to 60 minute drive, there are all sorts
of activities, including horseback riding in the mountains, hiking,
biking, and white water rafting.
Photo courtesy of Tourism Calgary
10. What type of accommodations options are there in Calgary?
There are numerous options, from high-end 5 star hotels to bed
and breakfasts to hostels to motels. The best resource is the Tourism
Calgary website’s accommodation
search function.
11. What are some of the major events and big news stories
coming up in 2006 and beyond in Calgary?
There are a number of exciting news relating to Calgary and surrounding
areas.
Calgary was rated #2 in the world for business travellers by the
Economist Magazine. Calgary's transporation, infrastructure and
perceived safety were all factors in Calgary's high marks.
Lake Louise has once again been named among the top 50 ski resort
in North America by SKI Magazine, along with Vail, Whistler and
Jackson Hole.
Lonely Planet's Blue List - 618 Things to Do & Places to Go
in 06-07 has selected the Canadian Rockies as the number 1 Most
Spectacular Natural Attraction in the World. They also chose Rocky
Mountaineer as number 3 on the Classic Train Trips list and Banff
National Park as number 5 on the Most Extreme Environments list.
Here is a brief overview of major events coming up in Calgary
2006
World Figure
Skating Championships
Players Championship of the World Curling Tour
CIS Women's Volleyball Championships
World All-round Speed Skating Championships
2007
World Power Lifting Championships
Alberta Provincial Games - Special Olympics
2008
Canadian Gymnastics Championships
Photo courtesy of Tourism Calgary
Thank you, Paul, for this overview. Now we can start planning our
personal visit of the Heart of the New West.
Useful books for travel to Alberta:
Related articles:
Banff / Lake Louise: Canada's
jewels in the Rockies
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