Known as “Cowtown,” this cosmopolitan city is rooted in its wild West heritage. Calgary Alberta is also Canada’s energy centre and a great place to experience the beauty of the Rocky Mountains. The city is famous for its wide open spaces and natural beauty, which is apparent even in the urban area. The downtown core features green parks and walkways.
Calgary is a great place to live for anyone who loves the outdoors and wants to experience a wide variety of entertainment options. It’s also an excellent destination for families, as the city has something for everyone to enjoy.
With its sprawling skyscrapers, Calgary is an energetic place to live and work. Read on to find out more about this exciting city and its culture.
Calgary Alberta Geographical Location
Calgary’s geographic location at the intersection of two mountain ranges – the Rocky Mountains to the west and the Canadian Prairies to the east – gives it an advantage as a transportation hub. Its proximity to major natural resources also provides it with an economic edge over most other cities in Canada.
The city was incorporated as a town in 1884 and as a city a decade later, prior to the creation of the province of Alberta. Its name comes from the Blackfoot, Blood, Peigan, and Tsuu T’ina tribes’ word for a place that “cleaves” or “breaks” the land.
The Calgary area has a prairie-steppe climate, with warm summers and cold winters. In this climate, dense vegetation is limited to river valleys and some north-facing slopes. The rocky landscape of the Calgary area is formed by glacial lake silts deposited as the Laurentide and Cordilleran Ice Sheets receded 11,000 to 20,000 years ago.
Calgary’s Access to Scenic Beauty
Despite its reputation as Canada’s energy capital, Calgary is also home to plenty of outdoor attractions. Located between the foothills of the Rocky Mountains (about 60 miles [100 km] to the west) and the prairies, it’s easy to escape into the natural landscape here, with plenty of options for hiking and other activities in Alberta’s parks and national forests.
Visitors can enjoy a bird’s-eye view of the city from the Calgary Tower, a needle-topped skyscraper that rises 191 meters above the city center. It’s a popular place for sightseers to take in the cityscape—especially at night, when it’s illuminated for spectacular effect.
Other must-see sights include the popular Edworthy Park, a 74-hectare urban park that once saw herds of bison roam its grassy hills—now it’s a favorite spot for picnickers and strollers. Then there’s the Canada Olympic Park, which offers world-class ski jumping and bobsled facilities. And finally, the city’s zoo is among the largest in North America and includes a prehistoric park.
Calgary’s Role in Alberta’s Economy
The economy is based on oil and gas, with a strong supporting role from the financial services sector. Agribusiness has also emerged, with Calgary recognized as a centre of expertise for food processing, precision agriculture and specialized research and training. Construction, manufacturing and energy are important sectors as well.
With a long history of frontier settlement and traditional ranching, the area still has a cowboy culture that is reflected in rodeos and the annual Calgary Stampede. The city is also known for its thriving arts and culture, with a symphony orchestra, opera company and theatre companies.
Calgary is one of the most culturally diverse cities in North America, with 165 languages spoken and a range of festivals celebrating music, food, cultures and films throughout the year. It is also home to the largest urban park system in North America – more than 500 km of pathways, ski trails and bikeways help make the city a great destination for outdoor recreation. In addition to its diversified economic base, the city is attracting business investment from around the world.
Getting to Calgary Alberta: Transportation and Accessibility
Calgary is a great place to live for anyone who loves the outdoors and wants to experience a wide variety of entertainment options. It’s also an excellent destination for families, as the city has something for everyone to enjoy.
The best way to reach Calgary is by plane, as the city has two international airports: Edmonton International Airport (YEG) and Calgary International Airport (YYC). Getting around once you’re in Alberta is easy, as there are several highways that run through the province. Highway 1 — or the Trans-Canada Highway — is the main route to get to Calgary from British Columbia in the west and Saskatchewan in the east.
One of the best things to do while in Calgary is explore its historic districts, which showcase the city’s long and colorful history. The National Music Centre, for example, is an interactive museum that showcases the history of musical instruments. With its sprawling skyscrapers, Calgary is an energetic place to live and work
Another great historic site is the Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, which teaches visitors about ancient cultures through the artifacts displayed here. There’s also the Heritage Park Historical Village, which is Canada’s largest living museum.
Calgary’s Cultural Identity
Calgary’s culture is as diverse as its landscape. The city has a thriving cultural sector with opera and ballet companies, a symphony orchestra, and theatre groups. It also has numerous public museums and art galleries. Including the Calgary Stampede Museum and Art Gallery and the Muttart Conservatory.
Its cosmopolitan culture stems from the fact that it is both a prairie and mountain city. And has a strong connection to sports, particularly winter sports. It is home to the Calgary Flames hockey team and hosted the 1988 Winter Olympics.
The city is famous for its wide open spaces and natural beauty, which is apparent even in the urban area. The downtown core features green parks and walkways. The iconic Calgary Tower, built in 1968, offers a birds-eye view of the downtown streets and the surrounding mountains.
Nearby, Fish Creek Provincial Park is a beautiful wilderness escape just minutes from the heart of the city. The park is a favorite spot for hikers and birdwatchers. In the summer, visitors can enjoy a picnic on the grass or have a refreshing dip in the park’s river.