Calgary
Encyclopedia
Calgary icon is a city in the Province of Alberta
, Canada
. It is located in the south of the province
, in an area of foothills and prairie
, approximately 80 km (49.7 mi) east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies
. The city is located in the Grassland region of Alberta.
In 2006, the City of Calgary had a population of 988,193 making it the third-largest municipality in the country and largest in Alberta
. The entire metropolitan area had a 2006 population of 1,079,310, making it the fifth-largest census metropolitan area (CMA) in Canada. In 2009, Calgary's metropolitan population was estimated at 1,230,248, raising its rank to fourth-largest CMA in Canada.
Located 294 kilometres (182.7 mi) south of Edmonton
, Statistics Canada
defines the narrowly populated area between these cities as the "Calgary–Edmonton Corridor."
Economic activity in Calgary is mostly centred on the petroleum industry
, agriculture
, and tourism
. In 1988, Calgary became the first Canadian city to host the Olympic Winter Games
.
people whose presence has been traced back at least 11,000 years. In 1787, cartographer
David Thompson
spent the winter with a band of Peigan
encamped along the Bow River
. He was the first recorded European to visit the area, and John Glenn
was the first documented European settler in the Calgary area, in 1873. The native way of life remained relatively unchanged until the late 1870s, when Europeans hunted the buffalo to near-extinction.
The site became a post of the North-West Mounted Police (now the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
or RCMP). The NWMP detachment was assigned in 1875 to protect the western plains from U.S. whiskey traders, and protect the fur trade. Originally named Fort Brisebois, after NWMP officer Éphrem-A. Brisebois
, it was renamed Fort Calgary
in 1876 by Colonel James Macleod
. It was named after Calgary
on the Isle of Mull
, Scotland. While there is some disagreement on the naming of the town, the Museum on the Isle of Mull explains that kald and gart are similar Old Norse
words, meaning "cold" and "garden", that were likely used when named by the Vikings who inhabited the Inner Hebrides
. Alternatively, the name might come from the Gaelic
, Cala ghearraidh, meaning 'beach of the meadow (pasture)'.
With its inception in 1885, Banff National Park
slowly grew to become an international tourist attraction, along with the Banff Springs Hotel
. At first, the main access to the park was by the Canadian Pacific Railway
, builder of the Banff Springs Hotel, and the CPR heavily promoted tourism to the area. Calgary International Airport is a staging point for people destined for the park.
The Calgary Fire of 1886
occurred on November 7, 1886. Fourteen buildings were destroyed with losses estimated at $103,200. Although no one was killed or injured, city officials drafted a law requiring all large downtown buildings to be built with Paskapoo
sandstone
, to prevent this from happening again.
When the Canadian Pacific Railway
reached the area in 1883, and a rail station was constructed, Calgary began to grow into an important commercial and agricultural centre. The Canadian Pacific Railway
headquarters are still located in Calgary to this day.
Calgary was officially incorporated as a town in 1884, and elected its first mayor, George Murdoch
. In 1894, it was incorporated as "The City of Calgary" in what was then the North-West Territories. After the arrival of the railway, the Dominion Government started leasing grazing land at minimal cost (up to 100000 acres (404.7 km²) for one cent per acre per year). As a result of this policy, large ranching operations were established in the outlying country near Calgary. Already a transportation and distribution hub, Calgary quickly became the center of Canada's cattle marketing and meatpacking industries.
Between 1896 and 1914 settlers from all over the world poured into the area in response to the offer of free "homestead
" land. Agriculture and ranching became key components of the local economy, shaping the future of Calgary for years to come. The world famous Calgary Stampede
, still held annually in July, grew from a small agricultural show and rodeo started in 1912 by four wealthy ranchers to "the greatest outdoor show on earth".
Oil was first discovered in Alberta in 1902, but it did not become a significant industry in the province until 1947 when huge reserves of it were discovered. Calgary quickly found itself at the centre of the ensuing oil boom
. The city's economy grew when oil prices increased with the Arab Oil Embargo of 1973. The population increased by 272,000 in the eighteen years between 1971 (403,000) and 1989 (675,000) and another 345,000 in the next eighteen years (to 1,020,000 in 2007). During these boom years, skyscrapers were constructed and the relatively low-rise downtown
quickly became dense with tall buildings, a trend that continues to this day.
Calgary's economy was so closely tied to the oil industry that the city's boom peaked with the average annual price of oil in 1981.
The subsequent drop in oil prices were cited by industry as reasons for a collapse in the oil industry and consequently the overall Calgary economy. However, low oil prices prevented a full recovery until the 1990s.
soared. By the end of the decade, however, the economy was in recovery. Calgary quickly realized that it could not afford to put so much emphasis on oil and gas, and the city has since become much more diverse, both economically and culturally. The period during this recession marked Calgary's transition from a mid-sized and relatively nondescript prairie city into a major cosmopolitan and diverse centre. This transition culminated in February 1988, when the city hosted the XV Olympic Winter Games
. The success of these games essentially put the city on the world stage.
Thanks in part to escalating oil prices, the economy in Calgary and Alberta was booming until the end of 2008, and the region of nearly 1.1 million people was home to the fastest growing economy in the country. While the oil and gas industry comprise an important part of the economy, the city has invested a great deal into other areas such as tourism and high-tech manufacturing. Over 3.1 million people now visit the city annually for its many festivals and attractions, especially the Calgary Stampede
. The nearby mountain resort towns of Banff
, Lake Louise
, and Canmore
are also becoming increasingly popular with tourists, and are bringing people into Calgary as a result. Other modern industries include light manufacturing, high-tech, film, e-commerce, transportation, and services. Calgary is considered a beta world city by the Globalization and World Cities
(GaWC) study group. The city has ranked highly in quality of life
surveys: 25th in 2006, 24th in 2007, 25th in 2008, 26th in 2009, 28th in 2010, and 33rd in the 2011 Mercer Quality of Living Survey, and 5th best city to live in according to the Economist Intelligence Unit
. Calgary ranked as the world's cleanest city by Forbes Magazine in 2007. Mercer also ranked the city as the world's first-placed eco-city for 2010.
Calgary is located at the transition zone between the Canadian Rockies
foothills and the Canadian Prairies
. Calgary's elevation is approximately 1048 m (3,438.3 ft) above sea level
downtown, and 1083 m (3,553.1 ft) at the airport. The city proper covers a land area of 726.5 km² (280.5 sq mi) (as of 2006) and as such exceeds the land area of the City of Toronto
.
There are two major rivers that run through the city. The Bow River
is the largest and flows from the west to the south. The Elbow River
flows northwards from the south until it converges with the Bow River near downtown
. Since the climate of the region is generally dry, dense vegetation occurs naturally only in the river valleys, on some north-facing slopes, and within Fish Creek Provincial Park
.
The city is large in physical area, consisting of an inner city surrounded by communities of various density. Unlike most cities with a sizeable metropolitan area, most of Calgary's suburbs are incorporated into the city proper, with the notable exceptions of the City of Airdrie
to the north, Cochrane
to the northwest, Strathmore
to the east, and the Springbank
and Bearspaw
acreages to the west. Though it is not technically within Calgary's metropolitan area, the Town of Okotoks
is only a short distance to the south and is considered a suburb as well. The Calgary Economic Region
includes slightly more area than the CMA and has a population of 1,251,600 in 2008.
The city has undertaken numerous land annexation procedures over the years to keep up with growth; the most recent was completed in July 2007 and saw the city annex the neighbouring hamlet of Shepard, and place its boundaries adjacent to the hamlet of Balzac
and within very short distances of the City of Airdrie and Town of Chestermere
. Despite this proximity, there are presently no plans for Calgary to annex either Airdrie or Chestermere, and in fact Chestermere's administration has a growth plan in the works that calls for it annexing the intervening land between the town and Calgary.
The City of Calgary is immediately surrounded by two municipal districts, Rocky View County to the north, west and east; and Foothills No. 31
to the south.
The downtown region
of the city consists of five neighbourhoods: Eau Claire (including the Festival District), the Downtown West End
, the Downtown Commercial Core
, Chinatown
, and the Downtown East Village (also part of the Rivers District). The commercial core is itself divided into a number of districts including the Stephen Avenue
Retail Core, the Entertainment District, the Arts District and the Government District. Distinct from downtown and south of 9th Avenue is Calgary's densest neighbourhood, the Beltline. The area includes a number of communities such as Connaught, Victoria Crossing and a portion of the Rivers District. The Beltline is the focus of major planning and rejuvenation initiatives on the part of the municipal government
to increase the density and liveliness of Calgary's centre.
Adjacent to, or directly radiating from the downtown
are the first of the inner-city communities. These include Crescent Heights
, Hounsfield Heights/Briar Hill, Hillhurst/Sunnyside
(including Kensington
BRZ), Bridgeland
, Renfrew
, Mount Royal, Mission
, Ramsay and Inglewood and Albert Park/Radisson Heights directly to the east. The inner city is, in turn, surrounded by relatively dense and established neighbourhoods such as Rosedale and Mount Pleasant to the north; Bowness, Parkdale and Glendale to the west; Park Hill, South Calgary (including Marda Loop
), Bankview, Altadore, and Killarney to the south; and Forest Lawn/International Avenue
to the east. Lying beyond these, and usually separated from one another by highways, are suburban communities including Somerset, Country Hills, Sundance, and McKenzie Towne. In all, there are over 180 distinct neighbourhoods within the city limits.
Several of Calgary's neighbourhoods were initially separate municipalities that were annexed by the city as it grew. These include Bowness, Montgomery, and Forest Lawn.
Calgary experiences a dry humid continental climate
(Köppen climate classification
Dfb, USDA Plant Hardiness Zone
3a). with long, cold, dry, but highly variable winters and short, moderately warm summers. The climate is greatly influenced by the city's elevation
and proximity to the Rocky Mountains
. Calgary's winters can be uncomfortably cold; but warm, dry Chinook wind
s routinely blow into the city from over the mountains during the winter months, giving Calgarians a break from the cold. These winds have been known to raise the winter temperature
by up to 15 C-change in just a few hours, and may last several days. The chinooks are such a common feature of Calgary's winters that only one month (January 1950) has failed to witness a thaw over more than 100 years of weather observations. More than one half of all winter days see the daily maximum rise above 0 °C (32 °F).
Calgary is a city of extremes, and temperatures have ranged anywhere from a record low of -45 C in 1893 to a record high of 36 °C (97 °F) in 1919. Temperatures fall below -30 C on about five days per year, though extreme cold spells usually do not last very long. According to Environment Canada
, the average temperature in Calgary ranges from a January daily average of -9 C to a July daily average of 16 °C (61 °F).
As a consequence of Calgary's high elevation and aridity, summer evenings can be very cool. The average summer minimum temperature drops to 8 °C (46.4 °F). Calgary may experience summer daytime temperatures exceeding 29 °C (84.2 °F) anytime in June, July and August, and occasionally as late as September or as early as May. With an average relative humidity
of 55% in the winter and 45% in the summer, Calgary has a dry climate similar to other cities in the western Great Plains
and Canadian Prairies. Unlike cities further east such as Toronto
, Montreal
, Ottawa
or even Winnipeg
, humidity is rarely a factor during the Calgary summer.
The city is among the sunniest in Canada, with 2,400 hours of annual sunshine
, on average. Calgary International Airport
in the northeastern section of the city receives an average of 412.6 mm (16.24 in) of precipitation
annually, with 320.6 mm (12.62 in) of that occurring in the form of rain
, and 126.7 cm (49.9 in) as snow
. Most of the precipitation occurs from May to August, with June averaging the most monthly rainfall. In June 2005, Calgary received 248 mm (9.76 in) of precipitation, making it the wettest month in the city's recorded history. Drought
s are not uncommon and may occur at any time of the year, lasting sometimes for months or even several years. Precipitation decreases somewhat from west
to east
; consequently, groves of tree
s on the western outskirts largely give way to treeless grassland
around the eastern city limit.
Located in southern Alberta, Calgary can endure several very cold spells
in most winters (although they are punctuated by warm spells). Snow depths of greater than 1 cm are seen on about 88 days each year in Calgary, compared with about 74 days in Toronto. However, snowfall (and temperatures) can vary considerably throughout the Calgary region – mostly due to the elevation changes, and proximity to the mountains. The Town of High River
(south of Calgary) receives on average 14–15 cm less snow a year than at the Calgary Airport in North-East Calgary (based on 1971–2000 Environment Canada averages), and less than the Toronto area. Temperatures tend to be slightly warmer in the southern areas of Calgary as well.
Calgary averages more than 22 days a year with thunderstorm
s, with most all of them occurring in the summer months. Calgary lies on the edge of Alberta's hail
storm alley and is prone to damaging hailstorms every few years. A hailstorm that struck Calgary on September 7, 1991, was one of the most destructive natural disaster
s in Canadian history
, with over $400 million dollars in damage. Being west of the dry line
on most occasions, tornado
es are rare in the region.
General seasons (not well-defined in Calgary due to highly variable climate)
(Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca) comes near the northern limit of its range at Calgary. Another conifer of widespread distribution found in the Calgary area is the White Spruce (Picea glauca).
Calgary has a number of multicultural areas. Forest Lawn is among the most diverse areas in the city and as such, the area around 17 Avenue SE within the neighbourhood is also known as International Avenue
. The district is home to many ethnic restaurants and stores.
While many Calgarians continue to live in the city's suburbs, more central districts such as 17 Avenue, Kensington
, Inglewood, Forest Lawn
, Marda Loop
and the Mission District
have become more popular and density in those areas has increased. The nightlife and the availability of cultural venues in these areas has gradually begun to evolve as a result.
The Calgary Public Library
is the city's public library network, with seventeen branches loaning books, e-books, CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays, audio books, and more. Based on borrowing, the library is the second largest in Canada, and sixth-largest municipal library system in North America. Nonetheless, the it ranks twenty-fourth in Canadian per capita municipal funding, according to the Urban Libraries Council.
Calgary is the site of the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
performing arts, culture and community facility. The auditorium is one of two "twin" facilities in the province, the other located in Edmonton, each being locally known as the "Jube." The 2,538-seat auditorium was opened in 1957 and has been host to hundreds of Broadway musical
, theatrical, stage and local productions. The Calgary Jube is the resident home of the Alberta Ballet, the Calgary opera
, the Kiwanis Music Festival
, and the annual civic Remembrance Day
ceremonies. Both auditoriums operate 365 days a year, and are run by the provincial government. Both received major renovations as part of the province's centennial in 2005.
The city is also home to a number of theatre companies; among them are One Yellow Rabbit
, which shares the EPCOR Centre for the Performing Arts
with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra
, as well as Theatre Calgary
, Alberta Theatre Projects
and Theatre Junction Grand, culture house dedicated for the contemporary live arts. Calgary was also the birthplace of the improvisational theatre
games known as Theatresports
. The Calgary International Film Festival
is also held in the city annually, as well as the International Festival of Animated Objects
.
Visual and conceptual artists like the art collective United Congress
are active in the city. There are a number of art galleries in the downtown, many of them concentrated along the Stephen Avenue
and 17 Avenue corridors. The largest of these is the Art Gallery of Calgary (AGC). Calgary is also home to the Alberta College of Art and Design
.
A number of marching bands are based in Calgary. They include the Calgary Round-Up Band, the Calgary Stetson Show Band, the Bishop Grandin Marching Ghosts, and the two-time World Association for Marching Show Bands champions, the Calgary Stampede Showband, as well as military bands including the Band of HMCS Tecumseh, the Regimental Band of the King's Own Calgary Regiment, and the Regimental Pipes and Drums of The Calgary Highlanders
. There are many other civilian pipe bands in the city, notably the Calgary Police Service
Pipe Band.
Calgary hosts a number of annual festivals and events. These include the Calgary International Film Festival
, the Calgary Folk Music Festival, FunnyFest Calgary Comedy Festival
, the Folk Music Festival, the Greek Festival
, Carifest, Wordfest Banff-Calgary International Writers Festival, the Lilac Festival, GlobalFest
, the Calgary Fringe Festival
, Summerstock, Expo Latino
, Calgary Gay Pride, Calgary Spoken Word Festival
, and many other cultural and ethnic festivals. Calgary's best-known event is the Calgary Stampede
, which has occurred each July since 1912. It is one of the largest festivals in Canada
, with a 2005 attendance of 1,242,928 at the 10-day rodeo and exhibition.
Several museums are located in the city. The Glenbow Museum
is the largest in western Canada
and includes an art gallery
and first-nations gallery. Other major museums include the Chinese Cultural Centre (at 70000 sq ft (6,503.2 m²), the largest stand-alone cultural centre in Canada), the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame and Museum (at Canada Olympic Park
), The Military Museums
, the Cantos Music Museum and the Aero Space Museum.
Numerous films have been shot in the general area. The television film Crossfire Trail (2001), starring Tom Selleck
, was shot on a ranch
near Calgary though the stated setting of the film is Wyoming
.
The Calgary Herald
and the Calgary Sun
are the main newspapers in Calgary. Global
, Citytv
, CTV
and CBC
television network
s have local studios in the city.
In large part due to its proximity to the Rocky Mountains
, Calgary has traditionally been a popular destination for winter sports. Since hosting the 1988 Winter Olympics
, the city has also been home to a number of major winter sporting facilities such as Canada Olympic Park
(luge
, cross-country skiing
, ski jumping
, downhill skiing
, snowboarding
, and some summer sports) and the Olympic Oval
(speed skating
and hockey
). These facilities serve as the primary training venues for a number of competitive athletes. Also, Canada Olympic Park serves as a mountain biking trail in the summer months.
In the summer, the Bow River
is very popular among fly-fishermen. Golfing is also an extremely popular activity for Calgarians and the region has a large number of courses.
Calgary hosted the 2009 World Water Ski Championship Festival in August, at the Predator Bay Water Ski Club which is situated approximately 40 kilometres (24.9 mi) south of the city.
As part of the wider Battle of Alberta
, the city's sports teams enjoy a popular rivalry with their Edmonton counterparts, most notably the rivalries between the National Hockey League
's Calgary Flames
and Edmonton Oilers
, and the Canadian Football League
's Calgary Stampeders
and Edmonton Eskimos
.
The city also has a large number of urban parks including Fish Creek Provincial Park
, Nose Hill Park
, Bowness Park, Edworthy Park
, the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary
, Confederation Park
, and Prince's Island Park. Nose Hill Park is the largest municipal park in Canada. Connecting these parks and most of the city's neighbourhoods is one of the most extensive multi-use (walking, bike, rollerblading, etc.) path systems in North America.
Calgary is renowned in professional wrestling tradition as both the home-city of the prominent Hart wrestling family
and the location of the infamous Hart family "Dungeon"
, wherein WWE Hall of Fame member and patriarch of the Hart Family, Stu Hart
, trained numerous professional wrestlers including "Superstar" Billy Graham
, Brian Pillman
, The British Bulldogs, Edge, Christian, Greg Valentine
, Chris Jericho
, Jushin Liger
and many more. Also among the trainees where the Hart family members themselves, including WWE Hall of Fame member and former WWE champion Bret Hart
and his brother, the 1994 WWF King of the Ring (1994)
Owen Hart
.
Downtown
features an eclectic mix of restaurants and bars, cultural venues, public squares (including Olympic Plaza
) and shopping. Notable shopping areas include such as The Core Shopping Centre (formerly Calgary Eaton Centre/TD Square), Stephen Avenue
and Eau Claire Market. Downtown tourist attraction
s include the Calgary Zoo
, the Telus World of Science
, the Telus
Convention Centre
, the Chinatown
district, the Glenbow Museum
, the Calgary Tower
, the Art Gallery of Calgary (AGC), Military Museum and the EPCOR Centre for the Performing Arts
. At 2.5 acres (1 ha), the Devonian Gardens
is one of the largest urban indoor gardens in the world, and it is located on the 4th floor of TD Square (above the shopping). The downtown region
is also home to Prince's Island Park
, an urban park located just north of the Eau Claire district. Directly to the south of downtown is Midtown and the Beltline. This area is quickly becoming one of the city's densest and most active mixed use areas. At the district's core is the popular "17 Avenue", which is known for its many bars and nightclubs, restaurants, and shopping venues. During the Calgary Flames
' playoff run in 2004, 17 Avenue was frequented by over 50,000 fans and supporters per game night. The concentration of red jersey-wearing fans led to the street's playoff moniker, the "Red Mile
." Downtown is easily accessed using the city's C-Train
light rail (LRT) transit system
.
Attractions on the west side of the city include the Heritage Park Historical Village
historical park, depicting life in pre-1914 Alberta and featuring working historic vehicles such as a steam train
, paddlewheel boat and electric streetcar. The village itself comprises a mixture of replica buildings and historic structures relocated from southern Alberta. Other major city attractions include Canada Olympic Park
, and Spruce Meadows
. In addition to the many shopping areas in the city centre, there are a number of large suburban shopping complexes in the city. Among the largest are Chinook Centre
and Southcentre Mall
in the south, WestHills and Signal Hill in the southwest, South Trail Crossing and Deerfoot Meadows in the southeast, Market Mall
in the northwest, Sunridge Mall
in the northeast, and the newly built CrossIron Mills
just north of the Calgary city limits, and south of the City of Airdrie
.
Downtown
can be recognized by its numerous skyscrapers. Some of these structures, such as the Calgary Tower
and the Scotiabank Saddledome are unique enough to be symbols of Calgary. Office buildings tend to concentrate within the commercial core, while residential towers occur most frequently within the Downtown West End and the Beltline, south of downtown. These buildings are iconographic of the city's booms and busts, and it is easy to recognize the various phases of development that have shaped the image of downtown. The first skyscraper building boom occurred during the late 1950s and continued through to the 1970s. After 1980, during the recession, many high-rise construction projects were immediately halted. It was not until the late 1980s and through to the early 1990s that major construction began again, initiated by the 1988 Winter Olympics
and stimulated by the growing economy.
In total, there are 10 office towers that are at least 150 metres (500 ft) (usually around 40 floors) or higher. The tallest of these is the Suncor Energy Centre (formerly known as the Petro-Canada Centre), which is the tallest office tower in Canada outside Toronto
. Calgary's Bankers Hall
Towers are also the tallest twin towers in Canada. Several larger office towers are planned for downtown: The Bow
, Jamieson Place, Eighth Avenue Place (two towers), Centennial Place (two towers), City Centre (two towers), and the highly anticipated (although only rumoured) Imperial Oil and First Canadian Centre
II towers.
As of 2008, there were 264 completed high-rise buildings, with 42 more under construction, another 13 approved for construction and 63 more proposed.
To connect many of the downtown office buildings, the city also boasts the world's most extensive skyway
network (elevated indoor pedestrian bridges), officially called the +15
. The name derives from the fact that the bridges are usually 15 feet (4.6 m) above grade.
The city's population according to its 2011 municipal census is 1,090,936, a 1.8% or 19,421 resident increase over its 2010 municipal census population of 1,071,515.
According the 2006 Statistics Canada
federal census, there were 988,193 people living within the city proper. Of this population, 49.9% were male and 50.1% were female. Children under five accounted for approximately 6.0% of the resident population. This compares with 6.2% in Alberta
, and almost 5.6% for Canada overall.
In 2006, the average age in the city was 35.7 years of age compared with 36.0 for Alberta and 39.5 years of age for all of Canada.
In 2001, the population was 878,866, while in 1996 Calgary had 768,082 inhabitants.
Between 2001 and 2006, Calgary's population grew by 12.4%. During the same time period, the population of Alberta
increased by 10.6%, while that of Canada grew by 5.4%. The population density of the city averaged 1360.2 /km2, compared with an average of 5.1 /km2 for the province.
A city-administered census, conducted annually to assist in negotiating financial agreements with the provincial and federal governments, showed a population of just over 991,000 in 2006. The population of the Calgary Census Metropolitan Area was just over 1.1 million, and the Calgary Economic Region
posted a population of just under 1.17 million in 2006. On July 25, 2006, the municipal government officially acknowledged the birth of the city's one millionth resident, with the census indicating that the population was increasing by approximately 98 people per day at that time. This date was arrived at only by means of assumption and statistical approximation and only took into account children born to Calgarian parents. A net migration of 25,794 persons/year was recorded in 2006, a significant increase from 12,117 in 2005.
Christians make up 67% of the population, while 25% have no religious affiliation. There are also Muslims
(2.7%), Buddhists
(1.8%), and Sikhs
(1.4%).
In 2006, Calgary's largest visible minority groups were Chinese
(6.7%), South Asian (5.7%), Filipino
(2.5%), and Black (2.1%), while 2.5% of the city's population identified themselves as Aboriginal
.
Note: "n.i.e." – not included elsewhere
Calgary is generally considered a conservative city, dominated by traditional small-c social conservatives
and fiscal conservatives
. As the city is a corporate power-centre, a high percentage of the workforce is employed in white-collar jobs. The high concentration of oil and gas corporation led to the rise of Peter Lougheed
's Progressive Conservative Party
in 1971. During the 1990s the city's mainstream political culture
was dominated by the right-wing Reform Party of Canada
federally, and the Progressive Conservatives provincially.
The Green Party of Canada
has also made inroads in Calgary, exemplified by results of the 2004 federal election
where they achieved 7.5% of the vote across the city and 11.3% in the Calgary North Centre
riding. The right-wing Alberta Alliance became active during the 26th Alberta general election and campaigned for fiscally and socially conservative reforms. However, the Alberta Alliance and its successor, the Wildrose Alliance, did not manage to make inroads in the 2008 provincial election.
However, as Calgary's population has increased, so has the diversity of its politics. One growing alternative movement was recently active during the 2000 World Petroleum Congress demonstrations and the J26 G8 2002 protests
. Protesters were a mix of locals and outsiders. The city has chapters of various activist organizations, as well as an Anti-Capitalist Convergence
.
every three years. The next election is scheduled for October 2013, at which point the title of alderman will be changed to councillor. Naheed Nenshi
was elected mayor in the 2010 municipal election
.
The city has an operating budget
of $2.1 billion for 2007, supported 41% by property tax
es. Property taxes collected equal $757 million annually, with $386 million from residential and $371 million from non-residential properties. Fifty-four% of expenditures are for city employee salary, wages, and benefits.
Two school boards operate independently of each other in Calgary, the public and the separate systems. Both boards have 7 elected trustees each representing 2 of 14 wards. The School Boards are considered to be part of municipal politics in Calgary as they are elected at the same time as City Council.
, including sixteen members of the Progressive Conservatives, four members of the Alberta Liberals
, two members of the Wildrose Alliance and one member of the Alberta Party
. For exactly fourteen years (from December 14, 1992, to December 14, 2006), the provincial premier and leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Alberta, Ralph Klein, held the Calgary Elbow
seat. Klein was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta in 1989 and resigned on September 20, 2006. He was succeeded as provincial premier and leader of the Progressive Conservative Party by Ed Stelmach
, MLA for Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville
. Following this leadership change, Calgary saw its leadership and representation on provincial matters further reduced as its representation on the provincial cabinet was reduced from eight to three with only one Calgary MLA, Greg Melchin, retaining a cabinet seat. In June 2007, Ralph Klein's old riding, a seat the PC Party held since it took office in 1971 fell to Alberta Liberal Craig Cheffins
during a by-election
. In the run up to the 2008 general election, pundits predicted significant Tory losses in traditional stronghold that many felt was being taken for granted and ignored.
The 2008 Alberta general election saw the Liberals increase their seat count in the city by one to five. While the results in Calgary were not particularly surprising given the grievances especially in Central Calgary with the Stelmach administration, the fact that they happened in the face of significant PC gains in Edmonton was. The Liberals were reduced to nine seats overall, meaning for the first time ever the majority of their caucus represented Calgary ridings.
are members of the Conservative Party of Canada
(CPC). The CPC's predecessors have traditionally held the majority of the city's federal seats. The federal electoral district
of Calgary Southwest
is held by Prime Minister and CPC leader Stephen Harper
. Coincidentally, the same seat was also held by Preston Manning
, the leader of the Reform Party of Canada
, a predecessor of CPC. Joe Clark
, former Prime Minister
and former leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
(also a predecessor of the CPC), held the riding of Calgary Centre
. Of Canada's 22 prime ministers, two have represented a Calgary riding while prime minister. The first was R. B. Bennett
from Calgary West
, who held that position from 1930 to 1935.
Calgary is recognized as a Canadian leader in the oil and gas industry as well as for being a leader in economic expansion. Its high personal income, low unemployment and high GDP per capita have all benefitted from increased sales and prices due to a resource boom, and increasing economic diversification. Because of these strengths, Calgary is designated as a global city
by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network.
Calgary benefits from a relatively stronger job market in Alberta, is part of the Calgary-Edmonton Corridor, one of the fastest growing regions in the country. It is the head office for many major oil and gas related companies, and many financial service business have grown up around them. Small business and self-employment levels also rank amongst the highest in Canada. It is also a major distribution and transportation hub with high retail sales.
Calgary's economy is decreasingly dominated by the oil and gas industry, although it is still the single largest contributor to the city's GDP. In 2006, Calgary's real GDP (in constant 1997 dollars) was C$52.386 billion, of which oil, gas and mining contributed 12%). The larger oil and gas companies are BP
, EnCana
, Imperial Oil
, Suncor Energy
, Shell Canada
, TransCanada, and Nexen Inc., making the city home to 87% of Canada's oil and natural gas
producers and 66% of coal producers.
As of 2010, the city had a labour force of 618,000 (a 74.6% participation rate) and 7.0% unemployment rate. In 2006, the unemployment rate was amongst the lowest of the major cities in Canada at 3.2%, causing a shortage of both skilled and unskilled workers.
In 2010 the "Professional, Technical and Management" Industry accounted for over 14% of employment and the areas of "Architectural, Engineering and Design Services" and "Management, Scientific and Technical Services" employment levels far exceed Canadian levels. Though Trade employs 14.7% of the work force, its percentage of total employment is not higher than than Canadian average. Levels of employment in Construction are both fairly high, exceed Canadian averages, and have grown 16% between 2006 and 2010. Health and Welfare services, which account for 10% of employment, have grown 20% in that period.
Calgary Economic Development "Top Calgary Employers" (2006) lists top employers as such:
large industrial employers include NOVA Chemicals
leading this category with 4,900 employees while others with more than 2,000 employees include Nexen
, Canadian Pacific Railway
, CNRL, Shell Canada
and Dow Chemical Canada
. Other private sector employers include Shaw Communications
(7,500 employees), along with Telus
, Mark's Work Warehouse, and Calgary Co-op
. In the public sector, the largest employer is the Calgary Health Region
(22,000). The City of Calgary (15,000), the Calgary Board of Education
and the University of Calgary
are also large employers.
Calgary is increasingly becoming home to Canadian corporate head offices, second only to Toronto and is the leader in head office employment per capita. Some large employers with Calgary head offices include Canada Safeway Limited
, Westfair Foods Ltd.
, Suncor Energy
, Agrium Inc., Flint Energy Services Ltd., Shaw Communications Inc., and Canadian Pacific Railway
. CPR moved its head office from Montreal in 1996 and Imperial Oil
moved from Toronto in 2005. EnCana
's new 58-floor corporate headquarters, the Bow, will become the tallest building in Canada outside of Toronto.
WestJet
is headquartered close to the Calgary International Airport
, and Enerjet
has its headquarters on the airport grounds. Prior to their dissolution, Canadian Airlines
and Air Canada
's subsidiary Zip
were also headquartered near the city's airport.
In the 2010-2011 school year, 99,491 K-12 students enrolled in 223 schools in the English language public school system run by the Calgary Board of Education
. With other students enrolled in the associated CBe-learn
and Chinook Learning Service programs, the school system's total enrollment is 102,917 students. Another 43,000 attend about 95 schools in the separate English language Calgary Catholic School District
board. The much smaller Francophone community has their own French language school boards (public and Catholic), which are both based in Calgary, but serve a larger regional district. There are also several public charter schools
in the city. Calgary has a number of unique schools, including the country's first high school exclusively designed for Olympic-calibre athletes, the National Sport School
. Calgary is also home to many private school
s including Mountain View Academy, Rundle College, Rundle Academy
, Clear Water Academy
, Chinook Winds Adventist Academy, Webber Academy,Delta West Academy, Masters Academy, Menno Simons Christian School, West Island College
and Edge School
.
Calgary is also home to Western Canada's largest public high school, Lord Beaverbrook High School
, with 2,241 students enrolled in the 2005–2006 school year
. Currently the student population of Lord Beaverbrook is 2013 students (2009) and several other schools are equally as large; Western Canada High School
with 2035 students (2009) and Sir Winston Churchill High School with 1983 students (2009).
Calgary is the site of five major public post-secondary institutions. The University of Calgary
is Calgary's primary large degree-granting facility, and enrolled 28,807 students in 2006. Other post-secondary institutions include Mount Royal University, with 13,000 students, granting degrees in a number of fields; and SAIT Polytechnic, with over 14,000 students, provides polytechnic and apprentice education, granting certificates, diplomas and applied degrees.
Smaller post-secondary institutions include Bow Valley College
, Alberta College of Art and Design
, and Columbia College.
There are also several private institutions including Ambrose University College
, the official Canadian university college of the Church of the Nazarene
, the Christian and Missionary Alliance
, St. Mary's University College
, and the DeVry Institute of Technology.
Calgary is a transportation hub for much of central and western Canada. Calgary International Airport (YYC)
, in the city's northeast, is the third largest in Canada by aircraft movements and is a major cargo hub. Non-stop
destinations include cities throughout Canada, the United States, Europe, Central America, and Asia. Calgary's presence on the Trans-Canada Highway
and the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR)
mainline (which includes the CPR Alyth Yard
) also make it an important hub for freight. The Rocky Mountaineer
and Royal Canadian Pacific
operates railtour service to Calgary; Via Rail
no longer provides intercity rail service to Calgary.
Calgary maintains a major streets network and a freeway system. Much of the system is on a grid where roads are numbered with avenues running east–west and streets running north–south. Until 1904 the streets were named; after that date, all streets were given numbers radiating outwards from the city centre. Roads in predominantly residential areas as well as freeways and expressways do not generally conform to the grid and are usually not numbered as a result. However, it is a developer and city convention in Calgary that non-numbered streets within a new community have the same name prefix as the community itself so that streets can more easily be located within the city.
Calgary Transit
provides public transportation services throughout the city with buses and light rail. Calgary's rail system, known as the C-Train
was one of the first such systems in North America (behind Edmonton LRT and San Diego Trolley
) and consists of three lines (two routes) on 48.8 kilometres (30.3 mi) of track (mostly at grade with a dedicated right-of-way
carrying 42% of the downtown working population). In the fourth quarter of 2009, the C-Train system had an average of 266,100 riders per weekday, the third-busiest light-rail system in North America behind the Monterrey Metro
, and the Toronto streetcar system
. The bus system has over 160 routes and is operated by 800 vehicles.
As an alternative to the over 260 kilometres (161.6 mi) of shared bikeways on streets, the city has a network of multi-use (bicycle, walking, rollerblading, etc.) paths spanning over 635 kilometres (394.6 mi).
Calgary has three major adult acute care
hospitals and one major pediatric acute care site; the Foothills Medical Centre
, which is the largest hospital in Alberta, the Peter Lougheed Centre
, the Rockyview General Hospital
, and the Alberta Children's Hospital
, which is the largest hospital in the prairie provinces for sick kids, respectively. They are all overseen by the Alberta Health Services
: Calgary Health Region
. Calgary is also home to the Tom Baker Cancer Centre
, the leading cancer centre in Alberta (located at the Foothills Medical Centre), the Grace Women's Health Centre, which provides a variety of care, and the Libin Cardiovascular Institute. In addition, the Sheldon M. Chumir Centre
(a large 24 hour assessment clinic), and the Richmond Road Diagnostic and Treatment Centre (RRDTC), as well as hundreds of smaller medical and dental clinics operate in Calgary. The University of Calgary
Medical Centre
also operates in partnership with the Calgary Health Region, by researching cancer, cardiovascular, diabetes, joint injury, arthritis and genetics.
The four largest Calgary hospitals have a combined total of more than 2,100 beds, and employ over 11,500 people.
. After many failed attempts to create the city's own unit, the 103rd Regiment "Calgary Rifles" was finally authorized on April 1, 1910. Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Calgary
was established as Currie Barracks and Harvie Barracks following the Second World War. The base remained the most significant Department of National Defence (DND)
institution in the city until it was decommissioned in 1998, when most of the units moved to CFB Edmonton
. Despite this closure there is still a number of Canadian Forces
Reserve units, and cadet units garrisoned throughout the city. They include Naval Reserve unit, The King's Own Calgary Regiment (RCAC)
, The Calgary Highlanders
(and band
), 746 Communication Squadron
, 14 (Calgary) Service Battalion, 15 (Edmonton) Field Ambulance Detachment Calgary, 14 (Edmonton) Military Police Platoon Calgary, 41CER detachment Calgary (33 Engineer Squadron), along with a small cadre of Regular Force support.
and an infrastructure
backlog. With no geographical barriers to its growth besides the Tsuu T'ina First Nation
, the city has seen suburbs spread increasingly further out at an accelerated rate. This has led to difficulties in providing necessary transportation infrastructure to Calgary's population.
With the redevelopment of the Beltline and the Downtown East Village at the forefront, efforts are underway to vastly increase the density of the inner city, but this has not stopped the rate of sprawl. In 2003, the combined population of the downtown neighbourhoods (the Downtown Commercial Core
, the Downtown East Village, the Downtown West End
, Eau Claire, and Chinatown
) was just over 12,600. In addition, the Beltline to the south of downtown had a population of 17,200, for a total of around 30,000.
Because of the growth of the city, its southwest borders are now immediately adjacent to the Tsuu T'ina Nation Indian reserve
. Recent residential developments in the deep southwest of the city have created a demand for a major roadway heading into the interior of the city, but because of complications in negotiations with the Tsuu T'ina
about the construction, the construction has not yet begun.
The city has many socioeconomic
issues including homelessness
. Certain portions of downtown core
and inner city have been singled out as being home to much higher proportions of disadvantaged residents, as well as some neighbourhoods in the city's east. The share of poor families living in very poor neighbourhoods increased from 6.4% to 20.3% between 1980 and 1990.
Although Calgary and Alberta have traditionally been affordable places to live, substantial growth (much of it due to the prosperous energy sector and the northern oil sands
projects) has led to increasing demand on real-estate
. As a result, house prices
in Calgary have increased significantly in recent years, but have stagnated over the last half of 2007, and into 2008. As of November 2006, Calgary is the most expensive city in Canada for commercial/downtown office space, and the second most expensive city (second to Vancouver) for residential real-estate. The cost of living and inflation is now the highest in the country, recent figures show that inflation was running at six per cent in April 2007.
(CCTV) surveillance cameras. A total of sixteen CCTV cameras were to be installed in three downtown locations. They were to be deployed in the East Village and along the Stephen Avenue Mall. The project began in early 2009, primarily being led by Animal & Bylaw Services.
Although the city has a relatively low crime rate when compared to other North American cities, gangs and drug-related crime have increased along with the recent economy growth. In 2009, 62 additional police officers were deployed as foot patrols in the downtown area.
agreements with six cities:
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is located in the south of the province
Provinces and territories of Canada
The provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the world's second-largest country by area. There are ten provinces and three territories...
, in an area of foothills and prairie
Great Plains
The Great Plains are a broad expanse of flat land, much of it covered in prairie, steppe and grassland, which lies west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada. This area covers parts of the U.S...
, approximately 80 km (49.7 mi) east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies
Canadian Rockies
The Canadian Rockies comprise the Canadian segment of the North American Rocky Mountains range. They are the eastern part of the Canadian Cordillera, extending from the Interior Plains of Alberta to the Rocky Mountain Trench of British Columbia. The southern end borders Idaho and Montana of the USA...
. The city is located in the Grassland region of Alberta.
In 2006, the City of Calgary had a population of 988,193 making it the third-largest municipality in the country and largest in Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
. The entire metropolitan area had a 2006 population of 1,079,310, making it the fifth-largest census metropolitan area (CMA) in Canada. In 2009, Calgary's metropolitan population was estimated at 1,230,248, raising its rank to fourth-largest CMA in Canada.
Located 294 kilometres (182.7 mi) south of Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
, Statistics Canada
Statistics Canada
Statistics Canada is the Canadian federal government agency commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and culture. Its headquarters is in Ottawa....
defines the narrowly populated area between these cities as the "Calgary–Edmonton Corridor."
Economic activity in Calgary is mostly centred on the petroleum industry
Petroleum production in Canada
Petroleum production in Canada is a major industry which is important to the economy of North America. Canada is the sixth largest oil producing country in the world. In 2008 it produced an average of of crude oil, crude bitumen and natural gas condensate. Of that amount, 45% was conventional...
, agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
, and tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
. In 1988, Calgary became the first Canadian city to host the Olympic Winter Games
1988 Winter Olympics
The 1988 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XV Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated in and around Calgary, Alberta, Canada from 13 to 28 February 1988. The host was selected in 1981 after having beat Falun, Sweden and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy...
.
First settlement
Before the Calgary area was settled by Europeans, it was inhabited by pre-ClovisClovis culture
The Clovis culture is a prehistoric Paleo-Indian culture that first appears 11,500 RCYBP , at the end of the last glacial period, characterized by the manufacture of "Clovis points" and distinctive bone and ivory tools...
people whose presence has been traced back at least 11,000 years. In 1787, cartographer
Cartography
Cartography is the study and practice of making maps. Combining science, aesthetics, and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality can be modeled in ways that communicate spatial information effectively.The fundamental problems of traditional cartography are to:*Set the map's...
David Thompson
David Thompson (explorer)
David Thompson was an English-Canadian fur trader, surveyor, and map-maker, known to some native peoples as "Koo-Koo-Sint" or "the Stargazer"...
spent the winter with a band of Peigan
Northern Peigan
The Northern Peigans or Aapátohsipikáni are a First Nation, part of the Niitsítapi . Known as Piikáni, "Pekuni" or Aapátohsipikáni , they are very closely related to the other members of the Blackfoot Confederacy: Aamsskáápipikani , Káínaa or...
encamped along the Bow River
Bow River
The Bow River is a river in the Canadian province of Alberta. It is a tributary of the South Saskatchewan River, and is considered the headwater of the Nelson River....
. He was the first recorded European to visit the area, and John Glenn
John Glenn (Alberta)
John Glenn was the first documented European to settle in the Calgary, Alberta, Canada area...
was the first documented European settler in the Calgary area, in 1873. The native way of life remained relatively unchanged until the late 1870s, when Europeans hunted the buffalo to near-extinction.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
or RCMP). The NWMP detachment was assigned in 1875 to protect the western plains from U.S. whiskey traders, and protect the fur trade. Originally named Fort Brisebois, after NWMP officer Éphrem-A. Brisebois
Éphrem-A. Brisebois
Inspector Éphrem-A. Brisebois was a politician, soldier, and police officer with the North-West Mounted Police of Canada. He was born 7 March 1850 at South Durham, Canada East, now Durham-Sud, Quebec....
, it was renamed Fort Calgary
Fort Calgary
Fort Calgary was established in 1875 as Fort Brisebois by the North-West Mounted Police, located at the confluence of the Bow and Elbow rivers in what is now Calgary, Alberta.-History:...
in 1876 by Colonel James Macleod
James Macleod
Lieutenant-Colonel James Farquharson Macleod , born in Drynoch, Isle of Skye, Scotland, was a militia officer, lawyer, NWMP officer, magistrate, judge, and politician in Alberta. He served as the second Commissioner of the North-West Mounted Police, from July 22, 1876, to October 31, 1880...
. It was named after Calgary
Calgary, Mull
The wide sand beach at Calgary is possibly the best in Mull, and its idyllic location makes it one of the finest in Scotland. Calgary Bay is located on the north west of Mull about past Dervaig, from the island's capital Tobermory, and is framed by low hills, partly wooded. A broad area of...
on the Isle of Mull
Isle of Mull
The Isle of Mull or simply Mull is the second largest island of the Inner Hebrides, off the west coast of Scotland in the council area of Argyll and Bute....
, Scotland. While there is some disagreement on the naming of the town, the Museum on the Isle of Mull explains that kald and gart are similar Old Norse
Old Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
words, meaning "cold" and "garden", that were likely used when named by the Vikings who inhabited the Inner Hebrides
Inner Hebrides
The Inner Hebrides is an archipelago off the west coast of Scotland, to the south east of the Outer Hebrides. Together these two island chains form the Hebrides, which enjoy a mild oceanic climate. There are 36 inhabited islands and a further 43 uninhabited Inner Hebrides with an area greater than...
. Alternatively, the name might come from the Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic language
Scottish Gaelic is a Celtic language native to Scotland. A member of the Goidelic branch of the Celtic languages, Scottish Gaelic, like Modern Irish and Manx, developed out of Middle Irish, and thus descends ultimately from Primitive Irish....
, Cala ghearraidh, meaning 'beach of the meadow (pasture)'.
With its inception in 1885, Banff National Park
Banff National Park
Banff National Park is Canada's oldest national park, established in 1885 in the Rocky Mountains. The park, located 110–180 kilometres west of Calgary in the province of Alberta, encompasses of mountainous terrain, with numerous glaciers and ice fields, dense coniferous forest, and alpine...
slowly grew to become an international tourist attraction, along with the Banff Springs Hotel
Banff Springs Hotel
The Fairmont Banff Springs or simply the Banff Springs Hotel is a former railway hotel constructed in Scottish Baronial style located in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada. The original hotel, designed by American architect Bruce Price, was built between spring of 1887 and 1888 by the Canadian...
. At first, the main access to the park was by the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
, builder of the Banff Springs Hotel, and the CPR heavily promoted tourism to the area. Calgary International Airport is a staging point for people destined for the park.
The Calgary Fire of 1886
Calgary Fire of 1886
The Calgary Fire of 1886 occurred on Sunday, Nov. 7, 1886. The fire began at the rear wall of the local flour and feed store, and spread through the community's wooden structures. Ultimately, fourteen buildings were destroyed or razed in attempts to control the blaze. Losses were estimated at...
occurred on November 7, 1886. Fourteen buildings were destroyed with losses estimated at $103,200. Although no one was killed or injured, city officials drafted a law requiring all large downtown buildings to be built with Paskapoo
Paskapoo Formation
The Paskapoo Formation is a stratigraphical unit of Paleocene age in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin.It takes the name from the Blindman River , and was first described in outcrops along the river, north of Red Deer by J. B...
sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
, to prevent this from happening again.
When the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
reached the area in 1883, and a rail station was constructed, Calgary began to grow into an important commercial and agricultural centre. The Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
headquarters are still located in Calgary to this day.
Calgary was officially incorporated as a town in 1884, and elected its first mayor, George Murdoch
George Murdoch
George Murdoch was the first mayor of Calgary, Alberta. He was born in Paisley, Scotland, and died in Calgary, Alberta....
. In 1894, it was incorporated as "The City of Calgary" in what was then the North-West Territories. After the arrival of the railway, the Dominion Government started leasing grazing land at minimal cost (up to 100000 acres (404.7 km²) for one cent per acre per year). As a result of this policy, large ranching operations were established in the outlying country near Calgary. Already a transportation and distribution hub, Calgary quickly became the center of Canada's cattle marketing and meatpacking industries.
Between 1896 and 1914 settlers from all over the world poured into the area in response to the offer of free "homestead
Dominion Lands Act
The Dominion Lands Act was an 1872 Canadian law that aimed to encourage the settlement of Canada's Prairie provinces. It was closely based on the United States Homestead Act, setting conditions in which the western lands could be settled and their natural resources developed...
" land. Agriculture and ranching became key components of the local economy, shaping the future of Calgary for years to come. The world famous Calgary Stampede
Calgary Stampede
The Calgary Stampede is an annual rodeo, exhibition and festival held every July in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The ten-day event, which bills itself as "The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth", attracts over one million visitors per year and features one of the world's largest rodeos, a parade, midway,...
, still held annually in July, grew from a small agricultural show and rodeo started in 1912 by four wealthy ranchers to "the greatest outdoor show on earth".
The oil boom
Oil boom
An oil boom is a boom in the oil producing sector of an economy. Generally, this short period initially brings economical benefits, in term of increased GDP growth, but might later lead to a resource curse.-Consequences:...
. The city's economy grew when oil prices increased with the Arab Oil Embargo of 1973. The population increased by 272,000 in the eighteen years between 1971 (403,000) and 1989 (675,000) and another 345,000 in the next eighteen years (to 1,020,000 in 2007). During these boom years, skyscrapers were constructed and the relatively low-rise downtown
Downtown Calgary
Downtown Calgary is a region of central Calgary, Alberta. It is not a single neighbourhood per se, but is actually a larger community containing three neighbourhoods and a number of districts....
quickly became dense with tall buildings, a trend that continues to this day.
Calgary's economy was so closely tied to the oil industry that the city's boom peaked with the average annual price of oil in 1981.
The subsequent drop in oil prices were cited by industry as reasons for a collapse in the oil industry and consequently the overall Calgary economy. However, low oil prices prevented a full recovery until the 1990s.
Recent history
With the energy sector employing a huge number of Calgarians, the fallout from the economic slump of the early 1980s was understandably significant, and the unemployment rateUnemployment
Unemployment , as defined by the International Labour Organization, occurs when people are without jobs and they have actively sought work within the past four weeks...
soared. By the end of the decade, however, the economy was in recovery. Calgary quickly realized that it could not afford to put so much emphasis on oil and gas, and the city has since become much more diverse, both economically and culturally. The period during this recession marked Calgary's transition from a mid-sized and relatively nondescript prairie city into a major cosmopolitan and diverse centre. This transition culminated in February 1988, when the city hosted the XV Olympic Winter Games
1988 Winter Olympics
The 1988 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XV Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated in and around Calgary, Alberta, Canada from 13 to 28 February 1988. The host was selected in 1981 after having beat Falun, Sweden and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy...
. The success of these games essentially put the city on the world stage.
Thanks in part to escalating oil prices, the economy in Calgary and Alberta was booming until the end of 2008, and the region of nearly 1.1 million people was home to the fastest growing economy in the country. While the oil and gas industry comprise an important part of the economy, the city has invested a great deal into other areas such as tourism and high-tech manufacturing. Over 3.1 million people now visit the city annually for its many festivals and attractions, especially the Calgary Stampede
Calgary Stampede
The Calgary Stampede is an annual rodeo, exhibition and festival held every July in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The ten-day event, which bills itself as "The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth", attracts over one million visitors per year and features one of the world's largest rodeos, a parade, midway,...
. The nearby mountain resort towns of Banff
Banff, Alberta
Banff is a town within Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada. It is located in Alberta's Rockies along the Trans-Canada Highway, approximately west of Calgary and east of Lake Louise....
, Lake Louise
Lake Louise, Alberta
Lake Louise is a hamlet in Alberta, Canada within Improvement District No. 9 Banff . It is named for the nearby Lake Louise, which in turn was named after the Princess Louise Caroline Alberta , the fourth daughter of Queen Victoria, and the wife of John Campbell, the 9th Duke of Argyll, who was the...
, and Canmore
Canmore, Alberta
Canmore is a town in Alberta, Canada, located approximately west of the City of Calgary near the southeast boundary of Banff National Park. It is located in the Bow Valley within Alberta's Rockies. The town shares a border with Kananaskis Country to the west and south and the Municipal District of...
are also becoming increasingly popular with tourists, and are bringing people into Calgary as a result. Other modern industries include light manufacturing, high-tech, film, e-commerce, transportation, and services. Calgary is considered a beta world city by the Globalization and World Cities
Global city
A global city is a city that is deemed to be an important node in the global economic system...
(GaWC) study group. The city has ranked highly in quality of life
Quality of life
The term quality of life is used to evaluate the general well-being of individuals and societies. The term is used in a wide range of contexts, including the fields of international development, healthcare, and politics. Quality of life should not be confused with the concept of standard of...
surveys: 25th in 2006, 24th in 2007, 25th in 2008, 26th in 2009, 28th in 2010, and 33rd in the 2011 Mercer Quality of Living Survey, and 5th best city to live in according to the Economist Intelligence Unit
Economist Intelligence Unit
The Economist Intelligence Unit is part of the Economist Group.It is a research and advisory company providing country, industry and management analysis worldwide and incorporates the former Business International Corporation, a U.S. company acquired by the parent organization in 1986...
. Calgary ranked as the world's cleanest city by Forbes Magazine in 2007. Mercer also ranked the city as the world's first-placed eco-city for 2010.
Geography
Canadian Rockies
The Canadian Rockies comprise the Canadian segment of the North American Rocky Mountains range. They are the eastern part of the Canadian Cordillera, extending from the Interior Plains of Alberta to the Rocky Mountain Trench of British Columbia. The southern end borders Idaho and Montana of the USA...
foothills and the Canadian Prairies
Canadian Prairies
The Canadian Prairies is a region of Canada, specifically in western Canada, which may correspond to several different definitions, natural or political. Notably, the Prairie provinces or simply the Prairies comprise the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, as they are largely covered...
. Calgary's elevation is approximately 1048 m (3,438.3 ft) above sea level
Above mean sea level
The term above mean sea level refers to the elevation or altitude of any object, relative to the average sea level datum. AMSL is used extensively in radio by engineers to determine the coverage area a station will be able to reach...
downtown, and 1083 m (3,553.1 ft) at the airport. The city proper covers a land area of 726.5 km² (280.5 sq mi) (as of 2006) and as such exceeds the land area of the City of Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
.
There are two major rivers that run through the city. The Bow River
Bow River
The Bow River is a river in the Canadian province of Alberta. It is a tributary of the South Saskatchewan River, and is considered the headwater of the Nelson River....
is the largest and flows from the west to the south. The Elbow River
Elbow River
The Elbow River is a river located in southern Alberta, Canada. It flows from the Canadian Rockies to the city of Calgary, where it merges into the Bow River....
flows northwards from the south until it converges with the Bow River near downtown
Downtown Calgary
Downtown Calgary is a region of central Calgary, Alberta. It is not a single neighbourhood per se, but is actually a larger community containing three neighbourhoods and a number of districts....
. Since the climate of the region is generally dry, dense vegetation occurs naturally only in the river valleys, on some north-facing slopes, and within Fish Creek Provincial Park
Fish Creek Provincial Park
Fish Creek Park is a provincial park located in the southern part of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It is one of the largest urban parks in North America, stretching from east to west. At , it is over three times the size of Vancouver's Stanley Park....
.
The city is large in physical area, consisting of an inner city surrounded by communities of various density. Unlike most cities with a sizeable metropolitan area, most of Calgary's suburbs are incorporated into the city proper, with the notable exceptions of the City of Airdrie
Airdrie, Alberta
Airdrie is a city in Alberta, Canada, located just north of Calgary within the Calgary–Edmonton Corridor. The City of Airdrie is part of Calgary's Census Metropolitan Area and a member community of the Calgary Regional Partnership . Due to its proximity to Calgary, Airdrie's population has been...
to the north, Cochrane
Cochrane, Alberta
Cochrane is a town in the Canadian province of Alberta. The town is located 18 km west of the Calgary city limits along Highway 1A. With a population of 15,424 , Cochrane is the second largest town in Alberta and one of the fastest growing communities in Canada...
to the northwest, Strathmore
Strathmore, Alberta
Strathmore is a town located along the Trans-Canada Highway in southern Alberta, Canada, east of the city of Calgary, within the boundaries of Wheatland County.- History :...
to the east, and the Springbank
Springbank, Alberta
Springbank is a rural community in southern Alberta in Rocky View County. It is located immediately west of the City of Calgary, east of Highway 22, south of the Bow River and north of the rural community of Elbow Valley...
and Bearspaw
Bearspaw, Alberta
Bearspaw is a rural community in southern Alberta, Canada within Rocky View County consisting mostly of country residential acreages.Bearspaw is located northwest of the City of Calgary and east of the Town of Cochrane, on Highway 1A...
acreages to the west. Though it is not technically within Calgary's metropolitan area, the Town of Okotoks
Okotoks, Alberta
Okotoks is a town situated on the Sheep River, south of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The town is a member of the Calgary Regional Partnership, a cooperative of communities within the Calgary Region. Okotoks has become a popular bedroom community for the City of Calgary...
is only a short distance to the south and is considered a suburb as well. The Calgary Economic Region
Calgary Region
The Calgary Region is an area centred around Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It consists of the City of Calgary, Rocky View County and the municipalities it encloses, and the Municipal District of Foothills No. 31 and the municipalities it encloses. The Calgary Census Metropolitan Area and Calgary...
includes slightly more area than the CMA and has a population of 1,251,600 in 2008.
The city has undertaken numerous land annexation procedures over the years to keep up with growth; the most recent was completed in July 2007 and saw the city annex the neighbouring hamlet of Shepard, and place its boundaries adjacent to the hamlet of Balzac
Balzac, Alberta
Balzac is a hamlet in the southern portion of the Canadian province of Alberta, in Rocky View County. It is located immediately west of Queen Elizabeth II Highway, at the intersection with Highway 566, north of Calgary city centre and south of Airdrie....
and within very short distances of the City of Airdrie and Town of Chestermere
Chestermere, Alberta
Chestermere is a town adjacent to the City of Calgary in the Province of Alberta, Canada within Rocky View County. It is largely a bedroom community of Calgary and is a member municipality of the Calgary Regional Partnership...
. Despite this proximity, there are presently no plans for Calgary to annex either Airdrie or Chestermere, and in fact Chestermere's administration has a growth plan in the works that calls for it annexing the intervening land between the town and Calgary.
The City of Calgary is immediately surrounded by two municipal districts, Rocky View County to the north, west and east; and Foothills No. 31
Foothills No. 31, Alberta
The Municipal District of Foothills No. 31 is a municipal district in southern Alberta, Canada adjacent to the south side of Calgary in Census Division No. 6...
to the south.
Neighbourhoods
Downtown Calgary
Downtown Calgary is a region of central Calgary, Alberta. It is not a single neighbourhood per se, but is actually a larger community containing three neighbourhoods and a number of districts....
of the city consists of five neighbourhoods: Eau Claire (including the Festival District), the Downtown West End
Downtown West End, Calgary
The Downtown West End is a neighbourhood within the western portions of downtown Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It is bounded to the north by the Bow River, to the east by 9th Street W, to the south by the CPR Tracks and to the west by 14th Street W....
, the Downtown Commercial Core
Downtown Calgary
Downtown Calgary is a region of central Calgary, Alberta. It is not a single neighbourhood per se, but is actually a larger community containing three neighbourhoods and a number of districts....
, Chinatown
Chinatown, Calgary
Calgary's Chinatown is the fourth largest in Canada after those in Vancouver,Toronto, and Montreal. The size of Calgary's Chinatown is indicative of the relatively high proportion of people of Asian descent living in the city....
, and the Downtown East Village (also part of the Rivers District). The commercial core is itself divided into a number of districts including the Stephen Avenue
Stephen Avenue
Stephen Avenue is a major pedestrian mall in downtown Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The mall is actually the portion of 8 Avenue SW between 4 Street SW and 1 Street SE. It is open to vehicles only from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m....
Retail Core, the Entertainment District, the Arts District and the Government District. Distinct from downtown and south of 9th Avenue is Calgary's densest neighbourhood, the Beltline. The area includes a number of communities such as Connaught, Victoria Crossing and a portion of the Rivers District. The Beltline is the focus of major planning and rejuvenation initiatives on the part of the municipal government
Local government
Local government refers collectively to administrative authorities over areas that are smaller than a state.The term is used to contrast with offices at nation-state level, which are referred to as the central government, national government, or federal government...
to increase the density and liveliness of Calgary's centre.
Adjacent to, or directly radiating from the downtown
Downtown Calgary
Downtown Calgary is a region of central Calgary, Alberta. It is not a single neighbourhood per se, but is actually a larger community containing three neighbourhoods and a number of districts....
are the first of the inner-city communities. These include Crescent Heights
Crescent Heights, Calgary
Crescent Heights is a neighbourhood in the northwest quadrant of Calgary, Alberta. It is located in the inner city, immediately north from Downtown...
, Hounsfield Heights/Briar Hill, Hillhurst/Sunnyside
Sunnyside, Calgary
Sunnyside is an innercity community in Calgary, Alberta located on the north side of the Bow River immediately adjacent to Calgary's downtown...
(including Kensington
Kensington, Calgary
Kensington is a Business Revitalization Zone in Calgary, Alberta, focused around the intersection of Kensington Road and 10th St. NW, also known as the Kensington-Louise Crossing Business Association. It resides primarily in the Hillhurst and Sunnyside neighbourhood, and successful marketing has...
BRZ), Bridgeland
Bridgeland, Calgary
The neighbourhood of Bridgeland of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, is located to the immediate northeast of downtown Calgary...
, Renfrew
Renfrew, Calgary
Renfrew is a residential neighborhood in the north-east quadrant of Calgary, Alberta. It is located south of the Trans-Canada Highway, and north of the inner city community of Bridgeland...
, Mount Royal, Mission
Mission, Calgary
The Mission district is an inner city neighbourhood of Calgary, Alberta, Canada that originated as Notre Dame de la Paix, a Catholic mission, and was for a time the incorporated Village of Rouleauville...
, Ramsay and Inglewood and Albert Park/Radisson Heights directly to the east. The inner city is, in turn, surrounded by relatively dense and established neighbourhoods such as Rosedale and Mount Pleasant to the north; Bowness, Parkdale and Glendale to the west; Park Hill, South Calgary (including Marda Loop
Marda Loop
Marda Loop is a Business Revitalization Zone in Calgary, Alberta, centred on 33rd and 34th Avenues SW between Crowchild Trail and 19th Street SW, and along Garrison Gate SW. It bisects the neighbourhoods of South Calgary and Altadore and is east of the community of Richmond.The area has become one...
), Bankview, Altadore, and Killarney to the south; and Forest Lawn/International Avenue
International Avenue, Calgary
International Avenue is a Business Revitalization Zone in Calgary, Alberta. The district is centered on 17th Avenue S.E. in the neighbourhood of Forest Lawn in the east of the city. The district was created in 1993 to celebrate the rich cultural diversity that exists in east central Calgary...
to the east. Lying beyond these, and usually separated from one another by highways, are suburban communities including Somerset, Country Hills, Sundance, and McKenzie Towne. In all, there are over 180 distinct neighbourhoods within the city limits.
Several of Calgary's neighbourhoods were initially separate municipalities that were annexed by the city as it grew. These include Bowness, Montgomery, and Forest Lawn.
Climate
Humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot summers and cold winters....
(Köppen climate classification
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
Dfb, USDA Plant Hardiness Zone
Hardiness zone
A hardiness zone is a geographically defined area in which a specific category of plant life is capable of growing, as defined by climatic conditions, including its ability to withstand the minimum temperatures of the zone...
3a). with long, cold, dry, but highly variable winters and short, moderately warm summers. The climate is greatly influenced by the city's elevation
Elevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
and proximity to the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
. Calgary's winters can be uncomfortably cold; but warm, dry Chinook wind
Chinook wind
Chinook winds , often called chinooks, commonly refers to foehn winds in the interior West of North America, where the Canadian Prairies and Great Plains meet various mountain ranges, although the original usage is in reference to wet, warm coastal winds in the Pacific Northwest.Chinook is claimed...
s routinely blow into the city from over the mountains during the winter months, giving Calgarians a break from the cold. These winds have been known to raise the winter temperature
Temperature
Temperature is a physical property of matter that quantitatively expresses the common notions of hot and cold. Objects of low temperature are cold, while various degrees of higher temperatures are referred to as warm or hot...
by up to 15 C-change in just a few hours, and may last several days. The chinooks are such a common feature of Calgary's winters that only one month (January 1950) has failed to witness a thaw over more than 100 years of weather observations. More than one half of all winter days see the daily maximum rise above 0 °C (32 °F).
Calgary is a city of extremes, and temperatures have ranged anywhere from a record low of -45 C in 1893 to a record high of 36 °C (97 °F) in 1919. Temperatures fall below -30 C on about five days per year, though extreme cold spells usually do not last very long. According to Environment Canada
Environment Canada
Environment Canada , legally incorporated as the Department of the Environment under the Department of the Environment Act Environment Canada (EC) (French: Environnement Canada), legally incorporated as the Department of the Environment under the Department of the Environment Act Environment...
, the average temperature in Calgary ranges from a January daily average of -9 C to a July daily average of 16 °C (61 °F).
Relative humidity
Relative humidity is a term used to describe the amount of water vapor in a mixture of air and water vapor. It is defined as the partial pressure of water vapor in the air-water mixture, given as a percentage of the saturated vapor pressure under those conditions...
of 55% in the winter and 45% in the summer, Calgary has a dry climate similar to other cities in the western Great Plains
Great Plains
The Great Plains are a broad expanse of flat land, much of it covered in prairie, steppe and grassland, which lies west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada. This area covers parts of the U.S...
and Canadian Prairies. Unlike cities further east such as Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
or even Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, humidity is rarely a factor during the Calgary summer.
The city is among the sunniest in Canada, with 2,400 hours of annual sunshine
Sunshine
Sunshine is sunlight, the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the Sun, especially in the visible wavelengths.Sunshine may also refer to:-Film and television:*Sunshine , a historical film directed by István Szabó...
, on average. Calgary International Airport
Calgary International Airport
Calgary International Airport, , is the international airport that serves Calgary, Alberta, Canada and the surrounding region; it is situated approximately northeast of downtown Calgary...
in the northeastern section of the city receives an average of 412.6 mm (16.24 in) of precipitation
Precipitation (meteorology)
In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation (also known as one of the classes of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravity. The main forms of precipitation...
annually, with 320.6 mm (12.62 in) of that occurring in the form of rain
Rain
Rain is liquid precipitation, as opposed to non-liquid kinds of precipitation such as snow, hail and sleet. Rain requires the presence of a thick layer of the atmosphere to have temperatures above the melting point of water near and above the Earth's surface...
, and 126.7 cm (49.9 in) as snow
Snow
Snow is a form of precipitation within the Earth's atmosphere in the form of crystalline water ice, consisting of a multitude of snowflakes that fall from clouds. Since snow is composed of small ice particles, it is a granular material. It has an open and therefore soft structure, unless packed by...
. Most of the precipitation occurs from May to August, with June averaging the most monthly rainfall. In June 2005, Calgary received 248 mm (9.76 in) of precipitation, making it the wettest month in the city's recorded history. Drought
Drought
A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region...
s are not uncommon and may occur at any time of the year, lasting sometimes for months or even several years. Precipitation decreases somewhat from west
West
West is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.West is one of the four cardinal directions or compass points. It is the opposite of east and is perpendicular to north and south.By convention, the left side of a map is west....
to east
East
East is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.East is one of the four cardinal directions or compass points. It is the opposite of west and is perpendicular to north and south.By convention, the right side of a map is east....
; consequently, groves of tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
s on the western outskirts largely give way to treeless grassland
Grassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
around the eastern city limit.
Located in southern Alberta, Calgary can endure several very cold spells
Cold wave
A cold wave is a weather phenomenon that is distinguished by a cooling of the air. Specifically, as used by the U.S. National Weather Service, a cold wave is a rapid fall in temperature within a 24 hour period requiring substantially increased protection to agriculture, industry, commerce, and...
in most winters (although they are punctuated by warm spells). Snow depths of greater than 1 cm are seen on about 88 days each year in Calgary, compared with about 74 days in Toronto. However, snowfall (and temperatures) can vary considerably throughout the Calgary region – mostly due to the elevation changes, and proximity to the mountains. The Town of High River
High River, Alberta
High River is a town in southwestern Alberta, Canada with a population of 10,716. It is south of the city of Calgary, at the junction of Alberta Highways 2 and 23...
(south of Calgary) receives on average 14–15 cm less snow a year than at the Calgary Airport in North-East Calgary (based on 1971–2000 Environment Canada averages), and less than the Toronto area. Temperatures tend to be slightly warmer in the southern areas of Calgary as well.
Calgary averages more than 22 days a year with thunderstorm
Thunderstorm
A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm, a lightning storm, thundershower or simply a storm is a form of weather characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere known as thunder. The meteorologically assigned cloud type associated with the...
s, with most all of them occurring in the summer months. Calgary lies on the edge of Alberta's hail
Hail
Hail is a form of solid precipitation. It consists of balls or irregular lumps of ice, each of which is referred to as a hail stone. Hail stones on Earth consist mostly of water ice and measure between and in diameter, with the larger stones coming from severe thunderstorms...
storm alley and is prone to damaging hailstorms every few years. A hailstorm that struck Calgary on September 7, 1991, was one of the most destructive natural disaster
Natural disaster
A natural disaster is the effect of a natural hazard . It leads to financial, environmental or human losses...
s in Canadian history
History of Canada
The history of Canada covers the period from the arrival of Paleo-Indians thousands of years ago to the present day. Canada has been inhabited for millennia by distinctive groups of Aboriginal peoples, among whom evolved trade networks, spiritual beliefs, and social hierarchies...
, with over $400 million dollars in damage. Being west of the dry line
Dry line
A dry line separates moist air from the Gulf of Mexico and dry desert air from the south-western states . The dry line is an important factor in severe weather frequency in the Great Plains of North America...
on most occasions, tornado
Tornado
A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
es are rare in the region.
General seasons (not well-defined in Calgary due to highly variable climate)
- Winter: November through March
- Spring: April through May
- Summer: June through August
- Autumn: September through October
Flora and fauna
Numerous plant and animal species are found within and around Calgary. The Rocky Mountain Douglas-firRocky Mountain Douglas-fir
The Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir, Pseudotsuga menziesii subsp. glauca, is an evergreen conifer native to the interior mountainous regions of western North America, from central British Columbia and southwest Alberta in Canada southward through the United States to the far north of Mexico...
(Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca) comes near the northern limit of its range at Calgary. Another conifer of widespread distribution found in the Calgary area is the White Spruce (Picea glauca).
Culture
International Avenue, Calgary
International Avenue is a Business Revitalization Zone in Calgary, Alberta. The district is centered on 17th Avenue S.E. in the neighbourhood of Forest Lawn in the east of the city. The district was created in 1993 to celebrate the rich cultural diversity that exists in east central Calgary...
. The district is home to many ethnic restaurants and stores.
While many Calgarians continue to live in the city's suburbs, more central districts such as 17 Avenue, Kensington
Kensington, Calgary
Kensington is a Business Revitalization Zone in Calgary, Alberta, focused around the intersection of Kensington Road and 10th St. NW, also known as the Kensington-Louise Crossing Business Association. It resides primarily in the Hillhurst and Sunnyside neighbourhood, and successful marketing has...
, Inglewood, Forest Lawn
International Avenue, Calgary
International Avenue is a Business Revitalization Zone in Calgary, Alberta. The district is centered on 17th Avenue S.E. in the neighbourhood of Forest Lawn in the east of the city. The district was created in 1993 to celebrate the rich cultural diversity that exists in east central Calgary...
, Marda Loop
Marda Loop
Marda Loop is a Business Revitalization Zone in Calgary, Alberta, centred on 33rd and 34th Avenues SW between Crowchild Trail and 19th Street SW, and along Garrison Gate SW. It bisects the neighbourhoods of South Calgary and Altadore and is east of the community of Richmond.The area has become one...
and the Mission District
Mission, Calgary
The Mission district is an inner city neighbourhood of Calgary, Alberta, Canada that originated as Notre Dame de la Paix, a Catholic mission, and was for a time the incorporated Village of Rouleauville...
have become more popular and density in those areas has increased. The nightlife and the availability of cultural venues in these areas has gradually begun to evolve as a result.
The Calgary Public Library
Calgary Public Library
The Calgary Public Library is a distributed library system featuring 17 branch locations including the Central Library. It is the second most used system in Canada...
is the city's public library network, with seventeen branches loaning books, e-books, CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays, audio books, and more. Based on borrowing, the library is the second largest in Canada, and sixth-largest municipal library system in North America. Nonetheless, the it ranks twenty-fourth in Canadian per capita municipal funding, according to the Urban Libraries Council.
Calgary is the site of the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
The Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium is a performing arts, culture and community facility located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.The auditorium was built in 1955 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Alberta...
performing arts, culture and community facility. The auditorium is one of two "twin" facilities in the province, the other located in Edmonton, each being locally known as the "Jube." The 2,538-seat auditorium was opened in 1957 and has been host to hundreds of Broadway musical
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
, theatrical, stage and local productions. The Calgary Jube is the resident home of the Alberta Ballet, the Calgary opera
Calgary Opera
The Calgary Opera is a Canadian professional opera company in Calgary, Alberta, originally known as the Southern Alberta Opera Association. It performs in the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, accompanied by the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra and the Calgary Opera Chorus...
, the Kiwanis Music Festival
Kiwanis Music Festival
The Kiwanis Music Festival movement consists of regional music competitions in most Canadian urban centres. Its origin probably traces as far back as an inaugural 1908 festival in Edmonton, where Governor General Earl Grey advocated the establishment of music festivals throughout Canada's...
, and the annual civic Remembrance Day
Remembrance Day
Remembrance Day is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth countries since the end of World War I to remember the members of their armed forces who have died in the line of duty. This day, or alternative dates, are also recognized as special days for war remembrances in many non-Commonwealth...
ceremonies. Both auditoriums operate 365 days a year, and are run by the provincial government. Both received major renovations as part of the province's centennial in 2005.
The city is also home to a number of theatre companies; among them are One Yellow Rabbit
One Yellow Rabbit
One Yellow Rabbit is an adult-oriented contemporary theatre company based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.One Yellow Rabbit began as a small troupe in 1982 and has grown into one of Canada's best-known theatrical voices at home and abroad. Blending elements such as drama, dance, poetry and monologue,...
, which shares the EPCOR Centre for the Performing Arts
EPCOR Centre for the Performing Arts
The EPCOR CENTRE for the Performing Arts is a multi-venue arts centre in downtown Calgary, Alberta, Canada, located in the Olympic Plaza Cultural District.-History:...
with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra
Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra
The Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra is a Canadian orchestra, based in Calgary, Alberta. The orchestra gives the majority of its performances in the Jack Singer Concert Hall of the EPCOR Centre for the Performing Arts...
, as well as Theatre Calgary
Theatre Calgary
Theatre Calgary, theatre company in Calgary, Alberta, established as a professional company in 1968.-History:The origin of the company dates back to the 1940s, when students of Betty Mitchell, a drama teacher at Calgary's Western Canada High School, established an amateur group known as "Workshop...
, Alberta Theatre Projects
Alberta Theatre Projects
Alberta Theatre Projects is a Canadian theatre production company, founded in 1972, based at the Martha Cohen Theatre in Calgary, Alberta....
and Theatre Junction Grand, culture house dedicated for the contemporary live arts. Calgary was also the birthplace of the improvisational theatre
Improvisational theatre
Improvisational theatre takes many forms. It is best known as improv or impro, which is often comedic, and sometimes poignant or dramatic. In this popular, often topical art form improvisational actors/improvisers use improvisational acting techniques to perform spontaneously...
games known as Theatresports
Theatresports
Theatresports is a form of improvisational theatre, which uses the format of a competition for dramatic effect. Opposing teams can perform scenes based on audience suggestions, with ratings by the audience or by a panel of judges...
. The Calgary International Film Festival
Calgary International Film Festival
The Calgary International Film Festival is a film festival held annually in Calgary, Alberta, Canada for ten days in late September and early October...
is also held in the city annually, as well as the International Festival of Animated Objects
International Festival of Animated Objects
The International Festival of Animated Objects is a biennial festival sponsored by the non-profit group CAOS Calgary Animated Objects Society that promotes the arts of puppetry, mask, and animated objects. It takes place in downtown Calgary, Alberta, Canada....
.
Visual and conceptual artists like the art collective United Congress
United Congress
The United Congress is a long-standing artist collective active in Calgary, Alberta. The group has combined conceptual art, silkscreen, music, constructed language, abstraction, propaganda and anti-art in its activities....
are active in the city. There are a number of art galleries in the downtown, many of them concentrated along the Stephen Avenue
Stephen Avenue
Stephen Avenue is a major pedestrian mall in downtown Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The mall is actually the portion of 8 Avenue SW between 4 Street SW and 1 Street SE. It is open to vehicles only from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m....
and 17 Avenue corridors. The largest of these is the Art Gallery of Calgary (AGC). Calgary is also home to the Alberta College of Art and Design
Alberta College of Art and Design
-History:The Alberta College of Art & Design is a Canadian degree-granting, publicly-funded art and design college located in Calgary . It was known as the Provincial Institute of Technology and Arts, which was part of SAIT until 1985...
.
Regimental Pipes and Drums of The Calgary Highlanders
The Regimental Pipes and Drums of The Calgary Highlanders is an authorized volunteer pipe band associated with The Calgary Highlanders of the Canadian Forces. For many years, the band was a bona fide, and separate, military unit unto itself, with a separate Unit Identification Code within the CF...
. There are many other civilian pipe bands in the city, notably the Calgary Police Service
Calgary Police Service
Calgary Police Service, formed in 1885, is the municipal police force for the City of Calgary, Alberta.- Organization :Founded in 1885, the current head of the CPS is Chief Rick Hanson...
Pipe Band.
Calgary hosts a number of annual festivals and events. These include the Calgary International Film Festival
Calgary International Film Festival
The Calgary International Film Festival is a film festival held annually in Calgary, Alberta, Canada for ten days in late September and early October...
, the Calgary Folk Music Festival, FunnyFest Calgary Comedy Festival
FunnyFest Calgary Comedy Festival
FunnyFest Calgary Comedy Festival is an annual summer comedy festival held in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It is was founded by Stu Hughes in 2001 as a way to share the "Gift of Laughter" and has since grown to become Western Canada's largest comedy festival. It showcases over 70 performers both...
, the Folk Music Festival, the Greek Festival
Greek festival
A Greek festival or Greek Fest is an annual celebration of Greek culture presented by many ethnic Greek American communities and organization in the United States and Canada, particularly Greek Orthodox churches. Typically, these events are intended for attendance by the general public. Attendees...
, Carifest, Wordfest Banff-Calgary International Writers Festival, the Lilac Festival, GlobalFest
GlobalFest
GlobalFest is an annual cultural celebration in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.The festival has been held every August since 2003, and is organised by The Calgary Fireworks Festival Society'....
, the Calgary Fringe Festival
Calgary Fringe Festival
The Calgary Fringe Festival is an annual fringe theatre festival in Calgary, Alberta.-History:The earliest Fringe-type drama festival in Calgary was the Plan B Festival, held in 2000 at a variety of locations in both Calgary's downtown and the neighbouring community of Inglewood...
, Summerstock, Expo Latino
Expo Latino
Expo Latino is an annual festival, held the last weekend August, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, celebrating the Latino culture. The event holds musical performances of many genres, including Salsa, Jazz, Merengue, Folk, Flamenco, Cumbia, Reggaeton, and Hip-Hop...
, Calgary Gay Pride, Calgary Spoken Word Festival
Calgary International Spoken Word Festival
The Calgary Spoken Word Festival is a Canadian festival which promotes spoken word. Spoken word draws heavily on the oral tradition and encompasses such genres as jazz, dub, hip-hop, folk, slam and storytelling poets or poetry...
, and many other cultural and ethnic festivals. Calgary's best-known event is the Calgary Stampede
Calgary Stampede
The Calgary Stampede is an annual rodeo, exhibition and festival held every July in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The ten-day event, which bills itself as "The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth", attracts over one million visitors per year and features one of the world's largest rodeos, a parade, midway,...
, which has occurred each July since 1912. It is one of the largest festivals in Canada
Festivals in Canada
This is a list of festivals and carnivals in Canada.Canada's largest festivals are represented by the Canadian Festivals Coalition, formed in 2010 to lobby the federal government for stable funding under the "Marquee Tourism Events Program"...
, with a 2005 attendance of 1,242,928 at the 10-day rodeo and exhibition.
Several museums are located in the city. The Glenbow Museum
Glenbow Museum
The Glenbow Museum in Calgary is one of Western Canada's largest museums, with over 93,000 square feet of exhibition space in more than 20 galleries, showcasing a selection of the Glenbow's collection of over a million objects....
is the largest in western Canada
Western Canada
Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces and commonly as the West, is a region of Canada that includes the four provinces west of the province of Ontario.- Provinces :...
and includes an art gallery
Art gallery
An art gallery or art museum is a building or space for the exhibition of art, usually visual art.Museums can be public or private, but what distinguishes a museum is the ownership of a collection...
and first-nations gallery. Other major museums include the Chinese Cultural Centre (at 70000 sq ft (6,503.2 m²), the largest stand-alone cultural centre in Canada), the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame and Museum (at Canada Olympic Park
Canada Olympic Park
Canada Olympic Park is located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The park is operated by WinSport Canada formerly the Calgary Olympic Development Association . It is currently used both for high performance athletic training and for recreational purposes by the general public...
), The Military Museums
The Military Museums
The Military Museums is a reorganization of the former Museum of the Regiments in Calgary, Alberta, announced by Sophie, Countess of Wessex, on June 3, 2006...
, the Cantos Music Museum and the Aero Space Museum.
Numerous films have been shot in the general area. The television film Crossfire Trail (2001), starring Tom Selleck
Tom Selleck
Thomas William "Tom" Selleck is an American actor, and film producer. He is best known for his starring role as Hawaii-based private investigator Thomas Magnum on the 1980s television show Magnum, P.I.. He also plays Police Chief Jesse Stone in a series of made-for-TV movies based on the Robert B....
, was shot on a ranch
Ranch
A ranch is an area of landscape, including various structures, given primarily to the practice of ranching, the practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle or sheep for meat or wool. The word most often applies to livestock-raising operations in the western United States and Canada, though...
near Calgary though the stated setting of the film is Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
.
The Calgary Herald
Calgary Herald
The Calgary Herald is a daily newspaper published in the Canadian city of Calgary, Alberta.- History :The paper was first published on August 31, 1883 by Andrew Armour and Thomas Braden as The Calgary Herald, Mining and Ranche Advocate and General Advertiser. It started as a weekly paper with only...
and the Calgary Sun
Calgary Sun
The Calgary Sun is a daily newspaper published in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It is a division of Sun Media, a Quebecor company.First published in 1980, the tabloid-format daily replaced the long-running broadsheet newspaper, The Albertan soon after it was acquired by the publishers of the Toronto...
are the main newspapers in Calgary. Global
Global Television Network
Global Television Network is an English language privately owned television network in Canada, owned by Calgary-based Shaw Communications, as part of its Shaw Media division...
, Citytv
Citytv
Citytv is a Canadian English language television system owned and operated by Rogers Communications under its Rogers Broadcasting Ltd. division...
, CTV
CTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
and CBC
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
television network
Television network
A television network is a telecommunications network for distribution of television program content, whereby a central operation provides programming to many television stations or pay TV providers. Until the mid-1980s, television programming in most countries of the world was dominated by a small...
s have local studios in the city.
Sports and recreation
Canadian Rockies
The Canadian Rockies comprise the Canadian segment of the North American Rocky Mountains range. They are the eastern part of the Canadian Cordillera, extending from the Interior Plains of Alberta to the Rocky Mountain Trench of British Columbia. The southern end borders Idaho and Montana of the USA...
, Calgary has traditionally been a popular destination for winter sports. Since hosting the 1988 Winter Olympics
1988 Winter Olympics
The 1988 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XV Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated in and around Calgary, Alberta, Canada from 13 to 28 February 1988. The host was selected in 1981 after having beat Falun, Sweden and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy...
, the city has also been home to a number of major winter sporting facilities such as Canada Olympic Park
Canada Olympic Park
Canada Olympic Park is located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The park is operated by WinSport Canada formerly the Calgary Olympic Development Association . It is currently used both for high performance athletic training and for recreational purposes by the general public...
(luge
Luge
A Luge is a small one- or two-person sled on which one sleds supine and feet-first. Steering is done by flexing the sled's runners with the calf of each leg or exerting opposite shoulder pressure to the seat. Racing sleds weigh 21-25 kilograms for singles and 25-30 kilograms for doubles. Luge...
, cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...
, ski jumping
Ski jumping
Ski jumping is a sport in which skiers go down a take-off ramp, jump and attempt to land as far as possible down the hill below. In addition to the length of the jump, judges give points for style. The skis used for ski jumping are wide and long...
, downhill skiing
Downhill
Downhill is an alpine skiing discipline. The rules for the Downhill were originally developed by Sir Arnold Lunn for the 1921 British National Ski Championships....
, snowboarding
Snowboarding
Snowboarding is a sport that involves descending a slope that is covered with snow on a snowboard attached to a rider's feet using a special boot set onto mounted binding. The development of snowboarding was inspired by skateboarding, sledding, surfing and skiing. It was developed in the U.S.A...
, and some summer sports) and the Olympic Oval
Olympic Oval
The Olympic Oval in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, is a covered speed skating oval built for the 1988 Winter Olympics. It is the official designated training center for Speed Skate Canada and the Canadian National Speed Skating team. It is located on the University of Calgary campus...
(speed skating
Speed skating
Speed skating, or speedskating is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors race each other in traveling a certain distance on skates. Types of speed skating are long track speed skating, short track speed skating, and marathon speed skating...
and hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
). These facilities serve as the primary training venues for a number of competitive athletes. Also, Canada Olympic Park serves as a mountain biking trail in the summer months.
In the summer, the Bow River
Bow River
The Bow River is a river in the Canadian province of Alberta. It is a tributary of the South Saskatchewan River, and is considered the headwater of the Nelson River....
is very popular among fly-fishermen. Golfing is also an extremely popular activity for Calgarians and the region has a large number of courses.
Calgary hosted the 2009 World Water Ski Championship Festival in August, at the Predator Bay Water Ski Club which is situated approximately 40 kilometres (24.9 mi) south of the city.
Battle of Alberta
The Battle of Alberta is a term applied to the intense rivalry between the Canadian cities of Edmonton, the capital of the province of Alberta, and Calgary, the province's largest city...
, the city's sports teams enjoy a popular rivalry with their Edmonton counterparts, most notably the rivalries between the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
's Calgary Flames
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...
and Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
, and the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
's Calgary Stampeders
Calgary Stampeders
The Calgary Stampeders are a Canadian Football League team based in Calgary, Alberta and named in reference to the Calgary Stampede. The Stampeders play their home games at McMahon Stadium...
and Edmonton Eskimos
Edmonton Eskimos
The Edmonton Eskimos are a Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. They currently play in the West Division of the Canadian Football League . Edmonton is currently the third-youngest franchise in the CFL, although there were clubs with the name Edmonton Eskimos as early as 1895...
.
The city also has a large number of urban parks including Fish Creek Provincial Park
Fish Creek Provincial Park
Fish Creek Park is a provincial park located in the southern part of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It is one of the largest urban parks in North America, stretching from east to west. At , it is over three times the size of Vancouver's Stanley Park....
, Nose Hill Park
Nose Hill Park
Nose Hill Park, one of the largest municipal parks in Canada and North America, is located in the northwest quadrant of Calgary, Alberta. It is a natural environment park, commonly regarded as a retreat from city life and a place to enjoy nature...
, Bowness Park, Edworthy Park
Edworthy Park
Edworthy Park is a city park located in the southwest section of Calgary along the south shore of the Bow River. The Canadian Pacific Railway crosses the length of the park....
, the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary
Animal sanctuary
An animal sanctuary is a facility where animals are brought to live and be protected for the rest of their lives. Unlike animal shelters, sanctuaries do not seek to place animals with individuals or groups, instead maintaining each animal until his or her natural death...
, Confederation Park
Confederation Park, Calgary
Confederation Park is an urban park in northwest Calgary, Alberta.It is developed over an area of , between the neighbourhoods of Mount Pleasant, Capitol Hill, Collingwood and Highland Park. 10th Street West bisects the park from north to south....
, and Prince's Island Park. Nose Hill Park is the largest municipal park in Canada. Connecting these parks and most of the city's neighbourhoods is one of the most extensive multi-use (walking, bike, rollerblading, etc.) path systems in North America.
Calgary is renowned in professional wrestling tradition as both the home-city of the prominent Hart wrestling family
Hart wrestling family
The Hart wrestling family is a Canadian family with a significant history within professional wrestling. The patriarch of the family is wrestling legend and WWE Hall of Famer Stu Hart, amateur and professional wrestler, promoter and trainer, who not only owned and operated his own wrestling...
and the location of the infamous Hart family "Dungeon"
Hart House (Alberta)
The Hart House is a residence located in the Patterson Heights neighbourhood of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Once owned by Stu Hart, it was home to his extensive family made world famous for their accomplishments in professional wrestling...
, wherein WWE Hall of Fame member and patriarch of the Hart Family, Stu Hart
Stu Hart
Stewart Edward "Stu" Hart, CM was a Canadian amateur wrestler, professional wrestler, promoter and trainer. Hart founded Stampede Wrestling, a promotion based in Calgary, Alberta, and was the father of famous wrestlers Bret and Owen Hart...
, trained numerous professional wrestlers including "Superstar" Billy Graham
Billy Graham
William Franklin "Billy" Graham, Jr. is an American evangelical Christian evangelist. As of April 25, 2010, when he met with Barack Obama, Graham has spent personal time with twelve United States Presidents dating back to Harry S. Truman, and is number seven on Gallup's list of admired people for...
, Brian Pillman
Brian Pillman
Brian William Pillman was an American football player and professional wrestler best known for his appearances in the World Wrestling Federation, Extreme Championship Wrestling, and World Championship Wrestling....
, The British Bulldogs, Edge, Christian, Greg Valentine
Greg Valentine
John Wisniski, Jr. is an American professional wrestler, better known as Greg "The Hammer" Valentine. He is the son of wrestler Johnny Valentine.-Training:...
, Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho
Christopher Keith Irvine , better known by his ring name Chris Jericho, is an inactive Canadian-American professional wrestler, musician, songwriter, radio personality, television host, actor, author, and dancer...
, Jushin Liger
Jushin Liger
, better known as and later, is a Japanese professional wrestler who primarily works for New Japan Pro Wrestling.He has wrestled and beaten many of the top smaller wrestlers in both Japan and the United States, and is frequently cited as one of the greatest and most revolutionary junior...
and many more. Also among the trainees where the Hart family members themselves, including WWE Hall of Fame member and former WWE champion Bret Hart
Bret Hart
Bret Hart is a Canadian on-screen personality, writer, actor and Semi-retired professional wrestler. Like others in the Hart wrestling family, Hart has an amateur wrestling background, including wrestling at Ernest Manning High School and Mount Royal College...
and his brother, the 1994 WWF King of the Ring (1994)
King of the Ring
King of the Ring is a professional wrestling single-elimination tournament held by WWE. The tournament was held annually from 1985 to 2002, with the exception of 1990 and 1992, and from 1993 to 2002 the tournament was produced as a pay-per-view event....
Owen Hart
Owen Hart
Owen James Hart was a Canadian professional and amateur wrestler who worked for several promotions including Stampede Wrestling, New Japan Pro Wrestling , World Championship Wrestling , and most notably, the World Wrestling Federation , where he wrestled under both his own name, and ring name The...
.
- Professional sports teams
| Club | League | Venue | Established | Championships |
| Canadian Football League Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football.... | McMahon Stadium McMahon Stadium McMahon Stadium is a Canadian football stadium located in Calgary, Alberta. The stadium is owned by the University of Calgary and operated by the McMahon Stadium Society.... | 1945 | 6 | |
| Calgary Flames Calgary Flames The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the... | National Hockey League National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... | Scotiabank Saddledome | 1980 | 1 |
| Calgary Roughnecks Calgary Roughnecks The Calgary Roughnecks are a professional box lacrosse team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Western Division of the National Lacrosse League and play their home games at the Scotiabank Saddledome. The team name is derived from the roughnecks who work drilling rigs in... | National Lacrosse League National Lacrosse League The National Lacrosse League is a men's professional indoor lacrosse league in North America. It currently has nine teams; three in Canada and six in the United States. Unlike other lacrosse leagues which play in the summer, the NLL plays its games in the winter and spring. Each year, the playoff... | Scotiabank Saddledome | 2001 | 2 |
| Calgary Vipers Calgary Vipers The Calgary Vipers were a professional baseball team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They were part of the Western Division of the independent North American League. The Vipers have played all of their home games at Foothills Stadium. Previously, the Vipers played in the Northern League from... | North American League North American League The North American League is an independent baseball league that began play in the 2011 season... | Foothills Stadium Foothills Stadium Foothills Stadium, formerly Burns Stadium, is a stadium in Calgary, Alberta. It is primarily used for baseball, and was formerly home to the Calgary Cannons AAA baseball club until September 2002, when the team relocated to Albuquerque. It is now the home field of the Calgary Vipers baseball team... | 2004 | 1 |
- Amateur and junior clubs
| Club | League | Venue | Established | Championships |
| Calgary Canucks Calgary Canucks The Calgary Canucks are a junior ice hockey team in the Alberta Junior Hockey League. They play in Calgary, Alberta, Canada at the Max Bell Centre, capacity 3500.... | Alberta Junior Hockey League Alberta Junior Hockey League The Alberta Junior Hockey League is an Alberta-based Junior A hockey league that belongs to the Canadian Junior Hockey League . It was formed as a five-team league in 1964. There are currently 16 teams in the league. The regular season league champions receive the Dave Duchak Trophy... | Max Bell Centre Max Bell Centre The Max Bell Centre is an ice hockey arena, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, in the community of Radisson Heights. It seats 2,121, for hockey, with a standing room capacity of over 3,000... | 1971 | 9 |
| Calgary Mustangs Calgary Mustangs The Calgary Mustangs were a Calgary, Alberta, based USL A-League professional soccer team, that played in 2004. They were initially formed in 2001 as the Calgary Storm, and played one season in the USL Premier Development League, before moving to the USL A-League in 2002.Despite playing on... | Alberta Junior Hockey League Alberta Junior Hockey League The Alberta Junior Hockey League is an Alberta-based Junior A hockey league that belongs to the Canadian Junior Hockey League . It was formed as a five-team league in 1964. There are currently 16 teams in the league. The regular season league champions receive the Dave Duchak Trophy... | Father David Bauer Olympic Arena Father David Bauer Olympic Arena The Father David Bauer Olympic Arena is an ice hockey arena in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It seats about 1,750 for hockey with a standing room capacity of over 2,000... | 1990 | 1 |
| Calgary Speed Skating Association | Speed Skating Canada Speed Skating Canada Speed Skating Canada is the governing body for competitive long track and short track speed skating in Canada. It was founded in 1887, five years before the International Skating Union of which SSC later became a member in 1894.-History:In 1854, three British army officers raced on the St... | Olympic Oval Olympic Oval The Olympic Oval in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, is a covered speed skating oval built for the 1988 Winter Olympics. It is the official designated training center for Speed Skate Canada and the Canadian National Speed Skating team. It is located on the University of Calgary campus... | 1990 | |
| Calgary Hitmen Calgary Hitmen The Calgary Hitmen are a major junior ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The Hitmen play in the Central Division of the Western Hockey League . They play their home games at the Scotiabank Saddledome. Bret "The Hitman" Hart, a local-born professional wrestler, was a founding owner... | Western Hockey League Western Hockey League The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada... | Scotiabank Saddledome | 1995 | 2 |
| Calgary Oval X-Treme Calgary Oval X-Treme The Calgary Oval X-Treme were a professional women's ice hockey team in the Western Women's Hockey League . The team played its home games at the Olympic Oval in Calgary, Alberta, Canada... | Western Women's Hockey League Western Women's Hockey League The Western Women's Hockey League is one of two major women's hockey leagues in Canada. The league was established in 2004, and consisted of teams in Canada and one from the United States... | Olympic Oval Olympic Oval The Olympic Oval in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, is a covered speed skating oval built for the 1988 Winter Olympics. It is the official designated training center for Speed Skate Canada and the Canadian National Speed Skating team. It is located on the University of Calgary campus... | 1995 | 4 |
| Calgary Mavericks Calgary Mavericks The Calgary Mavericks are a Canadian rugby union team based in Calgary, Alberta. The team plays in the Rugby Canada National Junior Championship and draws most of its players from the Calgary Rugby Union, one of fourteen Rugby Unions that have rep teams in the RCSL.The Mavericks play their "home"... | Rugby Canada Super League | Calgary Rugby Park | 1998 | 1 |
| Calgary United F.C. | Canadian Major Indoor Soccer League Canadian Major Indoor Soccer League The Canadian Major Indoor Soccer League or CMISL is a professional indoor soccer league that began full league play in January 2008. The league's president is Mel Kowalchuk... | Stampede Corral Stampede Corral The Stampede Corral is an ice hockey, rodeo, and Davis Cup tennis arena venue in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The arena was completed in 1950 at a cost of C$1.25 million to replace Victoria Arena as the home of the Calgary Stampeders Hockey Club... | 2007 |
Attractions
Downtown Calgary
Downtown Calgary is a region of central Calgary, Alberta. It is not a single neighbourhood per se, but is actually a larger community containing three neighbourhoods and a number of districts....
features an eclectic mix of restaurants and bars, cultural venues, public squares (including Olympic Plaza
Olympic Plaza (Calgary)
The Olympic Plaza is an urban park and gathering place in downtown Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Located around Macleod Trail and 7th Avenue S., it was created as the venue for the medal ceremonies at the 1988 Winter Olympic Games...
) and shopping. Notable shopping areas include such as The Core Shopping Centre (formerly Calgary Eaton Centre/TD Square), Stephen Avenue
Stephen Avenue
Stephen Avenue is a major pedestrian mall in downtown Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The mall is actually the portion of 8 Avenue SW between 4 Street SW and 1 Street SE. It is open to vehicles only from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m....
and Eau Claire Market. Downtown tourist attraction
Tourist attraction
A tourist attraction is a place of interest where tourists visit, typically for its inherent or exhibited cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, or amusement opportunities....
s include the Calgary Zoo
Calgary Zoo
The Calgary Zoo is located in Bridgeland, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, just east of the city's downtown and adjacent to the Inglewood and East Village neighbourhoods. It is accessible via Calgary's C-Train light rail system, by car via Memorial Drive and by bicycle and footpath via the Bow River...
, the Telus World of Science
TELUS World of Science, Calgary
The Telus World of Science – Calgary is a science museum with interactive exhibits, multimedia presentations and educational demonstrations in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. There are three traveling exhibits every year and more permanent exhibits that are designed on-site. The Discovery Dome Theatre...
, the Telus
TELUS
Telus is a national telecommunications company in Canada that provides a wide range of telecommunications products and services including internet access, voice, entertainment, video, and satellite television. The company is based in Burnaby, British Columbia, part of Greater Vancouver...
Convention Centre
Convention center
A convention center is a large building that is designed to hold a convention, where individuals and groups gather to promote and share common interests. Convention centers typically offer sufficient floor area to accommodate several thousand attendees...
, the Chinatown
Chinatown, Calgary
Calgary's Chinatown is the fourth largest in Canada after those in Vancouver,Toronto, and Montreal. The size of Calgary's Chinatown is indicative of the relatively high proportion of people of Asian descent living in the city....
district, the Glenbow Museum
Glenbow Museum
The Glenbow Museum in Calgary is one of Western Canada's largest museums, with over 93,000 square feet of exhibition space in more than 20 galleries, showcasing a selection of the Glenbow's collection of over a million objects....
, the Calgary Tower
Calgary Tower
The Calgary Tower is a 191 metre free standing observation tower in Downtown Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Originally called the Husky Tower, it was conceived as a joint venture between Marathon Realty Company Limited and Husky Oil as part of an urban renewal plan and to celebrate Canada's centennial...
, the Art Gallery of Calgary (AGC), Military Museum and the EPCOR Centre for the Performing Arts
EPCOR Centre for the Performing Arts
The EPCOR CENTRE for the Performing Arts is a multi-venue arts centre in downtown Calgary, Alberta, Canada, located in the Olympic Plaza Cultural District.-History:...
. At 2.5 acres (1 ha), the Devonian Gardens
Devonian Gardens (Calgary)
Devonian Gardens is a large indoor park and botanical garden located in the downtown core of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The park is currently closed for a major $23.5-million renovation and is expected to re-open in Summer 2012....
is one of the largest urban indoor gardens in the world, and it is located on the 4th floor of TD Square (above the shopping). The downtown region
Downtown Calgary
Downtown Calgary is a region of central Calgary, Alberta. It is not a single neighbourhood per se, but is actually a larger community containing three neighbourhoods and a number of districts....
is also home to Prince's Island Park
Prince's Island Park (Calgary)
Prince's Island Park is an urban park in the city of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It is developed on an island on the Bow River, immediately north of downtown Calgary....
, an urban park located just north of the Eau Claire district. Directly to the south of downtown is Midtown and the Beltline. This area is quickly becoming one of the city's densest and most active mixed use areas. At the district's core is the popular "17 Avenue", which is known for its many bars and nightclubs, restaurants, and shopping venues. During the Calgary Flames
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...
' playoff run in 2004, 17 Avenue was frequented by over 50,000 fans and supporters per game night. The concentration of red jersey-wearing fans led to the street's playoff moniker, the "Red Mile
Red Mile
The Red Mile is the name given to a several-block stretch of 17th Avenue S.W. in Calgary, Alberta, Canada during the Calgary Flames 2004 Stanley Cup playoff run...
." Downtown is easily accessed using the city's C-Train
C-Train
C-Train is the light rail transit system in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It has been in operation since May 25, 1981. The system is operated by Calgary Transit, a department of the Calgary municipal government.-Operations:...
light rail (LRT) transit system
Public transport
Public transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams...
.
Attractions on the west side of the city include the Heritage Park Historical Village
Heritage Park Historical Village
Heritage Park Historical Village is a historical park located in Calgary, Alberta. The park is located on of parkland on the banks of the Glenmore Reservoir, along the city's southwestern edge. As Canada's largest living history museum by number of exhibits, it is one of the city's most visited...
historical park, depicting life in pre-1914 Alberta and featuring working historic vehicles such as a steam train
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
, paddlewheel boat and electric streetcar. The village itself comprises a mixture of replica buildings and historic structures relocated from southern Alberta. Other major city attractions include Canada Olympic Park
Canada Olympic Park
Canada Olympic Park is located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The park is operated by WinSport Canada formerly the Calgary Olympic Development Association . It is currently used both for high performance athletic training and for recreational purposes by the general public...
, and Spruce Meadows
Spruce Meadows
Spruce Meadows is an equestrian facility in Calgary, Alberta built by the Southern Family and opened in 1976. The show jumping complex is in the foothills of the Alberta Rocky Mountains just south of the city and comprises...
. In addition to the many shopping areas in the city centre, there are a number of large suburban shopping complexes in the city. Among the largest are Chinook Centre
Chinook Centre
Chinook Centre is the largest enclosed shopping centre in Calgary, Alberta containing over 250 stores, a professional building, and a major theatre complex...
and Southcentre Mall
Southcentre Mall
Southcentre Mall is one of the largest shopping malls in Calgary, Alberta, , and contains approximately 190 stores and services over two floors. It is located in the City's southeast quadrant at the intersection of Macleod Trail and Anderson Road, and across the street from the Anderson C-Train...
in the south, WestHills and Signal Hill in the southwest, South Trail Crossing and Deerfoot Meadows in the southeast, Market Mall
Market Mall
Market Mall is one of the largest malls in Calgary, Alberta . It is located in Varsity, a suburban neighborhood in the City's northwest quadrant on Shaganappi Trail...
in the northwest, Sunridge Mall
Sunridge Mall
Sunridge Mall is a major enclosed shopping mall in Calgary, Alberta containing 807,635 square feet / 75,031.7 m² of retail space. It is the leading shopping centre in the city's northeast quadrant, located at the corner of 36th Street NE and 26th Avenue NE. It is adjacent to the Rundle LRT station...
in the northeast, and the newly built CrossIron Mills
Crossiron Mills
CrossIron Mills is a fully enclosed shopping centre development just outside the northern city limits of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and immediately east of the hamlet of Balzac in Rocky View County. It was developed by Ivanhoe Cambridge, a major Canadian real estate company...
just north of the Calgary city limits, and south of the City of Airdrie
Airdrie, Alberta
Airdrie is a city in Alberta, Canada, located just north of Calgary within the Calgary–Edmonton Corridor. The City of Airdrie is part of Calgary's Census Metropolitan Area and a member community of the Calgary Regional Partnership . Due to its proximity to Calgary, Airdrie's population has been...
.
Downtown
Downtown Calgary
Downtown Calgary is a region of central Calgary, Alberta. It is not a single neighbourhood per se, but is actually a larger community containing three neighbourhoods and a number of districts....
can be recognized by its numerous skyscrapers. Some of these structures, such as the Calgary Tower
Calgary Tower
The Calgary Tower is a 191 metre free standing observation tower in Downtown Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Originally called the Husky Tower, it was conceived as a joint venture between Marathon Realty Company Limited and Husky Oil as part of an urban renewal plan and to celebrate Canada's centennial...
and the Scotiabank Saddledome are unique enough to be symbols of Calgary. Office buildings tend to concentrate within the commercial core, while residential towers occur most frequently within the Downtown West End and the Beltline, south of downtown. These buildings are iconographic of the city's booms and busts, and it is easy to recognize the various phases of development that have shaped the image of downtown. The first skyscraper building boom occurred during the late 1950s and continued through to the 1970s. After 1980, during the recession, many high-rise construction projects were immediately halted. It was not until the late 1980s and through to the early 1990s that major construction began again, initiated by the 1988 Winter Olympics
1988 Winter Olympics
The 1988 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XV Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated in and around Calgary, Alberta, Canada from 13 to 28 February 1988. The host was selected in 1981 after having beat Falun, Sweden and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy...
and stimulated by the growing economy.
In total, there are 10 office towers that are at least 150 metres (500 ft) (usually around 40 floors) or higher. The tallest of these is the Suncor Energy Centre (formerly known as the Petro-Canada Centre), which is the tallest office tower in Canada outside Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. Calgary's Bankers Hall
Bankers Hall
Bankers Hall is a building complex located in downtown Calgary, Alberta, which includes twin 52-storey office towers , designed by the architectural firm Cohos Evamy in postmodern architectural style....
Towers are also the tallest twin towers in Canada. Several larger office towers are planned for downtown: The Bow
The Bow (skyscraper)
The Bow is a 158,000-square-metre office building currently under construction for the headquarters of EnCana Corporation. It will also be occupied by Cenovus, which was spun off of Encana in late 2009. The skyscraper is being built in downtown Calgary, Alberta...
, Jamieson Place, Eighth Avenue Place (two towers), Centennial Place (two towers), City Centre (two towers), and the highly anticipated (although only rumoured) Imperial Oil and First Canadian Centre
First Canadian Centre
First Canadian Centre is an office tower in Downtown Calgary, Alberta, Canada.Located at 350 7th Avenue SW, it stands at or 41 storeys tall. The skyscraper has a floor area of and was built in the international and late modernist architectural styles....
II towers.
As of 2008, there were 264 completed high-rise buildings, with 42 more under construction, another 13 approved for construction and 63 more proposed.
To connect many of the downtown office buildings, the city also boasts the world's most extensive skyway
Skyway
In an urban setting, a skyway, catwalk, sky bridge, or skywalk is a type of pedway consisting of an enclosed or covered bridge between two buildings. This protects pedestrians from the weather. These skyways are usually owned by businesses, and are therefore not public spaces...
network (elevated indoor pedestrian bridges), officially called the +15
+15
The Plus 15 or +15 Skyway network in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, is the world's most extensive pedestrian skywalk system with a total length of and 59 bridges. The system is so named because the skywalks are approximately 15 feet above street level...
. The name derives from the fact that the bridges are usually 15 feet (4.6 m) above grade.
Demographics
| Ethnic Origin | ||
|---|---|---|
| Ethnic group | Population | Per cent |
| Canadian | 233,470 | 26.80% |
| English | 228,435 | 26.22% |
| Scottish | 171,755 | 19.72% |
| German | 140,305 | 16.11% |
| Irish | 139,600 | 16.03% |
| French | 85,450 | 9.81% |
| Ukrainian | 59,770 | 6.86% |
| Chinese | 56,100 | 6.44% |
According the 2006 Statistics Canada
Statistics Canada
Statistics Canada is the Canadian federal government agency commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and culture. Its headquarters is in Ottawa....
federal census, there were 988,193 people living within the city proper. Of this population, 49.9% were male and 50.1% were female. Children under five accounted for approximately 6.0% of the resident population. This compares with 6.2% in Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, and almost 5.6% for Canada overall.
In 2006, the average age in the city was 35.7 years of age compared with 36.0 for Alberta and 39.5 years of age for all of Canada.
In 2001, the population was 878,866, while in 1996 Calgary had 768,082 inhabitants.
Between 2001 and 2006, Calgary's population grew by 12.4%. During the same time period, the population of Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
increased by 10.6%, while that of Canada grew by 5.4%. The population density of the city averaged 1360.2 /km2, compared with an average of 5.1 /km2 for the province.
A city-administered census, conducted annually to assist in negotiating financial agreements with the provincial and federal governments, showed a population of just over 991,000 in 2006. The population of the Calgary Census Metropolitan Area was just over 1.1 million, and the Calgary Economic Region
Calgary Region
The Calgary Region is an area centred around Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It consists of the City of Calgary, Rocky View County and the municipalities it encloses, and the Municipal District of Foothills No. 31 and the municipalities it encloses. The Calgary Census Metropolitan Area and Calgary...
posted a population of just under 1.17 million in 2006. On July 25, 2006, the municipal government officially acknowledged the birth of the city's one millionth resident, with the census indicating that the population was increasing by approximately 98 people per day at that time. This date was arrived at only by means of assumption and statistical approximation and only took into account children born to Calgarian parents. A net migration of 25,794 persons/year was recorded in 2006, a significant increase from 12,117 in 2005.
Christians make up 67% of the population, while 25% have no religious affiliation. There are also Muslims
Islam in Canada
According to Canada's 2001 census, there were 579,740 Muslims in Canada, just under 2% of the population. In 2006, the Muslim population was estimated to be 0.8 million or about 2.6%. In 2010, the Pew Research Center estimates there were about 0.9 million Muslims in Canada. About 65% were Sunni,...
(2.7%), Buddhists
Buddhism in Canada
There is a small, rapidly growing Buddhist community in Canada. As of the 2001 count, 300,346 Canadians identified their religion as Buddhist ....
(1.8%), and Sikhs
Sikhism in Canada
Canadian Sikhs are the largest religious group among Indo-Canadians. According to the 2001 census there are 278,410 Sikhs in Canada. However, in 2004 the true number was revealed to be closer to 400,000....
(1.4%).
In 2006, Calgary's largest visible minority groups were Chinese
Overseas Chinese
Overseas Chinese are people of Chinese birth or descent who live outside the Greater China Area . People of partial Chinese ancestry living outside the Greater China Area may also consider themselves Overseas Chinese....
(6.7%), South Asian (5.7%), Filipino
Filipino Canadian
Filipino Canadians are Canadians of Filipino ancestry. Filipino-Canadians are the fourth-largest subgroup of the Overseas Filipinos.Canada only had a small population of Filipinos until the late 20th century. To date, there are currently around 400,000 Filipino Canadians in Canada, most of them...
(2.5%), and Black (2.1%), while 2.5% of the city's population identified themselves as Aboriginal
Aboriginal peoples in Canada
Aboriginal peoples in Canada comprise the First Nations, Inuit and Métis. The descriptors "Indian" and "Eskimo" have fallen into disuse in Canada and are commonly considered pejorative....
.
| Visible Minorities and Aboriginal Population | ||
|---|---|---|
| Population characteristic | Population | Per cent |
| Not a visible minority | 747,025 | 76.3 |
| White | 722,600 | 73.8 |
| Aboriginal Aboriginal peoples in Canada Aboriginal peoples in Canada comprise the First Nations, Inuit and Métis. The descriptors "Indian" and "Eskimo" have fallen into disuse in Canada and are commonly considered pejorative.... |
24,425 | 2.5 |
| Total visible minority Visible minority A visible minority is a person who is visibly not one of the majority race in a given population.The term is used as a demographic category by Statistics Canada in connection with that country's Employment Equity policies. The qualifier "visible" is important in the Canadian context where... |
232,465 | 23.7 |
| Chinese Overseas Chinese Overseas Chinese are people of Chinese birth or descent who live outside the Greater China Area . People of partial Chinese ancestry living outside the Greater China Area may also consider themselves Overseas Chinese.... |
65,365 | 6.7 |
| South Asian | 56,210 | 5.7 |
| Black | 20,540 | 2.1 |
| Filipino Filipino Canadian Filipino Canadians are Canadians of Filipino ancestry. Filipino-Canadians are the fourth-largest subgroup of the Overseas Filipinos.Canada only had a small population of Filipinos until the late 20th century. To date, there are currently around 400,000 Filipino Canadians in Canada, most of them... |
24,915 | 2.5 |
| Latin America Latin America Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area... n |
13,120 | 1.3 |
| Southeast Asian | 15,410 | 1.6 |
| Arab | 11,245 | 1.1 |
| West Asian Southwest Asia Western Asia, West Asia, Southwest Asia or Southwestern Asia are terms that describe the westernmost portion of Asia. The terms are partly coterminous with the Middle East, which describes a geographical position in relation to Western Europe rather than its location within Asia... |
5,930 | 0.6 |
| Korean | 6,710 | 0.7 |
| Japanese Japanese people The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries... |
4,490 | 0.5 |
| Visible minority, n.i.e. | 1,920 | 0.2 |
| Multiple visible minority | 6,605 | 0.7 |
| Total population | 979,485 | 100 |
Note: "n.i.e." – not included elsewhere
| Population History | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Population | % Change |
| 1884 | 506 | - |
| 1891 | 3,876 | 666.0 |
| 1901 | 4,091 | 5.5 |
| 1911 | 43,704 | 968.3 |
| 1921 | 63,305 | 44.8 |
| 1931 | 81,636 | 29.0 |
| 1941 | 87,267 | 6.9 |
| 1951 | 129,060 | 47.9 |
| 1961 | 249,641 | 93.4 |
| 1971 | 403,320 | 61.6 |
| 1981 | 591,857 | 46.7 |
| 1991 | 708,593 | 19.7 |
| 2001 | 879,003 | 24.0 |
| 2006 | 988,193 | 12.4 |
| 2011 (civic census) | 1,090,936 | 10.4 |
Government and politics
Social conservatism
Social Conservatism is primarily a political, and usually morally influenced, ideology that focuses on the preservation of what are seen as traditional values. Social conservatism is a form of authoritarianism often associated with the position that the federal government should have a greater role...
and fiscal conservatives
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
. As the city is a corporate power-centre, a high percentage of the workforce is employed in white-collar jobs. The high concentration of oil and gas corporation led to the rise of Peter Lougheed
Peter Lougheed
Edgar Peter Lougheed, PC, CC, AOE, QC, is a Canadian lawyer, and a former politician and Canadian Football League player. He served as the tenth Premier of Alberta from 1971 to 1985....
's Progressive Conservative Party
Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta
The Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta is a provincial centre-right party in the Canadian province of Alberta...
in 1971. During the 1990s the city's mainstream political culture
Political culture
Political culture is the traditional orientation of the citizens of a nation toward politics, affecting their perceptions of political legitimacy.Conceptions...
was dominated by the right-wing Reform Party of Canada
Reform Party of Canada
The Reform Party of Canada was a Canadian federal political party that existed from 1987 to 2000. It was originally founded as a Western Canada-based protest party, but attempted to expand eastward in the 1990s. It viewed itself as a populist party....
federally, and the Progressive Conservatives provincially.
The Green Party of Canada
Green Party of Canada
The Green Party of Canada is a Canadian federal political party founded in 1983 with 10,000–12,000 registered members as of October 2008. The Greens advance a broad multi-issue political platform that reflects its core values of ecological wisdom, social justice, grassroots democracy and...
has also made inroads in Calgary, exemplified by results of the 2004 federal election
Canadian federal election, 2004
The Canadian federal election, 2004 , was held on June 28, 2004 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 38th Parliament of Canada. The Liberal government of Prime Minister Paul Martin lost its majority, but was able to form a minority government after the elections...
where they achieved 7.5% of the vote across the city and 11.3% in the Calgary North Centre
Calgary Centre-North
Calgary Centre-North is a federal electoral district in Alberta, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004...
riding. The right-wing Alberta Alliance became active during the 26th Alberta general election and campaigned for fiscally and socially conservative reforms. However, the Alberta Alliance and its successor, the Wildrose Alliance, did not manage to make inroads in the 2008 provincial election.
However, as Calgary's population has increased, so has the diversity of its politics. One growing alternative movement was recently active during the 2000 World Petroleum Congress demonstrations and the J26 G8 2002 protests
J26 G8 Protests
J26 was a smaller-size convergence in what is commonly called the anti-globalization movement. It took place in Calgary, Alberta, Canada in June 2002 during the Group of Eight summit in nearby Kananaskis....
. Protesters were a mix of locals and outsiders. The city has chapters of various activist organizations, as well as an Anti-Capitalist Convergence
Anti-Capitalist Convergence
Anti-Capitalist Convergences are organizations which sprang up in North America in the late 1990s and early 2000s as forms of coordinating activities by the growing social justice, anarchist, and environmentalist anti-capitalists...
.
Municipal politics
Calgary is governed in accordance with Alberta's Municipal Government Act (1995). Calgarians elect 14 ward aldermen and a mayor to Calgary City CouncilCalgary City Council
The Calgary City Council is the legislative governing body that represents the citizens of Calgary. The Council consists of two offices; Office of the Mayor and Office of the Alderman. Naheed Nenshi was elected to the Office of the Mayor in October 2010 as the city's 36th chief executive...
every three years. The next election is scheduled for October 2013, at which point the title of alderman will be changed to councillor. Naheed Nenshi
Naheed Nenshi
Naheed Kurban Nenshi is a Canadian politician, who was elected to succeed Dave Bronconnier as mayor of Calgary, Alberta in the 2010 Calgary municipal election.- Biography :...
was elected mayor in the 2010 municipal election
Calgary municipal election, 2010
The 2010 Calgary municipal election was held Monday, October 18, 2010 to elect a mayor and 14 aldermen to the city council, the seven trustees to the Calgary School District , and four of the seven trustees to the Calgary Catholic School District . Three incumbent separate school trustees had no...
.
The city has an operating budget
Operating budget
An operating budget is the annual budget of an activity stated in terms of Budget Classification Code, functional/subfunctional categories and cost accounts. It contains estimates of the total value of resources required for the performance of the operation including reimbursable work or services...
of $2.1 billion for 2007, supported 41% by property tax
Property tax
A property tax is an ad valorem levy on the value of property that the owner is required to pay. The tax is levied by the governing authority of the jurisdiction in which the property is located; it may be paid to a national government, a federated state or a municipality...
es. Property taxes collected equal $757 million annually, with $386 million from residential and $371 million from non-residential properties. Fifty-four% of expenditures are for city employee salary, wages, and benefits.
Two school boards operate independently of each other in Calgary, the public and the separate systems. Both boards have 7 elected trustees each representing 2 of 14 wards. The School Boards are considered to be part of municipal politics in Calgary as they are elected at the same time as City Council.
Provincial politics
Calgary is represented by twenty-three provincial MLAsLegislative Assembly of Alberta
The Legislative Assembly of Alberta is one of two components of the Legislature of Alberta, the other being the Queen, represented by the Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta. The Alberta legislature meets in the Alberta Legislature Building in the provincial capital, Edmonton...
, including sixteen members of the Progressive Conservatives, four members of the Alberta Liberals
Alberta Liberal Party
The Alberta Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Originally founded in 1905, when the province was created, it was the dominant political party until 1921 when it was defeated. It has never been in government since that time...
, two members of the Wildrose Alliance and one member of the Alberta Party
Alberta Party
The Alberta Party Political Association, more commonly known as the Alberta Party, is a political party in the province of Alberta, Canada...
. For exactly fourteen years (from December 14, 1992, to December 14, 2006), the provincial premier and leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Alberta, Ralph Klein, held the Calgary Elbow
Calgary Elbow
Calgary-Elbow is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, Canada. Its current MLA is Alison Redford, a Progressive Conservative, who defeated incumbent Liberal candidate Craig Cheffins in the 2008 Alberta general election....
seat. Klein was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta in 1989 and resigned on September 20, 2006. He was succeeded as provincial premier and leader of the Progressive Conservative Party by Ed Stelmach
Ed Stelmach
Edward Michael "Ed" Stelmach, MLA is a Canadian politician and served as the 13th Premier of Alberta, Canada, from 2006 to 2011. The grandson of Ukrainian immigrants, Stelmach was born and raised on a farm near Lamont and speaks fluent Ukrainian. He spent his entire pre-political adult life as a...
, MLA for Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville
Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville
Fort Saskatchewan—Vegreville is a provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada. The district is mandated to return a single member to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta using the first past the post method of voting....
. Following this leadership change, Calgary saw its leadership and representation on provincial matters further reduced as its representation on the provincial cabinet was reduced from eight to three with only one Calgary MLA, Greg Melchin, retaining a cabinet seat. In June 2007, Ralph Klein's old riding, a seat the PC Party held since it took office in 1971 fell to Alberta Liberal Craig Cheffins
Craig Cheffins
Craig Cheffins is a former member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta for the Calgary Elbow riding. Running as a Liberal, he won the seat in a 2007 by-election, but lost the seat in the 2008 general election.-Political life:...
during a by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
. In the run up to the 2008 general election, pundits predicted significant Tory losses in traditional stronghold that many felt was being taken for granted and ignored.
The 2008 Alberta general election saw the Liberals increase their seat count in the city by one to five. While the results in Calgary were not particularly surprising given the grievances especially in Central Calgary with the Stelmach administration, the fact that they happened in the face of significant PC gains in Edmonton was. The Liberals were reduced to nine seats overall, meaning for the first time ever the majority of their caucus represented Calgary ridings.
Federal politics
All eight of Calgary's federal MPsCanadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
are members of the Conservative Party of Canada
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
(CPC). The CPC's predecessors have traditionally held the majority of the city's federal seats. The federal electoral district
Electoral district (Canada)
An electoral district in Canada, also known as a constituency or a riding, is a geographical constituency upon which Canada's representative democracy is based...
of Calgary Southwest
Calgary Southwest
Calgary Southwest is a federal electoral district in Alberta, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1988. The district is in the southwest part of the City of Calgary, south of Glenmore Trail, and west of the Canadian Pacific railway.The seat is held by Prime...
is held by Prime Minister and CPC leader Stephen Harper
Stephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
. Coincidentally, the same seat was also held by Preston Manning
Preston Manning
Ernest Preston Manning, CC is a Canadian politician. He was the only leader of the Reform Party of Canada, a Canadian federal political party that evolved into the Canadian Alliance...
, the leader of the Reform Party of Canada
Reform Party of Canada
The Reform Party of Canada was a Canadian federal political party that existed from 1987 to 2000. It was originally founded as a Western Canada-based protest party, but attempted to expand eastward in the 1990s. It viewed itself as a populist party....
, a predecessor of CPC. Joe Clark
Joe Clark
Charles Joseph "Joe" Clark, is a Canadian statesman, businessman, and university professor, and former journalist and politician...
, former Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
and former leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
(also a predecessor of the CPC), held the riding of Calgary Centre
Calgary Centre
Calgary Centre is a federal electoral district in Alberta, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1968. It is an 42 km² riding in the city of Calgary with 124,197 people. The riding consists of many young adults who have a relatively high average household income...
. Of Canada's 22 prime ministers, two have represented a Calgary riding while prime minister. The first was R. B. Bennett
R. B. Bennett
Richard Bedford Bennett, 1st Viscount Bennett, PC, KC was a Canadian lawyer, businessman, politician, and philanthropist. He served as the 11th Prime Minister of Canada from August 7, 1930, to October 23, 1935, during the worst of the Great Depression years...
from Calgary West
Calgary West
Calgary West is a federal electoral district in Alberta, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1917 to 1953, and since 1979. It is located in the western part of the City of Calgary....
, who held that position from 1930 to 1935.
Economy
| Employment by industry | ||
|---|---|---|
| Industry | Calgary | Alberta |
| Agriculture | 6.1% | 10.9% |
| Manufacturing | 15.8% | | 15.8% |
| Trade | 15.9% | 15.8% |
| Finance | 6.4% | 5.0% |
| Health and education | 25.1% | 18.8% |
| Business services | 25.1% | 18.8% |
| Other services | 16.5% | 18.7% |
Calgary is recognized as a Canadian leader in the oil and gas industry as well as for being a leader in economic expansion. Its high personal income, low unemployment and high GDP per capita have all benefitted from increased sales and prices due to a resource boom, and increasing economic diversification. Because of these strengths, Calgary is designated as a global city
Global city
A global city is a city that is deemed to be an important node in the global economic system...
by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network.
Calgary benefits from a relatively stronger job market in Alberta, is part of the Calgary-Edmonton Corridor, one of the fastest growing regions in the country. It is the head office for many major oil and gas related companies, and many financial service business have grown up around them. Small business and self-employment levels also rank amongst the highest in Canada. It is also a major distribution and transportation hub with high retail sales.
Calgary's economy is decreasingly dominated by the oil and gas industry, although it is still the single largest contributor to the city's GDP. In 2006, Calgary's real GDP (in constant 1997 dollars) was C$52.386 billion, of which oil, gas and mining contributed 12%). The larger oil and gas companies are BP
British Petroleum Canada
BP Canada Energy Company is a Canadian oil and gas company that is a subsidiary of British-owned BP plc . It began operations in 1948 and for many years was in retail operations until they were acquired by Petro-Canada in 1982...
, EnCana
EnCana Corporation
Encana Corporation is one of North America's largest natural gas producers, with about 95 percent of its production being natural gas. Its strategy is to be the lowest-cost, highest-growth senior natural gas producer in North America. The company produced approximately of natural gas in 2010.The...
, Imperial Oil
Imperial Oil
Imperial Oil Limited is Canada's largest petroleum company. The company is engaged in the exploration, production and sale of crude oil and natural gas. It is controlled by US based ExxonMobil, which owns 69.6% of its stock...
, Suncor Energy
Suncor Energy
Suncor Energy Inc. is a Canadian integrated energy company based in Calgary, Alberta. It specializes in production of synthetic crude from oil sands...
, Shell Canada
Shell Canada
Shell Canada Limited is the subsidiary of Dutch-based Royal Dutch Shell and one of Canada's largest integrated oil companies. Exploration and production of oil, natural gas and sulphur is a major part of its business, as well as the marketing of gasoline and related products through the company's...
, TransCanada, and Nexen Inc., making the city home to 87% of Canada's oil and natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
producers and 66% of coal producers.
| Labour force (2006) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Rate | Calgary | Alberta | Canada |
| Employment | 72.3% | 70.9% | 62.4% |
| Unemployment | 4.1% | 4.3% | 6.6% |
| Participation | 75.4% | 70.9% | 66.8% |
As of 2010, the city had a labour force of 618,000 (a 74.6% participation rate) and 7.0% unemployment rate. In 2006, the unemployment rate was amongst the lowest of the major cities in Canada at 3.2%, causing a shortage of both skilled and unskilled workers.
In 2010 the "Professional, Technical and Management" Industry accounted for over 14% of employment and the areas of "Architectural, Engineering and Design Services" and "Management, Scientific and Technical Services" employment levels far exceed Canadian levels. Though Trade employs 14.7% of the work force, its percentage of total employment is not higher than than Canadian average. Levels of employment in Construction are both fairly high, exceed Canadian averages, and have grown 16% between 2006 and 2010. Health and Welfare services, which account for 10% of employment, have grown 20% in that period.
Calgary Economic Development "Top Calgary Employers" (2006) lists top employers as such:
large industrial employers include NOVA Chemicals
NOVA Chemicals
NOVA Chemicals Corporation is a plastics and chemical company headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, with Executive Offices in the Pittsburgh suburb of Moon Township, Pennsylvania and Lambton County, Ontario. It was founded in 1954 as Alberta Gas Trunk Lines and was later renamed to NOVA Corporation...
leading this category with 4,900 employees while others with more than 2,000 employees include Nexen
Nexen
Nexen Inc. is an energy company based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.-History:Nexen started in 1969 under the name "Canadian Occidental Petroleum Ltd.", aka CanOxy, and was 80% owned by Occidental Petroleum, a Los Angeles-based oil company...
, Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
, CNRL, Shell Canada
Shell Canada
Shell Canada Limited is the subsidiary of Dutch-based Royal Dutch Shell and one of Canada's largest integrated oil companies. Exploration and production of oil, natural gas and sulphur is a major part of its business, as well as the marketing of gasoline and related products through the company's...
and Dow Chemical Canada
Dow Chemical Company
The Dow Chemical Company is a multinational corporation headquartered in Midland, Michigan, United States. As of 2007, it is the second largest chemical manufacturer in the world by revenue and as of February 2009, the third-largest chemical company in the world by market capitalization .Dow...
. Other private sector employers include Shaw Communications
Shaw Communications
Shaw Communications is Canada's largest telecommunications company that provides telephone, Canada's fastest Internet and television services as well as broadcasting and soon Wifi. Shaw is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta...
(7,500 employees), along with Telus
TELUS
Telus is a national telecommunications company in Canada that provides a wide range of telecommunications products and services including internet access, voice, entertainment, video, and satellite television. The company is based in Burnaby, British Columbia, part of Greater Vancouver...
, Mark's Work Warehouse, and Calgary Co-op
Calgary Co-op
Calgary Co-operative Association Limited is a retail cooperative operating in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.-History:...
. In the public sector, the largest employer is the Calgary Health Region
Calgary Health Region
Calgary Health Region was formerly the governing body for healthcare regulation in an area of the Canadian province of Alberta. It was amalgamated with other regional health authorities in 2008 to become part of Alberta Health Services...
(22,000). The City of Calgary (15,000), the Calgary Board of Education
Calgary Board of Education
The Calgary Board of Education is the public school board in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. As a public system, the CBE is required to accept any students who meet age and residency requirements, regardless of religion.-Size:...
and the University of Calgary
University of Calgary
The University of Calgary is a public research university located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1966 the U of C is composed of 14 faculties and more than 85 research institutes and centres.More than 25,000 undergraduate and 5,500 graduate students are currently...
are also large employers.
Calgary is increasingly becoming home to Canadian corporate head offices, second only to Toronto and is the leader in head office employment per capita. Some large employers with Calgary head offices include Canada Safeway Limited
Safeway Inc.
Safeway Inc. , a Fortune 500 company, is North America's second largest supermarket chain after The Kroger Co., with, as of December 2010, 1,694 stores located throughout the western and central United States and western Canada. It also operates some stores in the Mid-Atlantic region of the Eastern...
, Westfair Foods Ltd.
Loblaw Companies
Loblaw Companies Limited is the largest food retailer in Canada, with over 1,400 supermarkets operating under a variety of regional banners, including the namesake Loblaws. LCL is headquartered in Brampton, Ontario...
, Suncor Energy
Suncor Energy
Suncor Energy Inc. is a Canadian integrated energy company based in Calgary, Alberta. It specializes in production of synthetic crude from oil sands...
, Agrium Inc., Flint Energy Services Ltd., Shaw Communications Inc., and Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
. CPR moved its head office from Montreal in 1996 and Imperial Oil
Imperial Oil
Imperial Oil Limited is Canada's largest petroleum company. The company is engaged in the exploration, production and sale of crude oil and natural gas. It is controlled by US based ExxonMobil, which owns 69.6% of its stock...
moved from Toronto in 2005. EnCana
EnCana Corporation
Encana Corporation is one of North America's largest natural gas producers, with about 95 percent of its production being natural gas. Its strategy is to be the lowest-cost, highest-growth senior natural gas producer in North America. The company produced approximately of natural gas in 2010.The...
's new 58-floor corporate headquarters, the Bow, will become the tallest building in Canada outside of Toronto.
WestJet
WestJet
WestJet Airlines Ltd. is a Canadian low-cost carrier that provides scheduled and charter air service to 71 destinations in Canada, the United States, Mexico and the Caribbean. Founded in 1996, WestJet is currently the second largest Canadian air carrier, behind Air Canada, operating an average of...
is headquartered close to the Calgary International Airport
Calgary International Airport
Calgary International Airport, , is the international airport that serves Calgary, Alberta, Canada and the surrounding region; it is situated approximately northeast of downtown Calgary...
, and Enerjet
Enerjet
Enerjet is a charter airline with its headquarters on the grounds of Calgary International Airport in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It used to operate flights to holiday destinations in the Caribbean and Mexico from Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto , Winnipeg, and Vancouver...
has its headquarters on the airport grounds. Prior to their dissolution, Canadian Airlines
Canadian Airlines
Canadian Airlines International Ltd. was a Canadian airline that operated from 1987 until 2001. The airline was Canada's second largest airline after Air Canada, and carried more than 11.9 million passengers to over 160 destinations in 17 countries on five continents at its height in 1996...
and Air Canada
Air Canada
Air Canada is the flag carrier and largest airline of Canada. The airline, founded in 1936, provides scheduled and charter air transport for passengers and cargo to 178 destinations worldwide. It is the world's tenth largest passenger airline by number of destinations, and the airline is a...
's subsidiary Zip
Zip (airline)
Zip was a Canadian discount airline headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, launched by Air Canada as a no-frills subsidiary in September 2002. It operated a fleet of 12 Boeing 737 aircraft, each painted in a bright, neon colour with a single class of service...
were also headquartered near the city's airport.
Education
Calgary Board of Education
The Calgary Board of Education is the public school board in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. As a public system, the CBE is required to accept any students who meet age and residency requirements, regardless of religion.-Size:...
. With other students enrolled in the associated CBe-learn
CBe-learn
CBe-learn is a public junior high and high school located in the City of Calgary, Alberta, CanadaThe school falls under the jurisdiction of the Calgary Board of Education...
and Chinook Learning Service programs, the school system's total enrollment is 102,917 students. Another 43,000 attend about 95 schools in the separate English language Calgary Catholic School District
Calgary Catholic School District
The Calgary Catholic School District is the Roman Catholic separate school board in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It also serves the neighboring communities of Airdrie, Chestermere, and Cochrane...
board. The much smaller Francophone community has their own French language school boards (public and Catholic), which are both based in Calgary, but serve a larger regional district. There are also several public charter schools
Alberta charter schools
Alberta charter schools are a special type of public schools which have a greater degree of autonomy than a normal public school, to allow them to offer programs that are significantly different from regular public schools operated by district school boards. Charter schools report directly to the...
in the city. Calgary has a number of unique schools, including the country's first high school exclusively designed for Olympic-calibre athletes, the National Sport School
National Sport School (Canada)
The National Sport School is a public high school in Calgary, Alberta; which teaches grades 9 through 12. The school is specially designed for Canadian Olympic calibre athletes to be able to train and travel internationally, while staying in school...
. Calgary is also home to many private school
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
s including Mountain View Academy, Rundle College, Rundle Academy
Rundle Academy
Rundle Academy is a part of the Rundle College Family of Schools. Rundle Academy is an Independent School in Calgary, Alberta, that specializes in the instruction of students who have learning disabilities. Students at Rundle Academy typically have an average to above average intelligence but...
, Clear Water Academy
Clear Water Academy
Clear Water Academy is a private university preparatory school located in Calgary, Alberta. It is one of the few private Catholic schools in Alberta, and is dedicated to its four pillars for Catholic formation: Intellectual Formation, Character Formation, Apostolic Formation, and Spiritual Formation...
, Chinook Winds Adventist Academy, Webber Academy,Delta West Academy, Masters Academy, Menno Simons Christian School, West Island College
West Island College
The West Island Colleges are a set of private Canadian junior high and high schools, one of which is located in Montreal's West Island, and the other in the south-east of Calgary. The schools also offer a program known as Class Afloat that provides students with an educational experience while...
and Edge School
Edge School
Edge School is a private school located in the Rocky View County, just west of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The school combines academics with a strong emphasis on athletics and provides training requirements of a wide range of sports and disciplines. Edge School offers training in dance, golf,...
.
Calgary is also home to Western Canada's largest public high school, Lord Beaverbrook High School
Lord Beaverbrook High School
Lord Beaverbrook High School or LBHS is a high school in Calgary, Alberta, Canada founded in 1967. It is operated by the Calgary Board of Education.-Notable alumni:*Don Cairns, former National Hockey League player....
, with 2,241 students enrolled in the 2005–2006 school year
Academic term
An academic term is a division of an academic year, the time during which a school, college or university holds classes. These divisions may be called terms...
. Currently the student population of Lord Beaverbrook is 2013 students (2009) and several other schools are equally as large; Western Canada High School
Western Canada High School
Western Canada High School is a public senior high school in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It has classes for grades 10 through 12. Western is located in the 17th Avenue business district of the Lower Mount Royal community, and is the most centrally located public high school in Calgary.-History:The...
with 2035 students (2009) and Sir Winston Churchill High School with 1983 students (2009).
Calgary is the site of five major public post-secondary institutions. The University of Calgary
University of Calgary
The University of Calgary is a public research university located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1966 the U of C is composed of 14 faculties and more than 85 research institutes and centres.More than 25,000 undergraduate and 5,500 graduate students are currently...
is Calgary's primary large degree-granting facility, and enrolled 28,807 students in 2006. Other post-secondary institutions include Mount Royal University, with 13,000 students, granting degrees in a number of fields; and SAIT Polytechnic, with over 14,000 students, provides polytechnic and apprentice education, granting certificates, diplomas and applied degrees.
Smaller post-secondary institutions include Bow Valley College
Bow Valley College
Bow Valley College is a public college, with its main campus located in Downtown Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The enabling legislation is the Post-secondary Learning Act The branch campuses are: Airdrie, Banff, Blairmore, Brooks, Canmore, Cardston, Claresholm, Cochrane, Drumheller, Eden Valley, High...
, Alberta College of Art and Design
Alberta College of Art and Design
-History:The Alberta College of Art & Design is a Canadian degree-granting, publicly-funded art and design college located in Calgary . It was known as the Provincial Institute of Technology and Arts, which was part of SAIT until 1985...
, and Columbia College.
There are also several private institutions including Ambrose University College
Ambrose University College
Ambrose University College is a private Christian liberal arts college located in Calgary, Alberta.-History:Ambrose University College is the product of similar educational journeys begun in the first half of the twentieth century....
, the official Canadian university college of the Church of the Nazarene
Church of the Nazarene
The Church of the Nazarene is an evangelical Christian denomination that emerged from the 19th century Holiness movement in North America with its members colloquially referred to as Nazarenes. It is the largest Wesleyan-holiness denomination in the world. At the end of 2010, the Church of the...
, the Christian and Missionary Alliance
Christian and Missionary Alliance
The Christian and Missionary Alliance is an evangelical Protestant denomination within Christianity.Founded by Rev. Albert Benjamin Simpson in 1887, the Christian & Missionary Alliance did not start off as a denomination, but rather began as two distinct parachurch organizations: The Christian...
, St. Mary's University College
St. Mary's University College, Calgary
St. Mary's University College is a private Catholic liberal arts institution in the city of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The college officially became a university college on June 16, 2004, and granted its first degrees on September 25, 2004. The founding Governors were Mr. Justice Frank Quigley,...
, and the DeVry Institute of Technology.
Media
Transportation
Calgary International Airport
Calgary International Airport, , is the international airport that serves Calgary, Alberta, Canada and the surrounding region; it is situated approximately northeast of downtown Calgary...
, in the city's northeast, is the third largest in Canada by aircraft movements and is a major cargo hub. Non-stop
Non-stop flight
A non-stop flight, especially in the aviation industry, refers to any flight by an aircraft which does not involve any intermediate stops. A "direct flight" is not the same as a "non-stop flight"...
destinations include cities throughout Canada, the United States, Europe, Central America, and Asia. Calgary's presence on the Trans-Canada Highway
Trans-Canada Highway
The Trans-Canada Highway is a federal-provincial highway system that joins the ten provinces of Canada. It is, along with the Trans-Siberian Highway and Australia's Highway 1, one of the world's longest national highways, with the main route spanning 8,030 km...
and the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR)
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
mainline (which includes the CPR Alyth Yard
CPR Alyth Yard
CPR Alyth Yard is a Class 1 railway facility located in the neighbourhood of Alyth, southeast of downtown Calgary, Alberta. One of Canadian Pacific Railway's main marshalling yards in Canada, it primarily serves as a hump classification yard and in addition has rail car repair shops and diesel...
) also make it an important hub for freight. The Rocky Mountaineer
Rocky Mountaineer
Rocky Mountaineer is a Canadian tour company offering Western Canadian vacation packages that operates trains on four rail routes through British Columbia and Alberta.-Background:...
and Royal Canadian Pacific
Royal Canadian Pacific
The Royal Canadian Pacific is a luxury excursion passenger train operated by the Canadian Pacific Railway , inaugurated on June 7, 2000, after the CPR received the royal designation for the service from Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada....
operates railtour service to Calgary; Via Rail
VIA Rail
Via Rail Canada is an independent crown corporation offering intercity passenger rail services in Canada. It is headquartered near Montreal Central Station at 3 Place Ville-Marie in Montreal, Quebec....
no longer provides intercity rail service to Calgary.
Calgary maintains a major streets network and a freeway system. Much of the system is on a grid where roads are numbered with avenues running east–west and streets running north–south. Until 1904 the streets were named; after that date, all streets were given numbers radiating outwards from the city centre. Roads in predominantly residential areas as well as freeways and expressways do not generally conform to the grid and are usually not numbered as a result. However, it is a developer and city convention in Calgary that non-numbered streets within a new community have the same name prefix as the community itself so that streets can more easily be located within the city.
Calgary Transit
Calgary Transit
Calgary Transit is the public transit service which is owned and operated by the city of Calgary, Alberta. In 2008, an estimated 95.3 million passengers boarded approximately 960 Calgary Transit vehicles , which thus provided 2.31 million hours of service .-History:What would eventually become...
provides public transportation services throughout the city with buses and light rail. Calgary's rail system, known as the C-Train
C-Train
C-Train is the light rail transit system in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It has been in operation since May 25, 1981. The system is operated by Calgary Transit, a department of the Calgary municipal government.-Operations:...
was one of the first such systems in North America (behind Edmonton LRT and San Diego Trolley
San Diego Trolley
The San Diego Trolley is a light rail system operating in the metropolitan area of San Diego. The operator, San Diego Trolley, Inc. , is a subsidiary of the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System ...
) and consists of three lines (two routes) on 48.8 kilometres (30.3 mi) of track (mostly at grade with a dedicated right-of-way
Right-of-way (railroad)
A right-of-way is a strip of land that is granted, through an easement or other mechanism, for transportation purposes, such as for a trail, driveway, rail line or highway. A right-of-way is reserved for the purposes of maintenance or expansion of existing services with the right-of-way...
carrying 42% of the downtown working population). In the fourth quarter of 2009, the C-Train system had an average of 266,100 riders per weekday, the third-busiest light-rail system in North America behind the Monterrey Metro
Monterrey Metro
The Monterrey Metro is a fully grade-separated light rail, or metro, system in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico. It is the newest of Mexico's metro systems, with operation beginning in 1991. As of October 2008, the system operated 40 high-floor electric trains along 31 km of routes...
, and the Toronto streetcar system
Toronto streetcar system
The Toronto streetcar system comprises eleven streetcar routes in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, operated by the Toronto Transit Commission , and is the largest such system in the Americas in terms of ridership, number of cars, and track length. The network is concentrated primarily in downtown and in...
. The bus system has over 160 routes and is operated by 800 vehicles.
As an alternative to the over 260 kilometres (161.6 mi) of shared bikeways on streets, the city has a network of multi-use (bicycle, walking, rollerblading, etc.) paths spanning over 635 kilometres (394.6 mi).
Health care
Medical centres and hospitalsAcute care
Acute care is a branch of secondary health care where a patient receives active but short-term treatment for a severe injury or episode of illness, an urgent medical condition, or during recovery from surgery...
hospitals and one major pediatric acute care site; the Foothills Medical Centre
Foothills Medical Centre
Foothills Medical Centre is the largest hospital in Alberta, Canada and is located in the City of Calgary. It is one of Canada's most recognized medical facilities and is one of the leading hospitals in Alberta, providing advanced healthcare services to over two million people from Calgary,...
, which is the largest hospital in Alberta, the Peter Lougheed Centre
Peter Lougheed Centre
Peter Lougheed Centre is a large hospital in Alberta, Canada. It is located in the City of Calgary, and runs under the auspices of Alberta Health Services, formerly the Calgary Health Region, providing medical and surgical services not only to Calgary, but also Southern Alberta...
, the Rockyview General Hospital
Rockyview General Hospital
Rockyview General Hospital is a large hospital in Alberta, Canada. It is located in the city of Calgary, on the shores of the Glenmore Reservoir and is administered by the Alberta Health Services and formerly by the Calgary Health Region....
, and the Alberta Children's Hospital
Alberta Children's Hospital
Alberta Children's Hospital is the largest public hospital for sick children in the prairie provinces, and is located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It is operated by Alberta Health Services - Calgary Health Region. The new facility opened on September 27, 2006 and is the first free-standing...
, which is the largest hospital in the prairie provinces for sick kids, respectively. They are all overseen by the Alberta Health Services
Alberta Health Services
Alberta Health Services is the province-wide organization responsible for providing hospital and other health care in the Canadian province of Alberta. Known as the "superboard", it was created in May 2008, with the abolition of nine previous regional health authorities, the Alberta Mental Health...
: Calgary Health Region
Calgary Health Region
Calgary Health Region was formerly the governing body for healthcare regulation in an area of the Canadian province of Alberta. It was amalgamated with other regional health authorities in 2008 to become part of Alberta Health Services...
. Calgary is also home to the Tom Baker Cancer Centre
Tom Baker Cancer Centre
Tom Baker Cancer Centre, renamed The Cancer Centre, is a tertiary care facility for Southern Alberta, and is located in Calgary, Alberta. It is a leading Cancer Centre in Alberta for prevention, research and treatment programs and provides many advanced medical services, as well as supportive care...
, the leading cancer centre in Alberta (located at the Foothills Medical Centre), the Grace Women's Health Centre, which provides a variety of care, and the Libin Cardiovascular Institute. In addition, the Sheldon M. Chumir Centre
Sheldon M. Chumir Centre
The Sheldon M. Chumir Centre is a health centre located in Calgary, Alberta. The facility is administered by the Calgary Zone of Alberta Health Services...
(a large 24 hour assessment clinic), and the Richmond Road Diagnostic and Treatment Centre (RRDTC), as well as hundreds of smaller medical and dental clinics operate in Calgary. The University of Calgary
University of Calgary
The University of Calgary is a public research university located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1966 the U of C is composed of 14 faculties and more than 85 research institutes and centres.More than 25,000 undergraduate and 5,500 graduate students are currently...
Medical Centre
Faculty of Medicine of the University of Calgary
The Faculty of Medicine of the University of Calgary is one of two medical schools in Alberta and one of 17 in Canada. Established in 1967, the school is linked to the hospitals in Alberta Health Services -- Calgary ZoneCalgary Health Region...
also operates in partnership with the Calgary Health Region, by researching cancer, cardiovascular, diabetes, joint injury, arthritis and genetics.
The four largest Calgary hospitals have a combined total of more than 2,100 beds, and employ over 11,500 people.
Military
The presence of the Canadian military has been part of the local economy and culture since the early years of the 20th century, beginning with the assignment of a squadron of Strathcona's HorseLord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians)
Lord Strathcona's Horse is a regular armoured regiment of the Canadian Forces. Currently based in Edmonton, Alberta, the regiment is part of Land Force Western Area's 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group...
. After many failed attempts to create the city's own unit, the 103rd Regiment "Calgary Rifles" was finally authorized on April 1, 1910. Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Calgary
CFB Calgary
Canadian Forces Base Calgary, also CFB Calgary, was a Canadian Forces Base located in Calgary, Alberta.-Currie Barracks:The Canadian Army opened what was called the Currie Barracks on the southwestern edge of Calgary in 1933, occupying a property on the level plateau above the south slope of the...
was established as Currie Barracks and Harvie Barracks following the Second World War. The base remained the most significant Department of National Defence (DND)
Department of National Defence (Canada)
The Department of National Defence , frequently referred to by its acronym DND, is the department within the government of Canada with responsibility for all matters concerning the defence of Canada...
institution in the city until it was decommissioned in 1998, when most of the units moved to CFB Edmonton
CFB Edmonton
CFB Edmonton is a Canadian Forces base located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It is also known as Edmonton Garrison or "Steele Barracks".-History:...
. Despite this closure there is still a number of Canadian Forces
Canadian Forces
The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
Reserve units, and cadet units garrisoned throughout the city. They include Naval Reserve unit, The King's Own Calgary Regiment (RCAC)
The King's Own Calgary Regiment (RCAC)
The King's Own Calgary Regiment , or KOCR, is an armoured unit of the Canadian Forces Primary Reserve based at the Mewata Armoury in Calgary, Alberta....
, The Calgary Highlanders
The Calgary Highlanders
The Calgary Highlanders is a Canadian Forces Land Force Primary Reserve infantry regiment, headquartered at Mewata Armouries in Calgary, Alberta, Canada...
(and band
Regimental Pipes and Drums of The Calgary Highlanders
The Regimental Pipes and Drums of The Calgary Highlanders is an authorized volunteer pipe band associated with The Calgary Highlanders of the Canadian Forces. For many years, the band was a bona fide, and separate, military unit unto itself, with a separate Unit Identification Code within the CF...
), 746 Communication Squadron
746 Communication Squadron
746 Communication Squadron is a reserve military unit in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The unit's motto is "Determined" and its badge is a Pony Express Rider.-Role:...
, 14 (Calgary) Service Battalion, 15 (Edmonton) Field Ambulance Detachment Calgary, 14 (Edmonton) Military Police Platoon Calgary, 41CER detachment Calgary (33 Engineer Squadron), along with a small cadre of Regular Force support.
Contemporary issues
The economic boom and rapid growth recently experienced in Calgary has led to issues such as urban sprawlUrban sprawl
Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a multifaceted concept, which includes the spreading outwards of a city and its suburbs to its outskirts to low-density and auto-dependent development on rural land, high segregation of uses Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a...
and an infrastructure
Infrastructure
Infrastructure is basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise, or the services and facilities necessary for an economy to function...
backlog. With no geographical barriers to its growth besides the Tsuu T'ina First Nation
Tsuu T'ina Nation 145, Alberta
Tsuu T'ina Nation 145 is the name of an Indian reserve in southern Alberta, Canada. It is the home of the Tsuu T'ina Nation. The reserve was created by Treaty 7. Reserve lands are between Southwest Calgary, Alberta in the east and Bragg Creek, Alberta in the west. The north boundary is just...
, the city has seen suburbs spread increasingly further out at an accelerated rate. This has led to difficulties in providing necessary transportation infrastructure to Calgary's population.
Downtown Calgary
Downtown Calgary is a region of central Calgary, Alberta. It is not a single neighbourhood per se, but is actually a larger community containing three neighbourhoods and a number of districts....
, the Downtown East Village, the Downtown West End
Downtown West End, Calgary
The Downtown West End is a neighbourhood within the western portions of downtown Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It is bounded to the north by the Bow River, to the east by 9th Street W, to the south by the CPR Tracks and to the west by 14th Street W....
, Eau Claire, and Chinatown
Chinatown, Calgary
Calgary's Chinatown is the fourth largest in Canada after those in Vancouver,Toronto, and Montreal. The size of Calgary's Chinatown is indicative of the relatively high proportion of people of Asian descent living in the city....
) was just over 12,600. In addition, the Beltline to the south of downtown had a population of 17,200, for a total of around 30,000.
Because of the growth of the city, its southwest borders are now immediately adjacent to the Tsuu T'ina Nation Indian reserve
Tsuu T'ina Nation 145, Alberta
Tsuu T'ina Nation 145 is the name of an Indian reserve in southern Alberta, Canada. It is the home of the Tsuu T'ina Nation. The reserve was created by Treaty 7. Reserve lands are between Southwest Calgary, Alberta in the east and Bragg Creek, Alberta in the west. The north boundary is just...
. Recent residential developments in the deep southwest of the city have created a demand for a major roadway heading into the interior of the city, but because of complications in negotiations with the Tsuu T'ina
Tsuu T'ina Nation
The Tsuu T'ina Nation is a First Nation in Canada. Their territory is located on the Indian reserve Tsuu T'ina Nation 145, whose east side is adjacent to the southwest city limits of Calgary, Alberta...
about the construction, the construction has not yet begun.
The city has many socioeconomic
Socioeconomics
Socioeconomics or socio-economics or social economics is an umbrella term with different usages. 'Social economics' may refer broadly to the "use of economics in the study of society." More narrowly, contemporary practice considers behavioral interactions of individuals and groups through social...
issues including homelessness
Homelessness
Homelessness describes the condition of people without a regular dwelling. People who are homeless are unable or unwilling to acquire and maintain regular, safe, and adequate housing, or lack "fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence." The legal definition of "homeless" varies from country...
. Certain portions of downtown core
Downtown Calgary
Downtown Calgary is a region of central Calgary, Alberta. It is not a single neighbourhood per se, but is actually a larger community containing three neighbourhoods and a number of districts....
and inner city have been singled out as being home to much higher proportions of disadvantaged residents, as well as some neighbourhoods in the city's east. The share of poor families living in very poor neighbourhoods increased from 6.4% to 20.3% between 1980 and 1990.
Although Calgary and Alberta have traditionally been affordable places to live, substantial growth (much of it due to the prosperous energy sector and the northern oil sands
Tar sands
Bituminous sands, colloquially known as oil sands or tar sands, are a type of unconventional petroleum deposit. The sands contain naturally occurring mixtures of sand, clay, water, and a dense and extremely viscous form of petroleum technically referred to as bitumen...
projects) has led to increasing demand on real-estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
. As a result, house prices
Real estate pricing
Real estate pricing deals with the valuation of real estate and all the standard methods of determining the price of fixed assets apply....
in Calgary have increased significantly in recent years, but have stagnated over the last half of 2007, and into 2008. As of November 2006, Calgary is the most expensive city in Canada for commercial/downtown office space, and the second most expensive city (second to Vancouver) for residential real-estate. The cost of living and inflation is now the highest in the country, recent figures show that inflation was running at six per cent in April 2007.
Crime
In March 2008, City Council approved a pilot project to test closed-circuit televisionClosed-circuit television
Closed-circuit television is the use of video cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place, on a limited set of monitors....
(CCTV) surveillance cameras. A total of sixteen CCTV cameras were to be installed in three downtown locations. They were to be deployed in the East Village and along the Stephen Avenue Mall. The project began in early 2009, primarily being led by Animal & Bylaw Services.
Although the city has a relatively low crime rate when compared to other North American cities, gangs and drug-related crime have increased along with the recent economy growth. In 2009, 62 additional police officers were deployed as foot patrols in the downtown area.
Sister cities
The City of Calgary maintains trade development programs, cultural and educational partnerships in twinningTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
agreements with six cities:
| City | Province/State | Country | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quebec City Quebec City Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest... |
Quebec Quebec Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level.... |
 Canada |
1956 |
| Jaipur Jaipur Jaipur , also popularly known as the Pink City, is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan. Founded on 18 November 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the ruler of Amber, the city today has a population of more than 3.1 million.... |
Rajasthan Rajasthan Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with... |
 India |
1973 |
| Naucalpan Naucalpan Naucalpan, officially Naucalpan de Juárez, is a city and municipality located just northwest of Mexico City in adjoining Mexico State. The name Naucalpan comes from Nahuatl and means “place of the four neighborhoods or four houses. “de Juárez was added to the official name in 1874 in honor of... |
Mexico State |  Mexico |
1994 |
| Daqing Daqing Daqing is a prefecture-level city in the west of Heilongjiang province of Northeast China. The name literally means "Great Celebration".Its population is 2,904,532 at the 2010 census whom 1,042,902 in the built up area made of 4 out of 5 urban districts It was founded in 1959 to house workers... |
Heilongjiang Heilongjiang For the river known in Mandarin as Heilong Jiang, see Amur River' is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the northeastern part of the country. "Heilongjiang" literally means Black Dragon River, which is the Chinese name for the Amur. The one-character abbreviation is 黑... |
 People's Republic of China |
1995 |
| Daejeon Daejeon Daejeon is South Korea's fifth largest metropolis and the provincial capital of Chungnam. Located in the center of the country, Daejeon had a population of over 1.5 million in 2010. It is at the crossroads of Gyeongbu railway, Honam railway, Gyeongbu Expressway, and Honam Expressway. Within the... |
Chungnam |  South Korea |
1996 |
| Phoenix Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data... |
Arizona Arizona Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix... |
 United States |
1997 |
See also
- Calgary RegionCalgary RegionThe Calgary Region is an area centred around Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It consists of the City of Calgary, Rocky View County and the municipalities it encloses, and the Municipal District of Foothills No. 31 and the municipalities it encloses. The Calgary Census Metropolitan Area and Calgary...
- Downtown CalgaryDowntown CalgaryDowntown Calgary is a region of central Calgary, Alberta. It is not a single neighbourhood per se, but is actually a larger community containing three neighbourhoods and a number of districts....
- List of cities in Alberta
- List of communities in Alberta
- List of people from Calgary
- Media in Calgary
- Volunteer CalgaryVolunteer CalgaryVolunteer Calgary is a volunteer center based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The main role of this volunteer center is to provide service to the non-profit community in Calgary and help to promote and encourage volunteerism in the city....
- YWCA of CalgaryYWCA of CalgaryThe YWCA of Calgary celebrated its Centennial in 2010, marking 100 years of offering programs and services to women and their families, providing them with the skills, abilities and opportunities to contribute to, and benefit from, healthy communities....
External links
- calgary.ca, City of Calgary's official website
- Tourism Calgary Official Website
- Calgary Convention & Visitors Bureau