Calgary Essential Info
Overview
Calgary, Alberta's largest city, is a product of oil culture, and is situated where the prairies end and the foothills begin. As such, it is the eastern gateway to the Rocky Mountains and an important centre of trade and tourism for the western prairies. It is your most likely point of access for Banff and Jasper, and a worthwhile destination in its own right. Calgary is the heart of the largest metropolitan area between Toronto and Vancouver, with over 1,220,000 people as of 2009 (1.1 million city-proper), making it Canada's fifth largest metropolitan area.
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Basics
Best Time To Go
Apr-Jul, Sep
Current Time
Current Weather
Partly Cloudy
Fun Facts
- The 1988 Calgary Winter Olympic Games Torch Relay lasted 88 days and spanned over 18,000 kilometers, making it one of the longest relays ever.
- Founded by Guy Weadick, the first Calgary Exhibition and Stampede was in 1912. It has become one of the richest rodeos in the world and attracts over 1.2 million visitors per year.
- Calgary’s nickname is Cowtown although it is a modern vibrant city with over 1 million people and few cows.
- Only in Calgary can you walk 18 kms throughout downtown, without having to step outside.
- Calgary has the greatest number of millionaires per capita in Canada.
Popular Foods
- Lemon Tart
- Cowboy Sausages