Calgary
Calgary is a growing, dynamic, and attractive city situated in the
Alberta province, close to
Rocky Mountains. A provincial town that was dominated by the ranchers in the past, today Calgary is a center with white-collar neighborhoods serving the gas and oil industries.
In 1875, the city was established as a post for the North-West Mounted Police, protecting the western plains from invasions of US whiskey traders. With the Canadian Pacific Railway reaching Calgary in 1883 and the subsequent construction of the rail station, the city gradually grew into an important agricultural and commercial center. The official incorporation of Calgary as a town occurred in 1884, with the election of George Murdoch as its first mayor. In 1947, significant oil reserves were discovered in the province, and the city’s
economy skyrocketed with the increase of oil prices following the 1973 Arab Oil Embargo. Due to the continuous rise in prices until 2008, the city’s economy had been the fastest one to grow in Canada. While the
gas and
oil industries are important part of the city’s industry, Calgary develops other sectors as well. Manufacturing of high tech products and tourism are among the sectors in which the city pours considerable investments. The industrial cityscape is dominated by companies such as Imperial Oil, EnCana, Shell Canada, Suncor Energy, and TransCanada, among others. Other economic sectors of importance are finance, trade,
education, business services, and health.
Due to its location in a transition zone between the Canadian Prairies and Canadian Rockies, foothills dominate the topography of the area. Two major rivers – Elbow River and Bow River – run through the territory of Calgary. The Elbow River runs from south to north, converging with Bow River. Due to the relatively dry climate in this area, lavish vegetation is found only in the river valleys. While the climate is classified as humid continental, there are semi-arid influences. The winters are dry, long, and cold, with temperatures reaching -30 °C. Summers are moderately warm, with daily average at 16 °C in July.
While
climatic conditions are definitely not an asset, the population of Calgary has reached close to 1.07 million. The average age of residents is approximately 35. 7 years, with children under the age of 5 accounting for six percent of the population. Among the
visible minorities in Calgary, best represented are Chinese, South Asian, Filipino, African Americans, West Asian, Latin American, Arab, Korean, South Asian, and Japanese.
Tourists will definitely enjoy the cultural life and entertainment options in Calgary. Broken city is a nightspot that gets the crowds going and draws fans of punk, alt country, and indie rock. Cowboys is another hotspot where you may get the chance to see Prince Albert of Monaco, Prince Harry, and Prince. The lively music in Kaos unites jazz fans while Marquez Room is a nightspot for live bands. Apart from busy night life, Calgary offers numerous attractions: the historical park Heritage Park Historical Village features historical structures and vehicles (electric streetcar, paddlewheel boats, steam train, etc.); Canada Olympic park serves for recreational purposes and high performance training of athletes; the equestrian facility Spruce Meadows features indoor and outdoor tournaments that attract a large number of professional athletes from around the world.