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to see this spectacular photo full size (Canadian Wellsite).
Here is a Satellite Image.
Welcome to
the Calgary page of CUUG's
Virtual Tourist of Alberta and the Canadian Rockies
Howdy!
The largest city in Alberta, Calgary (a.k.a.
"Cowtown" to fans and detractors alike) is located in the south-western part
of the province. Calgary is home to the world-famous
"Calgary Exhibition and Stampede,"
and is ideally situated in the province for use as a "base" to explore the natural,
cultural, and historic wonders of Alberta. Home to
much of the Canadian oil and gas industry, Calgary is a vibrant modern city
filled with skyscrapers and modern amenities. The city has taken care to ensure that
numerous "green" areas are easily accessible, combining the best of both worlds.
The
City of Calgary 
website
provides extensive information on Calgary's history, economy and government.
The City of Calgary has a population of roughly 850,000, and lies at
an altitude of 1,049m. The weather in Calgary varies quite dramatically, from
lows reaching -40C (albeit rarely) in the winter, to highs in excess of 30C
in the summer. Calgary is subject to periodic "chinook winds" of warm air
from the mountains during the winter which can cause the temperature to rise
by more than 15C in just a few hours.
Some History
The human history of the Calgary region begins, as with all Alberta, with the
native Canadians, over 12,000 years ago. The cultures which existed during the
arrival of the European traders and settlers were the Blackfoot, Sarcee and
Stoney. The first Europeans included David Thompson and Peter Fidler
in the 1780's and 1790's, both
of whom were associated with the fur trade.
The 1860s saw increasingly large numbers of buffalo hunters to the region.
These hunters were joined in by whiskey traders who set up forts
in which to trade their "whisky" for furs from the local natives. One such
post is near the present day Glenmore Reservoir.
In response to the whisky-traders the "North West Mounted Police" (precursors
to the modern "Royal Canadian Mounted Police") were established, and
their second outpost was located at the junction of the Bow and Elbow
rivers in 1875, and was to become known as Fort Calgary. By the
early 1880's the railway reached
Fort Calgary, and the town-site that was
to become known as Calgary was established shortly thereafter. Calgary was
incorporated as the first town in Alberta in 1884 and officially became a city in
1893.
Some links courtesy of
Chinook County Historical Society .
The
Calgary Public Library
has more info including a
Virtual Tour of Historic Calgary .
ViewCalgary.com photos, virtual tour.
What to see in Calgary
For a visitor to Calgary during the Stampede,
this will be the number one
thing to see. However, there are a number of other "must-sees" that should not
be missed.
- The Calgary
Tower: Located in downtown Calgary, the the distinct
shape of the tower rises 191 meters above the city. The observation terrace
provides continuous views of the city and the nearby mountains. A restaurant
is available for your dining pleasure. The elevator ride to the terrace
(and restaurant) is available for a nominal charge.
-
The Calgary Zoo, Botanical Gardens and Prehistoric Park: Located
on the edge of the Bow River near downtown Calgary, the zoo is one of the
premier zoos in Canada, if not North America. The zoo is made up of
more than 1100 mammal, reptiles, amphibians and birds, including a troop
of western lowland gorillas. The zoo has an international reputation for
its efforts in breeding endangered animals. The already excellent habitats
are being supplemented with "The Canadian Wilds," a large area where
natural habitats are being created for the animals to roam freely within.
The zoo is also home to a botanical garden with a tropical rainforest and
butterfly garden.
In addition, the zoo has recently completed upgrading its Prehistoric Park,
6.5 acres of recreated Mesozoic landscape filled with 22 life size dinosaur
replicas placed in what may have been natural surroundings.
-
Heritage Park: Located on the edge of the Glenmore Reservoir, Heritage
Park creates the atmosphere of a pre-1915 village on 26 hectares of land.
The site includes a general store, an opera house, a blacksmith shop,
bakery (highly recommended), penny-candy store (ditto), a
working steam railroad with a roundhouse, turntable, snow-plow, wye and several other exhibits of antique train equipment
including two engines at the entrance to the park. A 200 passenger
paddle-wheel boat cruises the reservoir during the summer. Open mainly
during the summer months and some winter weekends for hay-rides.
-
The Calgary Highlanders Museum: Located at the Museum Of the Regiments,
4520 Crowchild Trail. The Museum chronicles the evolution of the 103rd Regiment
(Calgary Rifles), 10th Battalion and the Calgary Highlanders. The gallery
highlights their significant battles and achievements. Animated dioramas depict
the grim realities of war and are vivid reminders of the heroism of Canadian
soldiers. Together with photographs, documents, medals, weapons and uniforms,
the gallery unfolds the history of this proud regiment.
Other sites worth visiting in Calgary include the Calgary Science Center ,
Canada Olympic Park
(home to much of the 1988 Winter Olympics held in Calgary),
the Glenbow Museum,
the Nickle Arts Museum,
and
Fort
Calgary Historic Park (site of the original Mounted Police post, with
historic and interpretive center). Just outside Calgary, on the way to Banff, Calaway
Park offers Western Canada's largest outdoor theme park.
You might also be interested in the
Calgary Aerospace Museum,
Naval Museum of Alberta
and the
Grain Academy Museum (See:Museums Alberta - Calgary).
Check out the new 
website. A non-profit, community owned recreation centre.
About Calgary
-
provides an extensive collection of links to news media, government, non-profit organizations,
arts, leisure, entertainment, travel, sports, business, education, religion and more.
- Calgary Transit
- Homes for Sale in Calgary
- FoundLocally.com
Maintains listings of Broadcast TV, Broadcast AM Radio, Broadcast FM Radio, Cable TV,
Cable Radio,
Daily Newspapers,
Magazines & Weekly Newspapers,
and Local TV Program Listings.
- Notable non-commercial stations:
- Calgary Newspapers
- The Ultimate Sport Utility Vehicle
- designed and built in Calgary.
dmoz Calgary page.
about.com Calgary news, info, history, discussion forums.
WHERE Calgary Magazine on-line Shopping, dining, entertainment and maps.
canada.com Calgary News
Discover Calgary.
CUUG Home
Alberta
BJW
Any suggestions/comments welcome
to see this spectacular photo full size (Canadian Wellsite).