http://www.cuug.ab.ca:8001/VT/calgary.html (Einblicke ins Internet, ~06/1995)
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Sorry for the quality of this picture. If you
have a better one that you'd like to contribute I'd love to hear from you
Welcome to Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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.
Just the facts Ma'am
The City of Calgary has a population of roughly 750,000, 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, Sacree and
Stoney. The first Europeans included David Thompson and Peter Fidler
in the 1780's and 1790's, both
of home 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 Resevoir. The term "whisky" is in
quotes because the concoction traded to the natives was filled with
some amazing garbage (I'd tell you what sort, but I can't remember. Go
to "Fort Whoop-Up" in Lethbridge where there
exists a long list - it'll amaze you).
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 townsite that was
to become known as Calgary was established shortly thereafter. Calgary was
incoporated as the first town in Alberta in 1884 and ofically became a city in
1893.
What to see in Calgary
For a visitor to Calgary during the Stampede,
the Stampede 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) costs $3 for adults.
-
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 Prehsitoric 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 Resevoir, Heritage
Park creates the atmosphere of a pre-1915 village on 2.6 hectares of land.
The site includes a general store, an opera house, a blacksmith shop,
bakery (highly recommended), and several pieces of antique train equipment
including two engines at the entrance to the park. A 200 passenger
paddlewheel boat cruises the resevoir during the summer. Open mainly
during the summer months (May 18 to Oct 7), the admission is $5.50 for
adults, less for children. Over Christmas the park is open weekends for
Christmas displays.
Other sites worth visting in Calgary include the Alberta Science Center/Centennial
Planetarium, Calaway Park
(a 28 hectare entertainment complex), Canada Olympic Park
(home to much of the 1988 Winter Olympics held in Calgary), 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, Callaway
Park offers Western Canada's largest outdoor theme park. If your idea of
fun does not require roller-coasters, check out the list of Artsy stuff in
Calgary (
another artsy list is also available.
A list of
Events is also available.
About Calgary
More Info about
Calgary, from Fleet House.
Information on Calgary
from the Supernet.
Calgary Connections
from Vertex Communications Inc
Calgary Cityscope Magazine - contains
information.
More information on Calgary, from
Lexicom
information.
CUUG Home
Alberta
BJW
Any suggestions/comments welcome