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Calgary is the largest city in the province of Alberta, Canada. It is in the south of the province, in a region of foothills and high plains, approximately 80 km east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies. Calgary is the third largest civic municipality, by population, in Canada. As of April 2006, Calgary's population was 991,759. The estimated metropolitan population (CMA) was 1,060,300 in 2005 (see Calgary Region), making Greater Calgary the fifth largest Census Metropolitan Area in the country. It is located within the relatively densely populated "Calgary-Edmonton Corridor". It is the largest Canadian metropolitan area between Toronto and Vancouver. A resident of Calgary is known as a Calgarian. Calgary is well-known as a destination for winter sports and ecotourism with a number of major mountain resorts near the city and metropolitan area. Calgary's economy is mostly centred on the petroleum industry (see Canadian Oil Patch), however agriculture, tourism, and the high-tech industries also contribute to the city's fast economic growth. Calgary also holds many major annual festivals, including the Calgary Stampede, the Folk Music Festival, the Lilac Festival, One World Festival (GlobalFest), and the second largest Caribbean festival in the country (Carifest). In 1988, Calgary became the first Canadian city to host The Olympic Winter Games. First settlement Before the Calgary area was settled by Europeans, it was the domain of the Blackfoot 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 site became a post of the North West Mounted Police (now the RCMP). Originally named Fort Brisebois, after NWMP officer Éphrem-A Brisebois, it was renamed Fort Calgary in 1876 because of questionable conduct on the part of that officer. The NWMP detachment was assigned to protect the western plains from US whiskey traders. Fort Calgary was named by Colonel James Macleod after Calgary (Cala-ghearraidh, Beach of the pasture) on the Isle of Mull, Scotland. When the Canadian Pacific Railway reached the area and a rail station was constructed, Calgary began to grow into an important commercial and agricultural centre. The Canadian Pacific Railway headquarters are located in Calgary today. Calgary was officially incorporated as a town in 1884 and elected its first mayor, George Murdoch. In 1894, Calgary became the first city in what was then the Northwest Territories. The oil boom
Recent history
Geography and climate Calgary is located within the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and is relatively hilly as a result. Calgary's elevation is approximately 1048 metres (3440 feet) above sea level downtown, and 1083 metres (3556 feet) at the airport. The city proper covers a land area of 721 km² (as of 2001) and as such exceeds the land areas of both Toronto and New York City. 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 and within Fish Creek Provincial Park, the largest urban park in Canada. The city is quite large in physical area, consisting of an inner city surrounded by various communities of decreasing density. Unlike most cities with a sizable 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 sprawling Springbank district 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 1,146,900. The city of Calgary proper is immediately surrounded by two municipal districts, Rocky View No. 44 to the north, west and east; and Foothills No. 31 to the south. 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 need 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 much-needed construction has not yet begun. Calgarys neighbourhoods 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 Midtown, 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, Sunnyside, Hounsfield Heights/Briar Hill, Hillhurst (including Kensington BRZ), Bridgeland, Renfrew, Mount Royal, Mission and Inglewood. The inner city is, in turn, surrounded by relatively dense and established neighbourhoods such as Rosedale, North Haven, and Mount Pleasant to the north; Bowness, Parkdale and Westgate 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 the suburban communities, often characterized as "commuter communities". The city's deep south is probably expanding the fastest and includes communities such as Cranston, Lake Chaparral and McKenzie Lake. In all, there are over 180 distinct neighbourhoods within the city limits. The rapidly growing areas of the northeast, including areas north of "the properties" (Rundle, Whitehorn, Pineridge and Temple) include Saddleridge, Castleridge/Westwinds, Martindale and Taradale. Climate Calgary has a highland continental climate with long, but highly variable, winters and short, warm summers (USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 3b). The climate is greatly influenced by the city's elevation and close proximity to the Rocky Mountains. Although Calgary's winters can be uncomfortably cold; warm, dry Chinook winds routinely blow into the city from the Pacific Ocean 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 (27°F) 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). Some mid-winter days even approach 20°C (68°F) on occasion. Calgary is a city of extremes, and temperatures have ranged anywhere from a record low of −45°C (-49°F) in 1893 to a record high of 36°C (97°F) in 1919. Although not common, Calgary experiences summer daytime temperatures of above 30°C (86°F) on an average of about four days per year. Temperatures fall below −30°C (-22°F) 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 (16°F) to a July daily average of 16°C (61°F). As a consequence of Calgary's high elevation, summer evenings can be very cool, the average summer minimum temperature is 8°C (46°F), and frosts can occur in any month of the year. Calgary has experienced snowfall even in July and August. With an average relative humidity of 55% in the winter and 45% in the summer, Calgary has a semi-arid climate typical of other cities in the Western Great Plains and Canadian Prairies. Unlike cities further east, like Toronto, Montreal, or even Winnipeg, humidity is almost never a factor during the Calgary summer. The city is also one of the sunniest in Canada, with 2,405 hours of annual sunshine, on average. Calgary receives an average of 413 mm (16.2 in) of precipitation annually, with 301 mm (11.8 in) of that occurring in the form of rain, and the remainder as snow. Most of the precipitation occurs from May to August, with June averaging the most monthly rainfall. In June of 2005, Calgary received 248 mm (9.8 in) of precipitation, making it the wettest month in the city's recorded history. Droughts are not uncommon and may occur at any time of the year. Calgary averages more than 20 days a year with thunderstorms, with almost all of them occurring in the summer months. Calgary lies on the edge of Alberta's hailstorm alley and is prone to occasional damaging hailstorms. A hailstorm that struck Calgary in September 1991 was one of the most destructive natural disasters in Canadian history. Seasons City life
Performing arts Calgary is the site of the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, a 4 million cubic foot (113,000 m³) 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 2,700-seat auditorium was opened in 1957 and has been host to hundreds of Broadway musical, theatrical, stage and local productions. Annually, over 850,000 visitors frequent the performance space. 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 community-based non-profit societies. Both have recently (September 05) received a $91 million renovation as part of the Province's Centennial year. Calgary has a thriving festival scene with festivals being held all year round. Some established festivals that attract talent from all over the World are FunnyFest Calgary Comedy Festival and the Folk Music Festival. Calgary is also home to a number of contemporary and established 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, and Alberta Theatre Projects. There are also many smaller theatre and performing arts companies in the city, such as Vertigo Mystery Theatre. 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. Museums and galleries The city is home to several museums. The best-known of these, the Glenbow Museum is the largest in western Canada and includes an art gallery. Other major museums include the largest Chinese Cultural Centre in North America, the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame (at Canada Olympic Park), The Military Museums, the Cantos Music Museum and the Aero Space Museum. There are also a number of art galleries in the city and many of them are concentrated along the Stephen Avenue and 17th Avenue corridors. The largest of these is the Art Gallery of Calgary (AGC). Cultural events and festivals Calgary is home to a number of major annual festivals and events. These include the growing Calgary International Film Festival, the Calgary Folk Music Festival, The Greek Festival, Carifest, the Lilac Festival, GlobalFest, the Calgary Fringe Festival, Summerstock, Expo Latino, and many other cultural and ethnic festivals. Calgary's most well-known event is the Calgary Stampede, which occurs every July. It features an internationally recognized rodeo competition, a midway, stage shows, agricultural competitions, chuck-wagon races, First Nations exhibitions, and pancake breakfasts around the city, among other attractions. It is among the largest and best-known festivals in Canada. The event has a 93 year history. In 2005, attendance at the 10-day rodeo and exhibition totalled 1,242,928. Sports and recreation
Visible minority groups A majority of Calgarians declare to be of European ancestry. This group comprises 79% of the population (688,465 people). Another 2.3% (19,765 people) of the population is Aboriginal. In addition, the city is home to a relatively large number of people belonging to visible minority groups. These groups include Chinese: 51,540 or 5.9%, South Asian: 36,370 or 4.2%,Filipino: 16,245 or 1.9%, Black Canadian: 13,370 or 1.5%, Latin American: 8,525 or 1.0%, and many others. Based on single responses. Statistics are from the 2001 Statistics Canada census. Government and politics Calgary is traditionally viewed as 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. During the 1990s the city's mainstream political culture was dominated by the right-wing Reform Party of Canada federally, and the Alberta Progressive Conservatives provincially. The Reform Party was founded in Calgary. 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. In early 2003 in response to the 2003 invasion of Iraq, according to organizers, 5,000 to 10,000 people from southern Alberta, and elsewhere, converged outside the U.S. Consulate General's office. The city has chapters of various activist organizations, as well as an Anti-Capitalist Convergence. Left-wing provincial and federal Liberals tend to distance themselves from the activist movement which also claims support from the left. 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. A provincial alternative, represented by the right-wing Alberta Alliance, became active during the 26th Alberta general election and campaigned for fiscally and socially conservative reforms, and managed a growing percentage of support thereafter. Provincial politics Prior to the November 22, 2004 General Election, all 21 provincial MLAs representing Calgary were Progressive Conservatives. The province's premier and leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Alberta, Ralph Klein, has held his Calgary Elbow seat since 1989. The Alberta Liberals won three seats in the provincial legislature during that election. Two of the 23 provincial seats were new as a result of redistricting. Federal politics Currently, all eight of Calgary's federal MPs are members of the Conservative Party of Canada. The CPC's predecessors have traditionally held the majority of the city's federal seats. The federal electoral district of Calgary-Southwest is currently 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 serving Prime Ministers, two have served terms representing a Calgary riding while Prime Minister. The first was the Right Honorable Richard Bennett from Calgary West who held that position from 1930 to 1935. Contemporary issues
Crime Even though Calgary has a relatively low crime rate when compared to other cities in North America, gangs and drug-related crime are becoming much larger issues than they have been in the past. Gang “warfare” is becoming more common all the time and contributes to a number of homicides in the city annually. Drug busts (particularly of marijuana grow operations) are also becoming very common, especially in the suburbs where anonymity is possible. Economy Calgary's economy is still dominated by the oil and gas industry, despite recent diversification. The larger companies include EnCana, Petro-Canada, BP Canada, Shell Canada, Imperial Oil, Suncor Energy, and TransCanada. In 1996, Canadian Pacific Railway moved its head office to Calgary, and is now among the city's top employers. In 2005, Imperial Oil moved its headquarters from Toronto to Calgary in order to be closer to its oil operations. This involved the relocation of approximately 400 families. Other large employers include the Forzani Group, ATCO, Fluor Canada, Shaw Cable, Nortel and WestJet. There is approximately 50 million square feet of office space in the city, with approaximately 32 million of these within the downtown commercial core). In October 2006, EnCana announced the construction of a 59-floor skyscraper in the downtown core of the city. This new corporate headquarters for the company will become, when completed, the highest building in Western Canada. Post-secondary Calgary is the site of five major public post-secondary institutions. The University of Calgary is Calgary's primary large degree-granting facility. Currently, 28,807 students are enrolled there. Mount Royal College is the city's second largest institution (13,000 students), and it grants degrees in a number of fields. Bow Valley College's main campus is located downtown and provides training in business, technology, and the liberal arts for about 10,000 students (the college has three campuses in Calgary and numerous in the region). The Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) provides polytechnic education. The Alberta College of Art and Design (ACAD) is located in Calgary. In addition, the University of Lethbridge has a satellite campus in the city. There are also several private liberal arts institutions including Alliance University College, Nazarene University College and St. Mary's University College. There are a number of other smaller private colleges in the city. Calgary is also home to DeVry Career College's only Canadian campus. Calgary was also the home of the Milton Wiliams School for Education Through the Arts, a national centre of excellence in arts immersion education for children between the fifth and ninth grades; however, in early 2005, the aging school was demolished. However, the school is still active on the grounds of the Willow Park Elementary School. School system and K-12 In the year 2005 roughly 97,000 students attended K-12 in about 215 schools in the English language public school system run by the Calgary Board of Education. Another 43,000 attend about 93 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 schools including Strathcona Tweedsmuir, Rundle College, Clear Water Academy, Webber Academy, and Masters Academy. Calgary is also home to Western Canada's largest high school, "Lord Beaverbrook High School", with 2241 students enrolled in the 2005-2006 school year. Transportation
Medical centres and hospitals Calgary currently has three major hospitals; the Foothills Medical Centre, the Rockyview General Hospital and the Peter Lougheed Centre, all overseen by the Calgary Health Region. A medical evacuation helicopter operates under the auspices of the Shock Trauma Air Rescue Society. Calgary also has the Tom Baker Cancer Centre, Alberta Children's Hospital, and Grace Women's Health Centre providing a variety of care, in addition to hundreds of smaller medical and dental clinics. The University of Calgary Medical Centre also operates in partnership with the Calgary Health Region. Military
Local media Famous Calgarians Born in Calgary Other names Sister cities See also | |||||||||||||||||||||
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