WorldWeb.com article: Calgary - The Wild West Becomes A Modern Metropolis Calgary's cowboy image is still very much encouraged, but today it is hardly representative of all that this city has to offer. Although the world famous Calgary Stampede is still an annual event celebrated with much pride and enthusiasm, and the cattle industry is still important in Alberta, there is so much more to this modern, vibrant and increasingly cosmopolitan city than just a 'Cowtown' - as Calgary was once called.
History
The area near Calgary was home to the Blackfoot Indians for at least hundreds of years. In the 18th Century the Stoney and the Sarcee bands arrived in the region. Fort Calgary came into existence as a North West Mounted Police settlement in 1875. The police were dispatched to the area to deal with the lawlessness and unrest among the Indian tribes and the white settlers. The name Calgary means 'clear running water' in Gaelic that probably referred to the confluence of the Bow and Elbow Rivers where the fort was established. You can still visit the remains of the fort today. The Canadian Pacific Railway arrived in 1883. Settlement was encouraged by the offer of free land and by 1891 the population was already over 4000. At the end of the 1800s there was a lot of immigration north by settlers from the United States, attracted by the fine grazing country Southern Alberta had to offer. Soon Calgary and region was cowboy country, and with the closeness of the railway, Calgary became a transportation and
meatpacking hub. Apart from the Stampede and the proud cultural heritage of the cowboy, cattle and ranching are still very important in the region.
EconomyToday Calgary's modern skyline rises dramatically at the western end of almost one thousand miles of prairie. This dynamic sight is fitting for a city that is second in Canada only to Toronto, in the number of corporate head offices. On a clear day behind the skyline to the west you can see the peaks of the Alberta Rockies, only an hour's drive away. The prairies and the proximity to the mountains have helped shape Calgary into what it is today, but perhaps the most important contributor to Calgary's prosperity, culture, and even attitude is the oil and gas industry. Oil and gas is what has made Calgary grow from a fairly nondescript regional town into a major city with beautiful parks, rapidly expanding suburbs and facilities that make the average Calgarian's quality of life hard to beat.
Although oil was discovered in Alberta as early as 1914, the oil and gas industry really took off in the late 1960s when large deposits were discovered. In the 1970s with the energy crisis, the price of oil soared and Calgary boomed. Growth and development of the city took place at a very fast pace. In the early 1980s oil prices plummeted, and Calgary and Alberta experienced a major recession. In hindsight though, this was not all bad, Calgary was able to broaden its economic base so that it would never be so totally dependent on oil and gas again. In the early '90's oil and gas prices started to rise again, and while oil and gas is definitely still king, high-tech and service industries and light manufacturing are all making significant inroads into the local economic base.
During the recession of the early and mid-eighties, Calgary used the time wisely to develop some much needed cultural and leisure facilities. This culminated in 1988 when Calgary hosted one of the most successful Winter Olympic Games ever. This event seemed to mark Calgary's coming of age and entry onto the world stage.
Climate
Calgary's weather can be full of surprises. Summers are generally warm and sunny especially from mid-July to the end of August. May, June and early July are often very pleasant but there tends to be more rain at this time. Calgary is at a fairly high altitude so evenings are always relatively cool. Falls are usually clear and crisp and Indian summers occur frequently. In winter it can get very cold but this does not happen very often. What does occur from time to time is a 'Chinook.' This is when warm winds blow east off the Rockies and this has a dramatic effect on the temperature in the Calgary region. Within a few hours the temperature can go up by 20 to 30 degrees Celsius, and the snow on the ground melts. All this can happen in the middle of January. By March the spring slowly starts to arrive, it can snow in the spring as well, but it seldom lasts for very long. Everything turns green and this is always a pleasant time to visit.
Transportation
Calgary is easy to reach from anywhere. The Trans Canada Highway passes right through the city, linking Calgary easily from the rest of Canada. There is also good highway access from the United States. Long-distance bus services serve Calgary with good connections from all over North America. There is no scheduled rail service to Calgary, although the Rocky Mountaineer Railway tour does serve the city in the summer. Calgary has a major international airport with service from all major Canadian and US cities, Europe and Japan. There are connector flights to Calgary from many of the smaller regional airports in Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan. (For more transportation information click here.)
Featured Attractions
The Calgary Exhibition and Stampede has been held since 1912. This world-renowned event starting the second week of July lasts for ten days and kicks off with a huge parade through the streets of downtown Calgary. The official Stampede activities are held at Stampede Park just to the southeast of the downtown core, but throughout the duration of the Stampede many parts of Calgary come alive with festivities, street parties and the ubiquitous Stampede breakfasts. At Stampede Park there are the shows and cattle-oriented events, which gives the Stampede its cowboy flavour. In addition there are many different trade exhibitions, various stages with a variety of top name entertainment acts, and a midway with an excellent selection of rides and amusements, games of chance and even a casino where you can try your luck. Calgary and surrounding area are full of visitors at Stampede time, so it is advisable to book accommodations early. For more information on the Calgary Stampede, World Web TravelGuides™ has its own web site dedicated to this event.
An excellent museum, well worth a visit is the Glenbow Museum and Art Gallery. There is a wide range of items on display with a variety of themes. One of the many themes here is the history of the Canadian West, including some wonderful Native Canadian exhibits and a great collection of household implements from the 1920s and 30s. The museum has a notable selection of artifacts from the pioneer days. There is an outstanding military and arms display including armour from the middle ages and a collection of posters and newspaper headlines from the two world wars. The art collection consists of regularly changing exhibitions of international, Canadian and Alberta art. There is a display of Inuit and other native art, and local artists are frequently showcased.
The Calgary Tower is a great place to get a first class view and perspective of the Calgary area. It is a city landmark and a symbol that became well known during the Winter Olympics of 1988. At that time a flame burned from the top of the tower and this still occurs on holidays and special occasions. The tower is 191 metres in height and a high-speed elevator easily reaches the top. As well as an observation gallery - that affords a view of the whole area from the Rockies in the west, to the wide expanse of the prairies in the east - there is a revolving restaurant, and at the very top a cocktail lounge.
On the western side of the city is Canada Olympic Park. This houses many of the facilities used for the 1988 Winter Olympics. These include the luge and bobsled tracks and the ski-jumping towers. In the winter months you can sample how it is to ride a bobsled on the actual track. In summer you can ride the 'Road Rocket' which is a bobsled on wheels. The facilities are now used as an Olympic training centre. You can visit the Olympic Hall of Fame which is a three-floor museum paying tribute to the Olympics and its athletes. There are simulated bobsled and luge rides. You can take an escorted tour of the park that includes a trip to the top of the ski-jump towers. C.O.P., as the park is commonly known, also has a small downhill ski and snowboard area open in winter that is great for beginners.
Heritage Park Historical Village is in the southwest of Calgary on the Glenmore Reservoir. This very authentically portrays life in a typical town of the Canadian west prior to 1914. Many of the buildings here are genuine and have been moved to the site. Among many attractions there is a Hudson Bay Company Fort, a mill, and a fine selection of stores of the period. Favourites include the bakery, candy store and pharmacy and in some of these you can make actual purchases. There is a one-room schoolhouse and various housing of the period from large ranch houses to a trapper's cabin. A restored train of the period circles the park, and a re-creation of a lake paddlewheel steamer sails on the reservoir. There is an amusement park with genuine rides from the early 20th Century including a restored Ferris Wheel and the Caterpillar. Interpreters are stationed at many of the sites in the park and all employees wear appropriate period costumes.
The Calgary Zoo is one of the best in North America and has a wide range of animals, reptiles and birds. For many years this zoo has had a "no bars" policy and whenever possible animals are housed in their natural habitat. The zoo has bred several species of rare animals and conducts a lot of exchanges and research in coordination with other zoos. One of the special features of this zoo is that there are tropical birds that fly around in greenhouses full of hothouse plants, you are able to walk amongst these. Calgary Zoo has a Botanical Gardens with a butterfly collection that flys free in the indoor rain forest. In certain sections there are especially darkened areas so that you can see nocturnal animals while they are active. The zoo has special educational programs and facilities to enable visitors to see some of the animals at close quarters. A popular attraction for families is the Prehistoric Dinosaur Park with life-size replicas of dinosaurs in an authentic setting.
