Calgary - Culture

The largest city in Alberta - Canada ,Calgary is located in the south-western part of the province. 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.

The Calgary Public Library's Local History collection is where our city's heritage comes alive in more than 20,000 books, pamphlets, directories, catalogues, school yearbooks, maps, clippings files and magazines. Each page tells a story of real places and people in Calgary and Alberta

The University of Calgary is a co-educational, non-denominational, government supported institution possessing the right of conferring degrees other than degrees in Divinity, within the Province of Alberta. It is a member of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada.

The University of Calgary, with over 24,000 students, is a vigorous place of learning and scholarly inquiry with growing national and international stature. It is one of Canada's ten most research-intensive institutions with almost $100 million in external research funding and more than 30 endowed chairs supported jointly by government and industry.

On the edge and leading the way with innovative curriculum redesign in all faculties and departments, the University of Calgary promises you that all fields of study will include an interdisciplinary component, an international component, an experiential learning component, broad and extended interaction with faculty, integration of research and an explicit syllabus that details the purposes and objectives of your program.

The Calgary Tower : Located in downtown Calgary, 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 2.6 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, snowplough, wye and several other exhibits of antique train equipment including two engines at the entrance to the park. A 200 passenger paddlewheel 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.

"The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth", the 10 days of the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede have a lot to live up to. By and large, it succeeds. During this 10 day festival the city is filled with cowboy hats and boots, jeans take over where business suits usually dominate. Pancake breakfasts litter the streets. And the people of Calgary, already known for their friendliness and eagerness to help, outdo themselves in hospitality.

The Stampede itself is more than simply a rodeo. Yes, it has bull-riding and chuck wagon races, and there is an Indian village on the Stampede grounds, but there is more. A gigantic midway dominates the interests of the youngsters, and a casino captures the attention of many an adult. Free shows and entertainment abound, and informative and fun displays are also found in abundance. Many of the livestock barns are open to the public, and every night features firework displays. Each year the Stampede features a concert by at least one major musical celebrity. Ballooning is a good sport to pursue near Calgary, Alberta. It is very flat, but there are great views of the Rockies nearby. This picture was taken during one of the Calgary Stampedes, the world's largest rodeo and show.