Calgary - City of Canada

Calgary is the largest city in the province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and high plains, approximately 80 km east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies. The city is located in the Parkland region of Alberta. Calgary is the third largest civic municipality, by population, in Canada. As of the 2008 civic census, Calgary's population was 1,042,892. The metropolitan population was 1,162,310 in 2006,making Greater Calgary the fifth largest census metropolitan area in the country. Because it is located 298 km due south of Edmonton, statisticians define the narrow populated area between these cities as the "Calgary-Edmonton Corridor". Calgary is the largest Canadian metropolitan area between Toronto and Vancouver. A resident of Calgary is known as a Calgarian.


Before the Calgary area was settled by Europeans, it was inhabited by Pre-Clovis 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, although Father Constantine Scollen and Father Lacombe had traveled extensively within the area for a number of years.

With the energy sector employing a huge number of Calgarians, the fallout from the economic slump of the early 1980s was understandably significant. The unemployment rate soared. By the end of the decade, however, the economy was in recovery. Calgary quickly realized that it could not afford to put so much emphasis on oil and gas, and the city has since become much more diverse, both economically and culturally. The period during this recession marked Calgary's transition from a mid-sized and relatively nondescript prairie city into a major cosmopolitan and diverse centre. This transition culminated in February 1988, when the city hosted the XV Olympic Winter Games. The success of these games essentially put the city on the world stage.

Calgary has a semi-arid, highland continental climate with long, dry, but highly variable, winters and short, moderately warm summers . The climate is greatly influenced by the city's elevation and close proximity to the Rocky Mountains. Calgary's winters can be uncomfortably cold but warm, dry Chinook winds routinely blow into the city from the Pacific Ocean during the winter months, giving Calgarians a break from the cold.

Calgary's urban scene has changed considerably since the beginning of the city's rapid growth. It is also starting to become recognized as one of Canada's most diverse cities. Today, Calgary is a modern cosmopolitan city that still retains much of its traditional culture of hotel saloons, western bars, night clubs, football and hockey. Following its revival in the 1990s, Calgary has also become a centre for country music in Canada. As such, it is referred to by some as the "Nashville of the North." Calgary is also home to a thriving all-ages music scene of many genres, including metal, folk, pop, rock, punk, indie, blues, jazz, hip-hop, electronic and country.

As a relatively ethnically diverse city, Calgary also has a number of multicultural areas and assets. It has one of the largest Chinatowns in Canada, as well as a “Little Italy” in the Bridgeland neighbourhood. Forest Lawn is among the most diverse areas in the city and as such, the area around 17 Avenue SE within the neighbourhood is also known as International Avenue. The district is home to many ethnic restaurants and stores.


Calgary is the site of five major public post-secondary institutions. The University of Calgary is Calgary's primary large degree-granting facility. 28,807 students were enrolled there in 2006. Mount Royal College is one of the city's largest post-secondary institutions with 13,000 students, granting degrees in a number of fields. With over 14,000 full-time students, SAIT Polytechnic provides polytechnic and apprentice education, granting certificates, diplomas and applied degrees. The Main Campus is in the Northwest quadrant, just north of downtown. It will be the main venue for hosting the 40th edition of the World Skills competition in September 2009. 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 Alberta College of Art and Design is located in Calgary. In addition, the University of Lethbridge has a satellite campus in the city.


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 95 schools in the separate English language Calgary Catholic School District board.The much smaller Francophone community has their own French language school boards , 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, Chinook Winds Adventist Academy, Webber Academy,Delta West Academy, Masters Academy, Menno Simons Christian School, West Island College and Edge School.

Almadina Language Charter Academy is a charter school whose mandate is the education of children who do not speak English fluently.

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.