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Calgary Calgary, the fifth largest city in Canada and the biggest one in Alberta province, is the place with many names. When you come to Calgary, you soon know you've arrived at a special place. You are in the "Heart of the Canadian West". You have entered the "Gateway to the Rockies". You are also at the "Oil Capital of Canada", the "City of Foothills", as well as the "Host City of the 1988 Olympic Games". As if that weren't enough, when you go to the Calgary Stampede, you can see the "Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth". Geographic Location Calgary has been blessed by nature. Its geographical
location in the southern part of Alberta province at the junction of the
Bow and Elbow rivers is one of exceptional beauty. The glorious Rockies
gleam in the distance. The clear view can play tricks on the unwary. Sometimes
the Rockies stand out so clearly on the horizon that they look like they
were just a short walk away. Calgary Weather The weather experts report that Calgary gets precisely
2314.4 hours of full sunshine each year, which is more than anywhere else
in Canada and that's why it is sometimes called "The Sunshine
City".
Business and Economy Calgary is Canada's energy capital: 87% of the country's oil and gas producers and 64% of coal companies are headquartered here. The city is also home to much of Canada's energy service industry, including many firms specializing in oil and gas technologies, petrochemical engineering, geology, and data processing. Calgary's economy has diversified - manufacturing, tourism, and retail trade have elbowed in to take their places next to the oil industry. The city's location, well-educated workforce, high computer literacy rate, end entrepreneurial attitude have created new opportunities. While Calgary is still an energy-based city, this diversification has broadened its economic base, and currently Calgarians enjoy the lowest unemployment rate of any major centre in the country. The city's strategic location on major air, rail, and highway corridors renders it Western Canada's most important transportation hub. Quick Facts about Calgary
Activities While each season in Calgary has its own appeal, winter
and summer months overflow with things to do and see. In winter,
outdoor enthusiasts flock to Calgary to partake in the pleasures of ice-skating,
tobogganing, and skiing (cross-country and downhill), or to participate
in the various winter festivals in the area. Calgary Stampede The biggest festivities take place during Stampede.
That's when the entire city gets dressed up in genuine Western gear. Some
folks spend a lot of money on fancy boots, shirts with snap buttons, and
wide-brimmed cowboy hats. In Calgary, normally staid banks and insurance
offices decorate their premises with bales of hay and wagon wheels. It could only happen in Calgary! |
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