THE WORDSMITH MILL: Calgary Alberta Canada

Monday, December 26, 2011

Calgary Alberta Canada

Calgary Alberta Canada. My City. Having spent 25 years of my life in Calgary, It's a city that rarely ever let me down in any way and has provided some of the greatest adventures and experiences I have ever had. I was only 18 when I first laid eyes on Calgary and that was after hitchhiking over 3000 miles from Ontario to get here in the dead of winter. It took me 3 days to arrive and I had no idea what to expect. Would it be like a Wild West Town ? I didn't know. After travelling across the prairies and experiencing minus 70 degree weather with the added chill factor in Manitoba, I was taken aback when I got here as people were outside in T-Shirts washing their cars in double digit weather surrounded by fast melting snow banks from the last storm they had. While it was hardly like the wild west I thought it might be and cowboy hats are not that popular until Stampede Week and the sidewalks seemed to roll up by 10 PM each night and nightlife was either non existent or in it's infancy. It's alive and well and ever expanding today.

Calgary has had a huge growth spurt in recent years, swelling to over a million residents. Most of the new influx are immigrants from every corner of the world. Calgary is spread out over an expansive wide area and still has a feel of wide open spaces. New communities and the major shopping centers that go with them have sprung up everywhere spreading outwards and swallowing up a lot of the farmland formerly within city limits. Anyone that's ever heard of Calgary outside of Canada, no doubt associates our city with the Calgary Stampede, billed as the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth and the population swells even more every year at Stampede with visitors from around the world. There is a plethora of other things to do and see here, both inside and outside the city. The Bow River originating from Bow Glacier provides drinking water for Calgary along with the Elbow River pictured below which empties into the Bow in Calgary. Both rivers provide whitewater opportunities along with great camping and fishing. The rivers are developed with paved and unpaved pathways throughout the city making it appealing for cyclists and joggers alike. There really is something for everyone here.

Elbow River upstream from Elbow Falls

Bow River at Carburn Park Calgary

Some Of Downtown's East End

Calgary hosts an amazing amount of cultural events. Chinooks that raise winter temperatures from minus to double digits within a few hours and last anywhere from a few hours to a days or even a week. There is a thriving Art community, major Outlet Stores and . The City is one of contrasts and extremes. The lowest recorded temperature was - 45 c or - 49 f in 1893 and the highest was + 36 c or 97 f. A Dry Humid Continental Climate with short summer and long winters are typical.

The City still doesn't have that overcrowded feel as other large cities like Montreal and Toronto have. What's not to like. Through boom and bust the city has always provided a good living for those that want to work. Real Estate is still reasonably obtainable, price wise. The infrastructure is struggling to catch up with the populace so construction here is non stop. Skilled Labor is always in demand. Even today, traffic jams here are mild compared to other major centers.

Oil was discovered here in 1902 and today Calgary is a world leader in gas and oil exploration. Our economy runs mostly on the Petroleum industry as well as Agriculture and Tourism. We are listed on the USDA's plant hardiness scale as Zone 3a making gardening somewhat challenging and short but very doable.

Calgary hosted the first ever Olympic Winter games in 1988. It was a huge success. Our cities close proximity to Banff National Park offers unmatched wonders and includes The Banff Springs Hotel built in 1887 by the CPR railroad in Scottish Baronial style and replaced in 1911. It wasn't until 1968 that the hotel was fully winterized allowing guests all year round accommodation. The Banff Hot Springs are a major attraction there along with nearby Lake Louise and some of the finest Skiing anywhere.

Banff Springs Hotel

If you have never been to Calgary, put it on your bucket list of places to see. It's well worth it. I have even witnessed the Northern Lights at least once from inside the city. There city are 40 city parks. Many are along the two rivers. Calgary is a very hospitable city full of friendly people.