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Calgary Travel Guide >>
Cananda Travel Guide
Calgary stands conspicuously and confidently on the
spacious plains of southern Alberta. Blocks of mirrored
skyscrapers make the city look new, which it is: Most of
downtown has been built in the past few decades. The
city's major businesses are in keeping with this modern
image—oil and gas and high technology. It's among
Canada's fastest-growing cities—new residents arrive
daily seeking employment and the good life.
But there's still a wild, frontier side to the town.
Cattle lands and farms surround it, and the Rockies rise
dramatically in the west. Calgary has acquired a
sophisticated demeanor while retaining a cocky,
entrepreneurial spirit that stems from the independent,
self-reliant cowboy culture that was the city's
foundation.
This mixture of the urbane and the untamed gives the
city much of its vitality. It's even reflected in the
major events associated with Calgary. The same town that
showed off its cosmopolitan qualities for the 1988
Winter Olympics also puts on a cowboy hat for 10 days
each summer during the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede,
the mammoth rodeo that is bRead More ... y far the
best-known event in Alberta.
In spite of its cool business image, the city is devoted
to preserving nature and has 19,800 acres/8,000 hectares
of green space and 395 mi/635 km of recreational
pathways within the city that provide an escape for
residents and 160 mi/260 km of on-street bike lanes for
commuters. Calgarians love to work hard and play hard,
and this is reflected in the wide selection of shopping
and entertainment venues. Calgary's broad mix of
international cultures is represented by the astounding
diversity of restaurant fare
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