| Page Views: 3,785 Last Visit to Calgary: August, 1993 | Cowtown? Not any more! by Carmanah - last update: Jan 18, 2008 |
| Glenmore Reservoir at Calgary's Heritage Park |
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Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Location: 51° 02' North, 114° 03' West
Population: 1,019,942 (2007 Civic Census)
Established: 1875
Once upon a time Calgary was known throughout Canada as "Cowtown". It had the reputation of being a relatively conservative, if not redneck, cowboy town... complete with cowboy hats, boots, and the cattle industry.
Of course, the reality is that Calgary was an undistinguished city that grew out of the vapid prairie landscape back in 1875. Cheap land meant that large cattle ranches could be established, which is why, at least initially, Calgary was known as Cowtown.
In 1988 Calgary hosted the Winter Olympics, putting it on the tourist map. But Calgary had always been on the tourist map as it's home to the Calgary Stampede. That aside, Calgary had never really been much of a tourist attraction, with the exception of being a jumping off point for the nearby Rocky Mountains. |
| | In the past few decades, however, Calgary's been experiencing explosive growth due to its massive oil industry. Thousands of people have been moving to Calgary, almost overnight, turning this sleepy suburban landscape of a city into a cosmopolitan Prairie Metropolis. Housing prices have skyrocketed and the infrastructure can barely keep up. They're practically giving jobs away in Calgary because the demand can't keep up with the supply.
So that's Calgary in a nutshell. I'd still say, from a tourist perspective, it's not particularly the most exciting or the most scenic city Canada has to offer. A lot of people think it's the most American city due to its highway-ridden suburban sprawling nature, although others call it "Canada's Texas" due to similar geography and economy. It's certainly the corporate headquarters of many western Canadian natural resources, especially when it comes to oil.
But take what I say with a grain of salt.
I was last in Calgary as a 13 year old girl on summer vacation with her parents, listening to the local Calgary rock stations on her bright yellow Sony Walkman, hoping they'd play the latest Pink Floyd Division Bell track, or if she was extra lucky, the latest from U2's Zooropa. And when I hear Robert Plant's "29 Palms", I still remember the feeling of the August heat in the car as we drove back to Calgary from Drumheller.
I do intend to revisit Calgary as an adult in the not too distant future. I'll likely fly there and use it, like many others, as a starting off point before heading into the Rockies. However, since I have friends living there, I'm sure I'll uncover some of Calgary's hidden secrets!
Until then... |
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| Pros: | "Close proximity to the Rockies (specifically Banff National Park), close to Drumheller, it has all the ammenities of any big city with a good economy" | | Cons: | "I think the attraction of visiting Calgary has more to do with where it's located next to rather than the city itself... though locals are quite proud of their home city" | | In A Nutshell: | "Home of the Calgary Stampede, the 1988 Winter Olympics, and the gateway to the Canadian Rockies" |
Carmanah's Calgary Travel Tips
 Comments for Carmanah about Calgary | | | | |
Mikebb Mon Apr 16, 2007 04:51 UTC
Hi, Calgary sounds good it is our arrival point and car pick up.Will be looking forward to a good meal. | bugalugs Fri Aug 5, 2005 21:16 UTC
Looks a nice place Robyn, and must hold a lot of happy memories | Bwana_Brown Sat Dec 18, 2004 04:21 UTC
I had not realized that Heritage Park was so large! Nice pics of your last visit. You had better return soon, Calgary is growing like wildfire now! Still a nice city though!! | RobDavis Fri Apr 18, 2003 21:00 UTC
Nice tips - Calgary is one Canadian city I have never been to :-( |
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