"IN THE VALLEY OF THE BOW" Top 5 Page for this destination Calgary by madamx


Calgary Travel Guide: 1,403 reviews and 2,022 photos

About Calgary

Calgary, Alberta, Canada is a large, vibrant city located in the Bow River valley at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. The population of Calgary has reached 1 million and it is the largest city in Alberta, the second largest municipality in Canada, and the second largest head office city in Canada.

The Scottish Connection

Calgary was established as a fort in 1875 by Colonel James Macleod of the Northwest Mounted Police, and was originally named Fort Brisebois. It was officially named Calgary in 1876, after Colonel Macleod's ancestral Scottish homeland, Calgary Bay on the Isle of Mull. Calgary was officially incorporated as a city in 1885.

Cowboys, Oil and Beef, Oh My!

When the Canadian Pacific Railway extended their line into Southern Alberta, thousands of settlers flocked to Calgary on the offer of free homestead land. In addition, the government began leasing land at one cent per acre per year.

As a result of cheap leased land, huge ranching operations were established, and Calgary quickly became known as the cattle industry capital of Canada -- which it still is today.

The wold-famous Calgary Stampede started in 1912 as a small show by rich ranchers and steadily grew to "the greatest outdoor show on earth." Two Alberta oil discoveries ( in 1914 and 1947) soon put Calgary on the map as the oil and gas capital of Canada.

Today, shaped by commerce, agriculture, and oil, Calgary's economy is booming, and there's no signs of it stopping. Visitors coming to Calgary expect "Cowtown" and discover a bustling and cosmopolitan urban centre -- one of the fastest growing cities in North America

Pros and Cons
  • In a nutshell:So much more than cowboys, oil and beef!!!
  • Last visit to Calgary: Feb 2004
  • Intro Updated Sep 2, 2006
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Reviews (79)

Comments (118)

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  • septem's Profile Photo
    septem Jan 16, 2010 at 8:37 AM Report Abuse

    Great pages of your home city. Greetings from Paris. Juliana

  • JessH's Profile Photo
    JessH Jan 5, 2010 at 9:37 PM Report Abuse

    Hi Helen & happy new year! What a fantastic page! I really enjoyed learning about your hometown, especially your restaurant tips! I didn't know that the city had a Scottish connection... so do I, haha! Greetings from the desert / Jess

  • amandajayne81's Profile Photo
    amandajayne81 Dec 21, 2009 at 3:21 PM Report Abuse

    Looks like a great place. Thanks for the helpful tips.

  • Karolina01's Profile Photo
    Karolina01 Mar 20, 2009 at 3:47 PM Report Abuse

    Next time when I will go to Calgary, I won't miss Centini. We had a lunch at Milestones and it was OK.

  • gkitzmil's Profile Photo
    gkitzmil Feb 14, 2009 at 3:25 PM Report Abuse

    Thanks for the tips. I had a good meal in Calgary a few years ago but did not note where. You make the gelato look yummie

  • easterntrekker's Profile Photo
    easterntrekker Feb 9, 2009 at 7:03 PM Report Abuse

    My son and his family moved to Calgary this year. We are looking forward to visiting in the summer!I am enjoying your pages.

  • Gillybob's Profile Photo
    Gillybob Jan 10, 2009 at 4:14 AM Report Abuse

    Feeling almost human today! I would put up photos - but I've given the all away. However, there will be photos after Portugal - but not before because it would give the colour away! Gillybob greetings

  • balhannah's Profile Photo
    balhannah Nov 7, 2008 at 8:04 PM Report Abuse

    Didn"t get to see the Glenbow Museum, looks good by your tip. We saw the ski Jumps, didn't realize they were so high!! we come from tropical Queensland Australia, and don't see things like that.

  • pattypoo's Profile Photo
    pattypoo Sep 29, 2008 at 7:02 AM Report Abuse

    " Thats the only time I love to see a man in a skirt is when they wear a kilt LOl

  • Fullmoonfever's Profile Photo
    Fullmoonfever Sep 25, 2008 at 2:37 PM Report Abuse

    Is it snowing yet??

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