Calgary is a major city in the province of Alberta and in western Canada, centred at the crossing of the Bow and Elbow rivers. Affectionately known as Cowtown¹, Calgary currently has a population of 800,000 and is one of the fastest growing cities in Canada.

The growth of Calgary is due primarily to the oil business. Local companies began using the formidable natural resources just outside city limits, and have expanded their oil operations to other countries worldwide. Calgary had the distinction of holding the 2000 World Petroleum Congress, proving their importance in worldwide oil production.

Climate

The temperature in Calgary can fluctuate between large extremes. In winter, the temperature can drop as far as -40 degrees Celsius (though this is rare). In summer, the temperature may go up to 35 degrees Celsius. Note that if you complain about a very low temperature to a native Calgarian, you will invariably get the same response: "...yeah, but it's a dry cold!" Calgary has a very dry climate, which means that though sweat will evaporate quicker, cooling you down in summer, and cold winds will not have their usual "bite" to them. But, be prepared to drink more water, and have a dry-throat feeling for a while when visiting the city

Navigating Calgary

Navigating Calgary for the first time can be very confusing. There are a few reasons for this. One is that major highways are refered to as Trails. When a non-Calgarian hears the words "MacLeod Trail," he or she may picture a nice dirt path through a forest, with a few wild deer nibling at grass. In truth, MacLeod Trail is a major traffic artery at the heart of the city, albeit with a too many stoplights and turn-offs. Don't ever try to walk down a Trail within Calgary city limits!

Another source of confusion is the quadrant system. It is simple to explain, but very difficult to master. In Calgary, Streets run North to South and Avenues run East to West². As well, building numbers on avenues refer to the streets they intersect with, and vice-versa. So, if you want to go to 500 6th Ave. then you know that it will be on the corner of 6th Ave and 5th St. The problem is that there are four such locations! Yes, there is 5th St. East and 6th Ave North, or 5th St. West and 6th Ave South, etc, etc. The only way to solve this problem is to know which quadrant you are in; NE, NW, SE, SW. This system has confused many a visitor to the city³. On second though, you might as well take the bus...

Public Transportation

Calgary has an efficient system of public transportation. A major part of this is its C-Train LRT⁴. The C-Train has three legs, the south Calgary leg, the Northwest leg which goes to the University of Calgary, and the Northeast leg that goes towards the airport. All of these trains pass through downtown Calgary, which is a free-ride zone anytime of day. Areas not accessible by the train can usually be accessed by buses. Maps and bus times are posted online at the Calgary Transit website

It is also notable that Calgary is extremely tolerant to pedestrians. Unlike some cities (e.g. Montreal, Quebec) where crossing a road is considered acting upon a deathwish, Calgary drivers almost always stop to let you cross. For this reason, Calgarians often wander straight onto a road without barely looking both ways! The effect is rather disconcerting for anyone not native to the city.

Cowboys

The city of Calgary is seemingly in an image crisis. While trying to expand itself as a forward-thinking technology hotbed, it also advertises its Western Heritage to tourists. The results are often confusing, creating such oddities as "western wear Fridays" for businessmen and "The International Year Of The Cowboy" in 1998. Yet despite the commercialization of the western image, expect to see a few genuine cowpokes walking the street.

Cowboy commercialism hits record highs in the summer during the Calgary Stampede. This combination rodeo and festival, usually held the second week of July, is a prime magnet for tourist dollars. Some of the most popular events at the Stampede are the Chuckwagon races. In these, light metal chuckwagons are pulled by teams of horses around an oval dirt track. This is considered one of the most dangerous events at the Stampede, for racers and horses alike.

Yet another Cow fad in Calgary is provided by Udderly Art. This bizarre project is dispersing painted fibreglass cows throughout the city to benefit local artists and not-for-profit organizations. Essentially, a local artist receives a full size plastic cow, paints it in usually garish colours, and then rents it to major companies to display in or around their buildings. The upshot of all this is that the downtown core is now littered with these things. Whether or not this is a good thing is a matter of personal taste, or lack of it.

Downtown

When in downtown Calgary, a good place to be is Stephen Ave. This section of cobblestone street is closed to traffic most of the day. It is a pleasant place to eat lunch, meet with friends, do some shopping, or do a little busking⁵.

Another interesting part of town is Kensington. This area, just Northwest of downtown, easily accesible by the C-Train, is filled with quaint independant shops, and an insanely great multitude of used bookstores.

If, by chance, you visit Downtown on one of those frigid winter days, make use of the Plus 15 network. The Plus 15 is a series of pathways that connect the second floors of nearly all the office buildings in the city. Entryways to the Plus 15 walkways are usually denoted by a small pictogram of a Cowboy walking up a staircase.

Bars, Pubs and Clubs

If you're looking to go for a drink, or to get plastered, there are quite a few places to do so in Calgary. In fitting with the Cowboy image, one of the most popular bars in town is "Cowboys." On the inside, Cowboys resembles a mix of an old-west saloon, a night-club, and Hooters. The DJs play an odd mix of popular dance and country, while the dance floor switches from high-energy dance to two-stepping and line-dancing. Thursday nights are usually 25-cent draft night, which means very cheap beer, though not very good beer.

Another recommended bar is Shanks'. Shanks' has two locations, one in the North, the other in the South. Being billed as a sports bar, Shanks' has features such as more than 10 television and rear-projection screens showing sports channels, "virtual golf" stations, horse-race betting, and mini-golf⁶. As well, there are at least six pool tables at each location.

Another popular club in Calgary is The Palace. This club is an example of a great idea with bad implementation. The Palace was a movie theatre dating back to about the 1940's. When the building was condemned, it was purchased at the last minute and made into a nightclub. The result is a club that has a huge dance floor where the seating used to be, and two upper levels, as well as a lounge. While this sounds good, there are two problems. One is that the owner has not really paid very much for renovation; marble staircases are cracked and broken, carpets are rotten and statues are crumbling. As well, the owner also doesn't understand when a club is too full. As more and more people enter, the dancefloor resembles a cattle feed-lot, seating becomes scarce, and fights break out due to crowding and the general bad attitude of the occupants. What rapidly develops is a "bad scene" in many people's opinions.

Other bars and clubs in town can be found along 1st. Street South or 17th. Ave S.W. Just a small bit of advice based on this researcher's personal experience: do not go the The Bermuda Triangle.

Museums

One of the most popular museums in town is the Glenbow Museum. This museum host numerous art and historical exhibits. The Glenbow Museum is located at 130 9th. Ave. SE. For more information, see the Glenbow Museum website.