| As so many times before, I used my Airmiles to | | | | of walkways and trails, particularly beside the Elbow |
| book our flights to Calgary (with the Westjet Airmiles | | | | and Bow Rivers. Doglovers in particular have it good |
| Mastercard you get to fly out west for only 1600 | | | | here since the city provides many off-leash areas to |
| Airmiles instead of having to use 3000 Airmiles in high | | | | its dog-owners. 55 golf courses are located in the |
| season with other airlines). As an astute traveller you | | | | immediate vicinity of Calgary and golf is a very |
| have to look at every option of cutting your travel | | | | popular pastime here. |
| costs and Airmiles is one of my favourite tools. A | | | | We entered the downtown core and Jocelyne |
| direct flight took us from Toronto to Calgary in | | | | pointed out the Gulf Canada and Canadian Pacific |
| about three and a half hours. | | | | headhquarters. The last steam locomotive used by |
| We arrived at the Calgary Airport at roughly 11:25 am | | | | the CP Rail is on display outside the CP office tower. |
| and the weather was rather overcast on arrival with | | | | The two skyscrapers of Bankers Hall dominate the |
| an outside temperature of -12 degrees Celsius. | | | | skyline, one with a silver roof, the other with a |
| Because we only had about a day in Calgary, an | | | | golden one. We went up the Calgary Tower, built |
| official tour of the city was going to really give us | | | | between 1967 and 1968 originally as the "Husky |
| the lay of the land and Jocelyne Morrison from Time | | | | Tower". It holds a revolving restaurant and today it |
| Out For Touring was there to pick us up. Jocelyne | | | | was officially closed for a private function, but we |
| herself hails actually from Quebec, but has been living | | | | had a chance to catch an elevated view of the city. |
| in Calgary for the last 10 years. And it turns out she | | | | Just last year the Calgary Tower added a |
| loves the city and is an absolute expert in it. | | | | glass-bottomed viewing area. Jocelyne mentioned |
| The first thing that struck me upon arrival were all | | | | that for a special occasion a horse was brought up |
| the statues and sculptures located at the baggage | | | | for a photo op, but the horse would resist any |
| carousels, all with different themes. Obviously Calgary | | | | efforts of being coaxed onto the glass-bottomed |
| likes to entertain its visitors while they wait for their | | | | area. I can only understand that too well because |
| luggage at the airport. The next sight that caught my | | | | when I was standing there looking straight down, it |
| attention was a volunteer dressed up in a bright red | | | | made me feel very squeamish too. |
| vest and cowboy hat who was there to welcome | | | | Our driving tour continued towards Fort Calgary, |
| tourists. Jocelyne explained that Calgary actually is a | | | | Calgary's oldest landmark. Fort Calgary was founded |
| city of volunteers: 7 out of 10 Calgarians volunteer | | | | in 1875 as a North West Mounted Police Outpost and |
| their time for a good cause, and volunteers were | | | | today it houses an interpretive centre and a museum. |
| some of the main reasons why the Calgary Olympic | | | | Jocelyne explained that the exploration of the west |
| Games in 1988 were the first Olympic Games in | | | | progressed differently here than in the United States |
| history to actually make (rather than lose) money. | | | | in that relations with the native tribes were relatively |
| Jocelyne packed us into the touring van and off we | | | | peaceful. Prime Minister John A. MacDonald founded |
| went on our very compact exploration of Calgary. | | | | the North West Mounted Police, which later on |
| The first thing that struck me about Calgary was its | | | | became the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The |
| topography: it is located in a relatively flat area with a | | | | police arrived in the west before the settlers and |
| number of long, stretched out low-lying hills. On good | | | | established relations with the natives. |
| days you can actually see the Rocky Mountains to | | | | The Inglewood neighbourhood is located adjacent to |
| the west, but unfortunately the weather was | | | | Fort Calgary at the confluence of the Elbow and the |
| overcast, so we didn't get to see the Rockies today. | | | | Bow Rivers. It's an attractive neighbourhood with old |
| Calgary is divided north-south by the Bow River, and | | | | trees and established homes and surrounds a nice |
| Centre Street divides the city's east from the west. | | | | commercial street with many restaurants and antique |
| As a result the city has 4 quadrants with streets | | | | shops. Jocelyne then took us into a residential |
| running north-south and avenues running east-west. | | | | neighbourhood called "Scotsman Hill" which offers a |
| So in order to find an address you always have to | | | | tremendous vista of the Calgary Saddle Dome and |
| know whether it is in the northwest, northeast, | | | | the Stampede grounds, set against the backdrop of |
| southwest or southeast quadrant in Calgary. Jocelyne | | | | the downtown skyline. A wonderful view... |
| explained that many of the streets in Calgary are | | | | She then took us past the grounds of the "Calgary |
| named after native names, eg. Deerfoot Avenue | | | | Stampede", Calgary's most famous event. What |
| (apparently named after a native person who was a | | | | origjnally started as an agricultural fair has evolved in |
| really fast runner). | | | | a yearly 10-day citywide celebration of western |
| Nose Hill is one of the most prominent hills in Calgary; | | | | hospitality and traditions and includes chuckwagon |
| it is a long-stretched out topographical feature | | | | races, rodeos, rides and a Grandstand Show |
| without much vegetation. Jocelyne explained that this | | | | extravaganza. This year's Stampede will take place |
| type of landscape is pretty much typical of Calgary | | | | from July 7 to 16, 2006. |
| as a prairie city. Much of Calgary's natural landscape is | | | | Back downtown Jocelyne took us through a former |
| a mix between grassland and semi-arid forests. When | | | | industrial area called "Eau Claire" which has been |
| it gets very dry in the summer, there are a lot of | | | | converted into one of Calgary's most popular |
| grass fires. | | | | downtown residential districts. On our drive through |
| Calgary is also a booming city. Cranes are | | | | downtown Jocelyne pointed out a typical Calgarian |
| everywhere, and new subdivisions are growing out | | | | feature: the "+15s": elevated walkways connecting |
| of the ground like mushrooms. Essentially only the | | | | highrise towers so people can walk between |
| downtown area has highrise buildings, while the | | | | commercial buildings sheltered from the elements. |
| residential areas outside of the core mostly consist | | | | These "+15" walkways connect various shopping |
| of single-family homes rather than highrise | | | | areas and malls and allow you to explore Calgary's |
| apartments. Calgary, as the "Energy Capital of | | | | downtown core without ever setting foot outside. |
| Canada" and the centre of Canada's oil industry, is | | | | The name came about because these walkways had |
| experiencing rapid economic growth and people from | | | | to be at least 15 feet above the street below. |
| all over Canada are migrating here. The population | | | | Calgary is build on bedrock, and contrary to Toronto |
| today is roughly 1 million. | | | | or Montreal which both have a vast network of |
| Next we drove by McMahon Stadium, where | | | | underground walkways, Calgary has chosen to |
| Calgary's Stampeders football team is headquartered. | | | | provide weather shelter through elevated walkways. |
| This stadium was also used for the opening and | | | | From there we crossed the Elbow River and entered |
| closing ceremonies during the 1988 Olympic Games, | | | | the Kensington neighbourhood, one of Calgary's |
| another reason why Calgary made money on these | | | | primary restaurant and shopping areas. Our guide |
| games: by reusing and refunctioning existing facilities. | | | | pointed out a store owned by famous Belgian |
| Prudent financial management at work...... | | | | chocolatier Bernard Callebeaut who makes sweet |
| The next big item on the itinerary was "C.O.P.": | | | | local delicacies. I heard some people say that these |
| Canada Olympic Park, a place so interesting it | | | | are the "best chocolates in the world".... |
| deserves its own story. After our guided tour | | | | The next area on our menu was the Uptown 17th |
| through the Olympic facilities we drove on the | | | | Avenue neighbourhood, another area packed with |
| Sarcee Trail to get into downtown Calgary. Coming | | | | restaurants and shops. Last but not least, after |
| into town from the west side we had a very nice | | | | taking us on 4th Street, which also houses lots of |
| view of the cluster of skyscrapers downtown. While | | | | eateries and funky stories, Jocelyne took us all the |
| driving in through the residential areas, Jocelyne | | | | way to our bed and breakfast, the historic Twin |
| explained that a large number of residential | | | | Gables B&B, where we got to settle in after our |
| condominium developments are going up downtown. | | | | sneak peek at Calgary. |
| One example of the population explosion was the | | | | It was a whirlwind 4 hour tour through town and by |
| move of Canadian Pacific's headquarters from | | | | the end of it my head was spinning with all the |
| Montreal to Calgary in 1996 when 700 families moved | | | | information. But Jocelyne did a phenomenal job of |
| into town at the same time. | | | | acquainting us with her chosen hometown and it was |
| Calgary pays a lot of attention to the quality of life | | | | a perfect introduction to Calgary - "The Heart of the |
| of its residents. The city has hundreds of kilometers | | | | New West". |