40 Interesting Facts About Calgary

Facts About Calgary

Facts About Calgary

  • Calgary is a city in the western Canadian province of Alberta.
  • Calgary is situated at the confluence of the Bow River and the Elbow River in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie.
  • The Estimated Population of Calgary is 1,581,000, as of 2021.
  • Calgary has a world-class public library. It’s the sixth most used library in North America.
  • Calgary was named after Calgary on the Isle of Mull, Scotland, United Kingdom. In turn, the name originates from a compound of kald and gart, similar Old Norse words, meaning “cold” and “garden”, likely used when named by the Vikings who inhabited the Inner Hebrides.
  • Calgary’s economy includes activity in the energy, financial services, film and television, transportation and logistics, technology, manufacturing, aerospace, health and wellness, retail, and tourism sectors.
  • The Calgary Zoo is rated the third-best in North America.
  • The City of Calgary, 848 km2 in size, consists of an inner-city surrounded by suburban communities of various density.
  • The Calgary area was inhabited by pre-Clovis people whose presence has been traced back at least 11,000 years.
  • The newest pedestrian bridge in Calgary is the Peace Bridge. Designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, the bridge is unique, red and made of 850-metric-tonne steel.
  • The Calgary Metropolitan Region is home to Canada’s second-highest number of corporate head offices among the country’s 800 largest corporations.
  • Calgary is the sixth-largest television market in Canada.
  • The Calgary Stampede features the largest rodeo in the world.
  • The wind in Calgary is often called a Chinook. It’s a hot, dry wind that comes from the west over the Rocky Mountains.
  • There are 88 days of the year on average with snow on the ground.
  • The City of Calgary maintains trade development programs, cultural and educational partnerships in twinning agreements with six cities: Quebec City, Canada; Jaipur, India; Naucalpan, Mexico; Daqing, China; Daejeon, South Korea and Phoenix, United States of America.
  • The coldest temperature ever recorded was -45°C (-49ºF) in F°ebruary, 1893.
  • Restaurateur Walter Chell invented the cocktail in 1969 to celebrate the opening of a new Italian restaurant in Calgary.
  • The warmest day ever recorded was 36.1°C (97°F) in July 1919.
  • John Glenn was the first documented European settler in the Calgary area, in 1873.
  • There is no provincial sales tax in Calgary.
  • There are 14 towers that are at least 150 metres or taller in downtown Calgary.
  • Calgary has four major adult acute care hospitals and one major pediatric acute care site: the Alberta Children’s Hospital, the Foothills Medical Centre, the Peter Lougheed Centre, the Rockyview General Hospital and the South Health Campus.
  • The Bow is Calgary’s tallest office tower and the 8th tallest building in Canada.
  • Calgary has two professional sports teams: the Calgary Flames and the Calgary Stampeders.
  • In 1988, Calgary became the first Canadian city to host the Winter Olympic Games.
  • The city anchors the south end of what Statistics Canada defines as the “Calgary–Edmonton Corridor”.
  • There are more volunteers per capita than any other Canadian city.
  • The Calgary Fire of 1886 occurred on November 7, 1886, Fourteen buildings were destroyed.
  • Calgary is the third most diverse major city in Canada with more than 120 languages spoken in the city.
  • Oil was first discovered in Alberta in 1902, Calgary quickly found itself at the centre of the ensuing oil boom.
  • In July 2007, the city annexed Shepard, a former hamlet, and placed its boundaries adjacent to the Hamlet of Balzac and City of Chestermere.
  • The Economist Intelligence Unit ranked Calgary the most livable city in North America in both 2018 and 2019.
  • In 1997 Calgary hosted The World Police & Fire Games hosting over 16,000 athletes from all over the world.
  • Downtown Calgary is about 1,045 m (3,428 ft) above sea level.
  • The median age in Calgary is a sprightly 36 years.
  • Calgary’s daily newspapers include the Calgary Herald, Calgary Sun, and StarMetro.
  • Calgary is Canada’s sunniest city, with 333 average sunshine days per year.
  • The oldest park in Calgary, Central Memorial Park, dates back to 1911.
  • Naheed Nenshi is the first Muslim to become a mayor in Canada. 
Facts About Calgary
Facts About Calgary