A plan for Calgary

History

Calgary was founded as Fort Brisebois by the Northwest Mounted Police (NWMP) in 1875. (The name was changed to Fort Calgary in 1876, named after Calgary Bay on the Isle of Mull.) The NWMP was sent west to ensure that Canada would not have an American-style "Wild West". Grave concerns about this were raised after the Cypress Hills Massacre of natives by drunken wolf hunters in 1873. Calgary was one of several forts established in Western Canada by the NWMP to ensure a police presence before the arrival of settlers.

In 1883, the railway reached Calgary. It started to grow in every direction and became an agricultural and business hub. In 1884, Calgary was incorporated as a town in what was then the North West Territories. By 1894, Calgary's population had grown to 3900 people and it was incorporated as a city.

Alberta's first major oil and natural gas field was discovered in 1914 at Turner Valley, 60 km south of Calgary. Subsequent discoveries kept the oil and gas scene active in the Turner Valley area for the next 30 years. When the Turner Valley fields were depleted, the next major oil and gas find was at Leduc (near Edmonton) in 1947. By then, Calgary was already established as a centre of oil and gas business.

During the 1950s, oil became big in Calgary and major American oil companies started heading to Calgary and opening offices. The boom extended into the next twenty years, bringing the city to 720,000 people in the metro area by 1985. The relatively low-key low-rise downtown became filled with a sea of skyscrapers, starting with the Calgary Tower and some other towers in the 1960s. By the 1980s, Calgary's luck turned, and a drop in oil prices sent the Calgary metro economy downward. Unemployment raged, vacancies surged, and growth was slow or even negative in some years.

Individual listings can be found in Calgary's district articles

The pamphlet titled "Calgary attractions" has discount coupons for 14 tourist attractions. Some coupons are modest such as $1 off Calgary Tower admission, but others can be substantial such as 50% off a second admission to Heritage Park Historical Village. The pamphlet is available at the Tourism Calgary airport kiosk (arrival level) or in the ground floor lobby of the Calgary Tower.(Jun 2016)

Landmarks

Calgary Tower (in City Centre). The Calgary Tower may not be quite as impressive as the CN Tower in Toronto, but it still commands a great view over the city and its surroundings. On a clear day you can see the Rockies to the west. It features a revolving gourmet restaurant, a bar, and an observation deck. The tower is best approached from 8th Avenue, as the 10th Avenue side is dominated by railway tracks, parking lots, & parkades.

Stampede Park (in City Centre). The site of Calgary's world-famous exhibition and rodeo, the Calgary Stampede grounds are east of the Beltline in Victoria Park. Not only are the grounds the site of the excitement of every July's Calgary Stampede, they also house a conference and exhibition centre (the BMO Centre) and a casino.

Museums & educational attractions

Calgary Central Library (in City Centre). Flagship branch of the Calgary Public Library, opened on November 1, 2018. 240,000-square-foot (22,000 m2) interior centres around a four-storey central atrium topped by a skylight. The lower floors contain the library's meeting spaces and activity centres, while the upper floors feature book stacks with space for 450,000 titles and a reading room. Also features a 340-seat theatre, conference rooms, and small café. Named one of the 12 Most Anticipated Buildings of 2018 by Architectural Digest.

Calgary Zoo (in Northeast). The world-class Calgary Zoo is home to over 1,000 animals from all over the world, as well as to the Botanical Garden and a Prehistoric Park for dinosaur lovers. It is the second largest zoo in Canada.

Events and festivals

In date order:

Calgary Stampede, Stampede Park (in City Centre), ☏ +1 403-269-9822, toll-free: +1-800-661-1767. (July, 10 days). During Stampede Week, the whole city goes western! During "the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth", there are events all around the city, but the highlights are the rodeo and chuckwagon races which boast the world's richest prizes, as well as a performance of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Musical Ride. Over the years concerns have been raised about the treatment of animals at the event.

1 High Performance Rodeo (in City Centre). (January, 3 weeks) This unconventional international festival of theatre, dance, music, comedy, visual art, and more has been gracing Calgary venues of all sorts for over 25 years.

Calgary International Salsa Congress, Hyatt Regency Calgary, 700 Centre St SE (in City Centre), info@calgarysalsacongress.com. (March, 2 days) Weekend of all-night salsa parties and Latin dance performances featuring both world-class and local talent. Includes qualifiers for the World Latin Dance Cup. $50-80.

Calgary Spoken Word Festival (various locations). (April, 2 weeks) Canada's largest spoken word festival takes place in bars, pubs, bookshops, and an intimate theatre setting. Poetry slams, workshops, and the Golden Beret Award.

Calgary Expo (Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo), Stampede Park (in City Centre), info@calgaryexpo.com. (April, 3 days) Pop culture festival featuring fantasy, sci-fi, horror, gaming, comics, anime and manga.

FunnyFest Calgary Comedy Festival (various locations), ☏ +1 403-228-7888, tickets@funnyfest.com. (Late May, early June; 11 days) A festival of comedy in halls, clubs, pubs, and bars across Calgary. Free to $25.

Lilac Festival, 4 Street SW; between 13 Ave SW and Elbow Drive) (in City Centre), ☏ +1 403-453-7424. (June, 1 day) Annual street festival features over 500 vendors such as entertainment stages, street dancing, musical talent, artisan vendors, food, and other business stalls.

Sled Island Festival (various locations), ☏ +1 403-229-2901, info@sledisland.com. (June, 4 days) Independent music and visual arts festival, which takes place at over 30 venues.

Individual listings can be found in Calgary's district articles

Calgary offers a wide variety of dining options. While Calgary doesn't have a single signature dish, residents are very proud of Alberta beef, and Calgarians are discerning customers of steakhouses. Speaking of beef, the popular Chinese-Canadian dish of ginger beef was invented in Calgary in the 1970s. Chocolaterie Bernard Callebaut (also called Cococo), winner of international awards for chocolate-making, is based in Calgary, with many stores in the city.

Calgary is also home to a very culturally diverse population, with a very wide selection of international restaurants, especially from East and Southeast Asia, and the Mediterranean from Italy through Lebanon. Calgary is, however, generally lacking in decent Mexican food, and the inland location means that a good meal of seafood is sometimes hard to find. The highest density of restaurants are located along 17th Avenue (Beltline), 4th Street (Mission), or Stephen (8th) Avenue - all located in the City Centre district.

Restaurants in the downtown area are very busy between noon and 1PM on weekdays due to the lunch crowd of office workers; if you can, try to stagger your lunch to start around 11:15 or 1:30. You'll face much shorter lineups. Buffets are often only prepared once for lunchtime, and visiting a buffet after 12:15 or so will typically be a depressing dining experience.

Calgary is also the city of founding for major Canadian restaurant chains Hy's, JOEY, Jugo Juice, Edo Japan, CRAFT Beer Market, OPA! of Greece, Smitty's, Original Joe's, and Moxies. (The original Calgary Hy's Steakhouse closed in 2006.)

Calgary's most abundant ethnic specialty is Vietnamese. Most neighbourhoods have at least one Vietnamese noodle shop or Vietnamese sub (banh mi) joint.

Individual listings can be found in Calgary's district articles

Calgary is the original home of the Caesar cocktail, sometimes called Canada's national cocktail. There are many bars throughout the city, although the core is where the trendiest clubs are. There is also the ever-popular 17th Avenue SW (in City Centre), home to the Red Mile.

CRAFT Beer Market. 100 local and international beers, including a one-of-a-kind weekly cask brew, and an extensive list of wine, cocktails and spirits. Three locations throughout Calgary.

National. Restaurant & entertainment venue inspired by North American tastes, with games and events, extraordinary food, and select craft beers. Three locations throughout Calgary.

Ranchman's Cookhouse and Dance Hall (in Southwest). Year-round destination for all things Western: line dancing, country music, and more. Very popular during Stampede Week.

Calgary has a large selection of craft breweries and craft distilleries located throughout the city.

Wild Rose Brewery. A Calgary-based brewery founded in 1996. Popular beers include their IPA and their Velvet Fog wheat ale. (updated Jun 2019)

Bridgeland Distillery, 77 Edmonton Trail NE, Calgary. A Calgary-based distillery showcasing Tradition, Innovation and Terroir: Brandy and Whisky Makers. Guided Tours on Friday-Saturday-Sunday. Book tour online (updated May 2023)

Cafés

Starbucks and Tim Horton's are everywhere in Calgary. If you're looking for something different, try one of these.

Analog Cafe. Local coffee chain serving Fratello coffee (sister company). Seven locations throughout Calgary.

Good Earth Coffeehouse and Bakery. Calgary-based Good Earth has nearly 30 locations across Calgary, and others across Western Canada. Many of their cafes have patios.

Rosso Coffee Roasters. Local coffee company with direct sourced coffee. Offers grab-and-go as well as a pour over bar. Seven locations throughout Calgary.

Waves Coffee House. "Waves" refers both to the Vancouver origin of this coffee chain, and also to the fact that every location has free wi-fi. Nearly 10 locations across Calgary.

By transit

It can be fairly easy to get to most destinations of interest by bus and/or light rail transit (LRT, trams). In the downtown core, 7th Avenue South is for public transit only.

Calgary's public transit system was established in 1909. The first leg of Calgary's LRT (tram) system was completed in 1987 as part of preparation for the 1988 Winter Olympics. Today, the LRT lines are the backbone of Calgary Transit. Calgary's LRT is called the C-Train (or CTrain) and runs reliably, frequently, and is entirely accessible, with elevators at every station. In the downtown, you can ride the C-Train for free for 14 city blocks along the length of 7th Avenue.

Information about the transit system is available on Calgary Transit's website, or by phoning their information line +1 403-262-1000 from 6AM–9PM, local time. Train times are displayed on large electronic signs at stations, using Calgary Transit's real-time information system. Next bus information can be obtained by calling Teleride at +1 403-974-4000, or texting 74000 with the bus stop number, which can be found on the bus stop sign. Both services now offer real-time information when available (e.g. the next bus).

Calgary Transit offers a real-time bus information system that displays stop and schedule information on buses.

The transit system is well set up for the extreme highs and lows of Calgary's climate, with many heated and sheltered waiting areas at stations and universal heating/air-conditioning aboard vehicles.

Fares

Buy your tickets on the Calgary Transit My Fare app, from ticket machines (at all LRT and select bus stations) or on board buses from the driver (exact change only). As of 2026, transit tickets ($4/adult, $2.65/youth 13-16, 12 and under free) permit 90 minutes of travel on trains and buses, with round trips allowed. Day passes ($12.65/adult, $9.25/youth) are also available at most convenience stores and on the app. Ticket machines at C-Train stations and platforms sell day passes and regular tickets. These machines accept coins (but not bills), credit cards, and debit cards. A monthly pass can also be purchased for unlimited usage within the pass's calendar month ($126/adult $86/youth), but is not cost justified unless you intend to travel daily, and especially not if you are more than half-way through the current month.

Although Calgary is generally a very safe place, walking at night should be avoided in the East Village and Victoria Park areas of downtown (generally speaking, this is the area adjacent to the Stampede Grounds and north to the Bow River). Calgary's 2011 murder rate of 1.1 murders per 100,000 inhabitants was, for example, roughly one-tenth the murder rate of Minneapolis and one-twentieth that of Memphis. Always keep your wits about you when the bars close, regardless of the area of town.

Calgary drivers are typical drivers for a mid-sized western North American city. Culturally, Calgary is a mash-up of small town culture and big city living, and driving in Calgary is no exception. If you come from a small town in rural North America, the drivers would be considerably more aggressive than you are used to. If you are from a larger busier urban area, or are from Europe for instance, Calgary drivers can be considered quite timid and under-skilled. A driver from New York, London or even Montreal and Toronto would consider the Calgary driver to lack confidence more than anything. Calgarians are generally quite aware of pedestrians and usually give pedestrians right of way, as required by law. Calgarians are generally safe and cautious (some consider overly cautious) drivers, though.