CANADA

Calgary is situated where the prairies end and the foothills begin. As such, it is the eastern gateway to the Rocky Mountains and an important centre of trade and tourism for the western prairies. Calgary is the heart of the largest metropolitan area between Toronto and Vancouver, with over 1,220,000 people as of 2009, making it Canada's fourth largest metropolitan area. Downtown features an eclectic mix of restaurants and bars, cultural venues, public squares and shopping centres. In 1988, Calgary became the first Canadian city to host the Olympic Winter Games.

Prince's Island Park
Prince's Island Park is an urban park in the city of Calgary. It is developed on an island on the Bow River, immediately north of downtown Calgary. The island has a surface of 20 hectares and is linked by three bridges to Eau Claire and downtown Calgary and a north bridge to Memorial Drive and the community of Crescent Heights. It is part of the pathway and hiking trail system lining both sides of the Bow River. The southern arm of the river has been landscaped, while the eastern end of the island re-creates a wetland environment. The park hosts many festivals such as the Calgary Folk Music Festival and Canada Day celebration.

Calgary Tower
The Calgary Tower is a 191 metre free standing observation tower in Downtown Calgary. The tower was built at a cost of $3,500,000 and weighs approximately 10,900 tonnes, of which 60% is below ground. It opened to the public on June 30, 1968 as the tallest structure in Calgary, and the tallest in Canada outside of Toronto. It was renamed the Calgary Tower in 1971. A glass floor extension was constructed on the north side of the tower's observation deck and opened on June 24, 2005. When standing on the glass, one can look straight down on 9th Avenue South and Centre Street.

Calgary Zoo
The Calgary Zoo is located in Bridgeland just east of the city's downtown and adjacent to the Inglewood and East Village neighbourhoods. It is accessible via Calgary's C-Train light rail system, by car via Memorial Drive and by bicycle and footpath via the Bow River pathway. The Calgary Zoo is the second largest zoo in Canada. The animal exhibits are organized by geographic region. The current exhibits include, Destination Africa, Canadian Wilds, Australia, Botanical gardens, Eurasia, Prehistoric Park and South America.

Telus World of Science
The Telus World of Science is a science museum with interactive exhibits, multimedia presentations and educational demonstrations. The Discovery Dome Theatre features films from across North America. In 2006 the Creative Kids Museum opened at the Telus World of Science, offering art-based learning. The Telus World of Science also hosts astronomy courses, school programs, youth programs, sleepovers, birthday parties, and various spring and summer science and art camps.

Devonian Gardens
Devonian Gardens is a large indoor park and botanical garden located in the downtown core of Calgary. Located on the Stephen Avenue pedestrian mall between 2 Street SW and 3 Street SW, the park is completely enclosed with glass and covers 2.5 acres on the top floor of The Core Shopping Centre (formerly TD Square). It is maintained by The City of Calgary Parks.

Devonian Gardens
Photo: Qyd

Canada Olympic Park
Canada Olympic Park is located in Calgary. It is currently used both for high performance athletic training and for recreational purposes by the general public. During the 1988 Winter Olympics, Canada Olympic Park was the primary venue for ski jumping, bobsleigh, and luge. In the winter, the park is also used for downhill skiing, snowboarding, and cross-country skiing. In the summer, COP is used for warm-weather sports such as mountain biking and is also the site of a number of summer festivals. The park is home to the Olympic Hall of Fame and Museum, a summer challenge course and zip line. Many summer camps are available.

The Core Shopping Centre
The Core Shopping Centre, which consists of TD Square, the Holt Renfrew building, and the former Calgary Eaton Centre, is the dominant shopping complex located in the downtown core of Calgary. It spans three city blocks and contains approximately 160 retailers on four levels. The property also contains four major office towers and the historic Lancaster Building. It is the busiest shopping centre in the city by pedestrian count, with around 250,000 visitors passing through each week. It also contains the Devonian Gardens, a unique 2.5-acre (1.0 ha) glass-enclosed indoor botanical park.

Glenbow Museum
The Glenbow Museum in Calgary is one of Western Canada's largest museums, with over 93,000 square feetof exhibition space in more than 20 galleries, showcasing a selection of the Glenbow's collection of over a million objects. The museum has four primary collections: cultural history, ethnology, military history and mineralogy. The Glenbow's art collection comprises 28,000 works, mainly dating from the 19th century to the present, primarily historical, modern, and contemporary work from or pertaining to the northwest of North America. The Glenbow's library contains 100,000 books, periodicals, newspapers, maps, and pamphlets with relevance to Western Canada, from the time buffalo roamed the plains, to the coming of the railroad and settlement of the West, to political, economic and social events in Alberta today.