Canada - Alberta - Banff National Park

CANADA
BANFF NATIONAL PARK

Sent by Coleen, a WiP partner from Canada.

This is from Wikipedia : Banff National Park (pronunciation: /ˈbæmf/) is Canada's oldest national park, established in 1885 in the Rocky Mountains. The park, located 110–180 kilometres (70–110 mi) west of Calgary in the province of Alberta, encompasses 6,641 square kilometres (2,564 sq mi) of mountainous terrain, with numerous glaciers and ice fields, dense coniferous forest, and alpine landscapes. The Icefields Parkway extends from Lake Louise, connecting to Jasper National Park in the north. Provincial forests and Yoho National Park are neighbours to the west, while Kootenay National Park is located to the south and Kananaskis Country to the southeast. The main commercial centre of the park is the town of Banff, in the Bow River valley.

The Canadian Pacific Railway was instrumental in Banff's early years, building the Banff Springs Hotel and Chateau Lake Louise, and attracting tourists through extensive advertising. In the early 20th century, roads were built in Banff, at times by war internees, and through Great Depression-era public works projects. Since the 1960s, park accommodations have been open all year, with annual tourism visits to Banff increasing to over 5 million in the 1990s. Millions more pass through the park on the Trans-Canada Highway. As Banff is one of the world's most visited national parks, the health of its ecosystem has been threatened. In the mid-1990s, Parks Canada responded by initiating a two-year study, which resulted in management recommendations, and new policies that aim to preserve ecological integrity.

Canada - Alberta - Calgary Stampede (2)

Chuckwagons may have been invented to provide food and supplies for cowboys out on the range, but here at the Calgary Stampede they serve a different and more exciting purpose. The chucks and their crews barrel around the track in a nail-biting competition, making chuckwagon racing the signature event at the stampede.

Sent by Merideth, a postcrosser from Alberta, Canada.

Canada - Alberta - Edmonton

Edmonton has a northern continental climate with extreme seasonal temperatures. It has mild summers and chilly winters, withe the average daily temperatures ranging from -11.7°C (10.9°F) in January to 17.5°C (63.5°F) in July. Annually, temperatures exceed 30°C (86°F) on an average of three days and fall below -20°C (-4°F) on an average of twenty-eight days.

Sent by Cassandra, a postcrosser from Canada.

This is from Wikipedia : Edmonton ( /ˈɛdməntən/) is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.

The city and its census metropolitan area had populations of 730,372 and 1,034,945 as of the 2006 Census respectively, making it the northernmost North American city with a metropolitan population over one million. The city's 2009 civic census showed a population of 782,439, while Statistics Canada estimated its metropolitan population at 1,155,383 in 2009, making it the sixth-largest metropolitan area in the nation. A resident of Edmonton is known as an Edmontonian.

The majority of Edmonton's metropolitan population lives within the City of Edmonton rather than in the surrounding suburban municipalities. Historically Edmonton was surrounded by few other urban municipalities and many of the nearby settlements that did exist were absorbed through amalgamation or annexation. Edmonton annexed a significant amount of land up until the early 1980s, and as such it has sustained much of the region's suburban growth within the city.

Edmonton serves as the northern anchor of the Calgary–Edmonton Corridor and is a staging point for large-scale oil sands projects occurring in northern Alberta and large-scale diamond mining operations in the Northwest Territories.

Edmonton is a cultural, governmental and educational centre. It plays host to a year-round slate of world-class festivals, earning it the title of "The Festival City." It is home to North America's largest mall, West Edmonton Mall (the world's largest mall from 1981 until 2004), and Fort Edmonton Park, Canada's largest living history museum. In 2004, Edmonton celebrated the centennial of its incorporation as a city.

Canada - Alberta

Home in the foothills. Alberta, Canada.

Sent by Garnet, a postcrosser from Canada.

Alberta /ælˈbɜrtə/ is a province of Canada. It had a population of 3,645,257 in 2011, making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces. Alberta and its neighbour, Saskatchewan, were established as provinces on September 1, 1905.

Alberta is located in western Canada, bounded by the provinces of British Columbia to the west and Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Territories to the north, and the U.S. state of Montana to the south. Alberta is one of three Canadian provinces and territories to border only a single U.S. state and is also one of only two provinces that are landlocked.

Edmonton, the capital city of Alberta, is located near the geographic centre of the province and is the primary supply and service hub for Canada's oil sands and other northern resource industries. Approximately 290 km (180 mi) south of the capital is Calgary, Alberta's largest city and a major distribution and transportation hub. Calgary and Edmonton centre Alberta's two census metropolitan areas, both of which have populations exceeding 1 million, while the province has 16 census agglomerations. Notable tourist destinations in the province include Banff, Canmore, Drumheller, Jasper and Sylvan Lake.

The current Premier of the province is Alison Redford. (Source)

Canada - Alberta - Calgary Stampede (1)

CALGARY, ALBERTA
The annual Calgary Stampede provides enjoyment for all including these native children dressed up in their colorful costumes.

Sent by Kendra from Calgary in Canada.

This is from Wikipedia : The Calgary Stampede is an annual rodeo, exhibition and festival held every July in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The ten-day event, which bills itself as The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth, attracts over one million visitors per year and features the world's largest rodeo, a parade, midway, stage shows, concerts, agricultural competitions, chuckwagon racing and First Nations exhibitions. Calgary takes on a party atmosphere during Stampede; residents don western wear and events held across the city include ever popular pancake breakfasts and barbecues.

The Stampede's roots are traced to 1886 when the Calgary and District Agricultural Society held its first fair. American promoter Guy Weadick launched the first rodeo in 1912 though the second was not held until 1919 when the Victory Stampede was organized to honour soldiers returning from World War I. A 1923 merger with the Calgary Industrial Exhibition created the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede and it has been an annual event since. Over two million people visit Stampede Park annually as events are held throughout the year.

With over $2 million in prizes, the Stampede is among the richest rodeos in the world and attracts top competitors from across North America.