May 2, 2012

City of Edmonton



Edmonton City is the capital of the province of Alberta, Canada and can be found on the North Saskatchewan River.

Alberta Legislature Building

It is a densely populated city which is hailed as being Alberta’s second-largest city, Canada’s fifth-largest municipality and Canada’s sixth largest city in terms of metropolitan population. Edmonton is also considered as a center for cultural, governmental and educational activities.

History of Edmonton

The city of Edmonton was originally known as Fort Edmonton; a fort established in 1795 as a major trading post for the Hudson’s Bay Company. It got its name from the hometown of the deputy governor of the company at that time. Edmonton’s economy grew as the years went by and when the Canadian Pacific Railway was established in 1885, it grew even further and attracted more settlers.

By 1892, Edmonton was incorporated into a town and eventually into a city by 1904. The city would then continue to experience further growth and expansion as additional railways were established such as the Canadian Northern Railway. Prior to the outbreak of World War 1, however, the city’s growth stopped and even declined.

The train in Fort Edmonton

Fortunately, Edmonton would eventually recover over the 1920’s onward and up to this day, still continues to experience further economic and infrastructural growth.

Tourism in Edmonton

Edmonton can simply be described as one of the many tourist-magnets in Canada. Having the nickname “The City of Festivals” due to the incredible number of yearly festivals held in the city has surely made the city an attraction all on its own. However, there are many destinations that tourists can opt to go aside from the festivals.

The following is a short list of some of the major attractions tourists commonly go to in Edmonton:

Downtown Edmonton

Downtown Edmonton

• The Alberta Legislature Building – The building, which has stood since the early 1900’s, is one of the city’s most notable landmarks and offers visitors a glimpse into the grandeur of the architecture back during that time while offering splendid views of the surrounding river.

• The Aquatics Entertainment Stage and Deep Sea Caverns – A major tourist attraction in the West Edmonton Mall Complex where over 200 aquatic species can be observed from the Deep Sea Caverns with separate venues for dolphin shows, penguins and a touch pool for children.

• Deep Sea Adventure – Another major and quite unusual attraction within the West Edmonton Mall Complex which gives visitors the opportunity to witness life “under the sea” through small yellow submarines. Some of the things which can be observed through the course of the adventure include beautiful coral reefs teeming with life and shipwrecks.

• The Odyssium – Formerly known as the Edmonton Space and Science Center, the Odyssium offers visitors a grand experience about science which can be experienced through the many hands-on attractions. Aside from that, there are also other areas of interest which include: science galleries, a learning center, an immense IMAX theater and an observatory. Tourists who have a passion for science will definitely have a great time here.

Manning drive Indian temple

How to Get to Edmonton

Getting to Edmonton can be done both through land and air transportation. For people who wish to travel by car, the following is a list of travel times from nearby cities to Edmonton:

  • Calgary, AB, Canada – 3 hours and 30 minutes
  • Vancouver, BC, Canada – 13-15 hours
  • Spokane, WA, United States – 11-13 hours
  • Seattle, WA, United States – 15-16 hours

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