Calgary is a phenomenon - the only metropolis in the world founded by a police force, and sure the only city anywhere whose inhabitants refer to her affectionately as a "cowtown".
It takes a little while before you catch on to what they mean by that. At first glance, this young urban giant, flexing steel and concrete muscles, seems as far removed from anything pastoral as Los Angeles is from the angels. What the locals are saying is that the spirit - the heart and soul - of their town has remained rural - wealth, high-rises, and traffic jams notwithstanding.
And in that they are right. Calgary is the friendliest place on the map, a city whose population consists of welcoming committees, where motorists smile after getting their fenders dented, where everybody seems to be competing for a National Niceness Award, and bus drivers tell you to "have a happy day" as if they cared.
It's a city that lives largely on oil but lives for that huge annual razzle-dazzle celebrated as the Calgary Stampede. A place where high-powered business executives who have never ridden a horse wear cowboy boots and invite you home for dinner after bumping into you on a street corner. Where a cop, seeing you lost, will walk you all the way to wherever you want to go and give a running commentary on the sights en route. Where a waitress may show you photos of her kids between courses and a total stranger may offer to share his umbrella to save you a drenching.
Niceness, however, doth not a city make. One famous Canadian author described Calgary as "looking like it was uncrated only an hour before you got there." And he isn't altogether wrong.
Historically Calgary dates back just over a century. It was born in the summer of 1875, when a detachment of the North West Mounted Police, advancing westward, reached the confluence of the Bow and Elbow Rivers. They built a solid log fort there, and by the end of the year the fortified spot had attracted 600 settlers.
Gradually the lush prairie lands around the settlement drew tremendous beef herds, many of them from the overgrazed U.S. ranches in the south. Calgary grew into a cattle;e metropolis, a big meat-packing center, large by cowboy standards - but not by any other. When World War II closed, it numbered barely 100,000 souls and life was placid.
The oil boom erupted in the late 1960s, and in one decade utterly changed the pace and complexion of the city. Alberta produces nearly all the oil in Canada, earning provincials the nickname of "blue-eyed Arabs." And about 80% of the country's oil and subsidiary companies have their headquarters in Calgary - or are trying to get them there. Modern Calgary is thus a little less than 40 years old, the diaper stage of urban development.
The population shot up to 620,00 and is growing at a pace that makes statisticians dizzy. In 1978 alone, $1 billion worth of construction was added to the skyline, creating office high-rises, hotel blocks, walkways, and shopping centers so fast even locals weren;t sure what was around the next corner.
The recession caused by the world's oil glut cooled Calgary's overheated growth considerably. But- at least from the visitor's angle - this enhanced the city's attractiveness. The once-ubiquitous rooftop cranes that marred its skyline have disappeared. The ever-present clouds of cement dust that accompanied the construction boom have blown away. And instead of new luxury restaurants, Calgary is now sprouting a welcome crop of small family eateries together with outdoor cafes and neighborhood taverns. The bursting of the oil bubble may have grieved local developers and caused an exodus of transient workers, but it made Calgary a vastly more enjoyable spot to drop in on.
In February 1988 Calgary was the site of the Winter Olympics, which gave it the opportunity to roll out the welcome mat on a truly international scale. The city outdid itself in hospitality, erecting a whole network of facilities for the occasion. One of the finest stands permanently. This is the Canada Olympic Park, by the Trans Canada Highway, some 15 minutes west of downtown. The park was the site of the ski-jumping, bobsled and skiing events, and contains the Olympic Hall of Fame, now one of Calgary's proudest landmarks. So even if you didn't make it to the games, you can admire some of the marvels they left in their wake.
ORIENTATION: Central Calgary lies between the Bow River in the north and the Elbow River to the south. The two rivers meet at the eastern end of the city, forming St. George's Island, which houses a park and the zoo. South of the island stands Fort Calgary, birthplace of the city. The Bow River makes a bend north of downtown and in this bend nestles Prince's Island with another park. Between Ninth and Tenth Avenues run the Canadian Pacific Railway tracks and south of the tracks stretch Central Park and Stampede PArk, scene of Calgary's greatest annual festival.
For sheer muddle, central Calgary's street-numbering system is matched only by central London - which has the excuse of being some 900 years older. The city is divided into four segments: northeast (NE), southeast (SE), northwest (NW), and southwest (SW), with avenues running east-west and streets north-south. The north and south numbers begin at Centre Avenue, the east and west numbers at Centre Street- a recipe for confusion if there ever was one.
Even if you faithfully remember that downtown Calgary consists of one-way streets, and make sure of driving the right way, you're in for a hair-raising shock. For Seventh Avenue, which goes east-west, has one lane on which buses and taxis hurtle towards you east to west! That's their privilege. So pull over, try to control your shaking hands, and smile.
Beyond the downtown area the going gets easier. In fact, beautiful. Calgary nudges the foothills between the Rocky Mountains to the west and the endless prairies to the east. A short drive northeast lie the Drumheller Badlands, an awesome configuration that yield the dinosaur skeletons you'll see in the city museums. This is also the direction of the International Airport. Northwest, just across the Bow River, spreads the lovely campus of the University of Calgary. Southwest runs a vast pattern of parks, golf courses, and nature trails surrounding the sparkling Glenmore Reservoir. And farther south begins the rich rural landscape of farming communities and baronial cattle ranches.
Because of her high altitude the city is dry and very sunny as well as windy, and even in the heat of summer it tends to be cold in the shade. Summer "heat" is a relative matter here. July and August, the warmest months, rarely climb above 75F or so.
THE CALGARY STAMPEDE: Every year, in July, Calgary puts on the biggest, wildest, woolliest western fling on earth. To call the Stampede a show would be a misnomer. The whole town, plus several more towns of visitors, participate by going mildly crazy for the occasion, donning western gear, whooping, hollering, dancing, and generally behaving uproariously.
The organized events spill over into the streets, but most of them take place in Stampede Park, a show, sports, and exhibition ground built for just that purpose. Portions of the park become amusement areas, whirling, spinning, and rotating with the latest rides. Others are set aside especially for kids, who romp through Little Britches Land and the Petting Zoo. Still other areas have concerts, livestock shows, food and handcraft exhibitions, free lectures and dance performances.
The top attractions, though, are the Stampede regulars, drawing immense and fanatically enthusiastic audiences, some held in daytime, some in the evening. The world-famous Chuckwagon Race has oldtime cowboy cook wagons thundering around the track in a fury of dust and pounding hooves, competing for the $275,000+ prize money.
The rodeo events are the biggest and roughest of their kind in North America. Cowboys from all over the continent ride bucking broncos and bulls, rope calves, and wrestle steers for prize money totaling more than $500,000. At night the arena becomes a blaze of lights when the Stampede Stage Show - the largest outdoor extravaganza in the world - takes over with precision-kicking dancing girls, clowns, bands and glamor spectacles.
On top of that, the Stampede offers a food fair, an art show, dancing exhibitions, an International Bazaar, a gambling casino, lotteries and the chance of winning the Stampede Dream Home.
Let me tell you right now that Calgary is packed for the occasion, not just to the rafters but way out into the surrounding countryside. Booking ahead for accommodations is essential - as many months ahead as you can possibly foresee your arrival.
For more information regarding tickets, write to the Calgary Exhibition & Stampede, P.O. Box 1860, Calgary, Alberta T2P 2M7.