Summer Information For Edmonton In Alberta






Jul 5, 08

Edmonton
Alberta

"Gateway to the North"

Edmonton, Alberta's capital city, is sometimes called the "Gateway to the North." It has a long history dating back to 1795 when Hudson's Bay Company established a trading post called Edmonton House.

In 1826, Fort Edmonton was established and in 1892 Edmonton was incorporated. The town earned its nickname when it served as a stopover for prospectors on their way north to the Klondike gold rush of 1897.

A Beautiful Location

Edmonton is located on the Trans Canada Yellowhead Highway. This route, known as the easiest and most scenic drive across western Canada, heads east into Saskatchewan and Manitoba or west through Jasper National Park and on to Vancouver, B.C.

Winding its way through the city is the North Saskatchewan River Valley. This natural corridor is the longest stretch of urban parkland in North America. It encompasses more than 18,000 acres and offers more than 60 miles of paths for walking, jogging, bicycling or in-line skating.

Several parks and recreation areas are nearby, including Elk Island National Park, 30 miles east of Edmonton. The park is Canada's first federal wildlife sanctuary and contains bison, elk and moose. Visitors can take one of several hiking trails or play a round on the championship golf course.

Golfers will find more than 50 public courses in the Edmonton area, including Victoria, the oldest municipal golf course in the country, dating back to 1907.

Cooking Lake-Blackfoot Provincial Recreation Area is a short distance east of the city, where a network of trails covering 93 miles is available for hikers, mountain bikers and horseback riders.

Museums and Entertainment

One of the main attractions here is the gigantic West Edmonton Mall. It has the distinction of being the world's largest shopping and entertainment complex. It has countless activities and shopping possibilities with more than 800 stores and services, 110 eating establishments, 19 movie theaters, an amusement park, a casino and a five-acre giant wave pool.

Edmonton has several museums to fill up the day, including the Edmonton Space & Science Centre, Alberta Aviation Museum and the Provincial Museum of Alberta.

This city is packed full of entertaining events. The Jazz City International Music Festival, Edmonton's Klondike Days and the Edmonton Heritage Festival are just a sampling of what Edmonton offers summer visitors.

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