The City of Edmonton

Edmonton is Alberta's provincial capital and is among the most northerly cities in Canada. It's location, about 300 kilometers north of Calgary and about 370 kilometers east of Jasper, makes it the main land gateway to the Yukon, Northwest Territories and Alaska.

Edmonton has a population of 937,845 (2001), spread over 670 square kilometers surrounded by the Municipalities of Leduc, Parkland, Sturgeon and Strathcona Counties. This makes it Canada's fifth largest city and one of the largest cities, by area, in North America. In turn, this gives the city one of the lowest population densities of any major North American city.

The city's greatest assets are the beautiful river valleys and parks, with a wide range of recreation facilities available including off leash areas, playgrounds, picnic sites, cycling and walking trails.

There is an abundance of Housing options available for renting or purchasing.

Due to its location on the 53rd latitude, the winters can be very cold with a lot of snow but on the other hand the summers are warm and the temperatures don't drop too much in the evenings. It boasts 17 hours of daylight in mid-summer and the magical Northern lights are at their peak in mid winter.

As the Capital city, there is an International Airport supported by a great Public Transport system with services by bus and LRT, both supplemented by plentiful licensed taxi's.

As Alberta's capital, the provincial government is administered in Edmonton, fortifying its role as the economic and Business Centre of the Province.

Though under the jurisdiction of the Alberta education system, the City Education is controlled by 3 school boards for all public, catholic and french schooling. Post secondary institutions are also numerous with the University of Alberta having a good reputation. If you have ANY questions regarding Preschool, Schools or Post Secondary establishments in Edmonton, follow the links to the contact information for the particular establishment (see City Education link above).

Edmonton has many different cultures which are reflected in the dining, shopping and entertainment opportunities of the city. One of the most famous attractions in the city is of course the West Edmonton Shopping Mall , the largest shopping and entertainment complex in the world.

If you prefer the high street shopping then Whyte Avenue in the historical area of Old Strathcona offers many specialty shops to suit every different taste.

The city is also well known for its festivals, there is an abundance of events that happen throughout the year, including the Edmonton International Fringe Festival, the largest North American alternative theatre event.

Called the City of Champions, the major sports teams tend to eclipse those of Calgary. The Edmonton Oilers are the city NHL team - home team of the world famous player Wayne Gretzky - tend to always make the NHL playoffs. The Eskimo's CFL team won the Gray cup in 2003 and are always contenders. The games between Edmonton and Calgary teams are known as the Battle of Alberta and are passionately played and supported.