Calgary

This week we move on to the Canadian province of Alberta….to the city of Calgary…..consistently finding itself in the list of the neatest cities in the world!

Calgary is the third most populous city in Canada after Toronto and Montreal .One of the important financial centers in Canada; it is the center of the oil industry in Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Bow and Elbow rivers. Being close to the Canadian Rockies; it is a starting point for many tours to the Rocky Mountains and is often called the gateway to the Rockies.

The advent of Europeans in the late 19th and early 20th centuries led to the discovery of oil reserves charting a trajectory of development around Calgary.

Our trip to Calgary

After a late night arrival at our friends house in Calgary due to a delayed flight, we started the day a little late.

Our friends took us on a picnic ….with a nicely packed picnic basket et all….we set off like excited teenagers to downtown Calgary.

Enroute, we saw downtown Calgary across the Bow River

Downtown Calgary…view across the Bow River

The Bow River

Next we headed to Peace Bridge…a unique looking bridge with a double helix structure across the Bow River. It has the nick name “finger trap bridge “for its similarity to the finger trap puzzle.

This bridge connects downtown Calgary with communities across the bow river. It was designed to accommodate the increasing numbers of commuters to and from work and has walking and cycling tracks. It is unique in that no beams or cables are included in the plan and is designed to support its own weight.

The opening shot in this blog is of the lit up Peace bridge.

The Peace Bridge

Peace Bridge….another view

We set up our picnic basket near the bridge and had a nice treat of Indian food.

Picnic by the Peace Bridge…some unforgettable memories….

Next we headed to Prince’s Island Park…a park built on an island in the Bow River. This park is an urban oasis and part of a pathway linking both sides of the river ….with a constructed wetland designed to treat storm water before it enters the Bow River!!!

This is a perfect example of River conservation…and how urban planners can effectively use the existing natural resources and make them sustainable over periods of time…at the same time; providing entertainment avenues to the locals and increasing the tourism potential. A lesson for us indeed!!!!!

Some pictures from Prince’s Island Park

Then we went to downtown Calgary and visited a mall where we had some goodies and coffee.

Devonian Garden is an indoor garden in downtown Calgary. This park is completely enclosed with glass and covers an area of 2.5 acres on the top floor of The Core Shopping Mall. It is an urban oasis and has play areas for children. It is also a popular venue for weddings. Some pictures…

Devonian gardens

Calgary Tower

An iconic structure in Calgary, it was originally called Husky Tower.It is an observation tower in downtown Calgary built in 1967 to celebrate Canada’s centennial.

Calgary Tower and Observation deck

Another important tourist destination here is the Living History Museum or Heritage park historical village.Many of the buildings are historical and were transported to the park to be displayed. Most of the exhibits are genuine artifacts.The exhibits span Canadian history from the 19th and early 20th centuries