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>> About Edmonton
Edmonton,
the capital city of the province of Alberta, has an metropolis
population of about 875,000 and is a city for all seasons -- and
all tastes. With its unique blend of big city style and small-town
hospitality, Edmonton has the best of both worlds.
Home to one of Canada's largest research-intensive
universities, Edmonton has rapidly growing hi-tech economy based
on engineering, natural resource exploration, biotechnology, nanotechnology
and information technology. Edmonton also boasts the lowest cost
of living among Canada's major cities. The low Canadian dollar
($1 Cdn ~ $0.64 US) also means that international visitors will
be pleasantly surprised how inexpensive fine food and 4 star
accommodation can be. Overall, Edmonton is a safe, "green" city
noted for its friendly people, clean air, and healthy environment.
Edmonton summers are very pleasant with up to 18
hours of sunlight per day and daytime temperatures averaging 18
°C (64 °F) with relatively low humidity. The long summer days
are great for riverside walks, golf, cycling tours and exploring
around town. A great place for visitors to explore is the North
Saskatchewan River, which winds through the heart of the city.
This beautiful valley, which is filled with wildlife, hiking trails
and boreal forests, includes North America's longest stretch of
urban parkland. More than 50 kilometres of trails are designated
for biking, hiking, jogging and cross-country skiing. There are
also more than 50 golf
courses within a one-hour drive. The world famous Banff
and Jasper
National Parks, which offer excellent skiing in the winter and
outstanding hiking and sightseeing in the summer, are only four
hours away.
Edmonton has more than 2000 restaurants
and many shopping centres, including North America's largest indoor
shopping and amusement venue, West
Edmonton Mall. The recently opened
Winspear Centre houses a professional symphony orchestra, opera
and ballet companies.
Host of the 2001 World Track and Field Championships
and prior hosts to the World Universiade Games (1983) and the
Commonwealth Games (1978), Edmonton has some of the most outstanding
facilities for amateur and professional sports anywhere in North
America. Known as the "City of Champions", Edmonton is also plays
host to several major league sports teams which include the Oilers
in hockey, the Eskimos
in football, and the Trappers
in Triple A baseball.
 As
Alberta's capital, Edmonton is home to Alberta's beautiful legislature
building and legislature grounds – both of which are a short
subway ride from downtown. Edmonton also has three superb museums:
the Provincial Museum,
the Space and Sciences Centre (the Odyssium)
and Fort
Edmonton Park. These highly interactive facilities attract
hundreds of thousands of visitors a year. As a "green" city,
Edmonton has an extensive transit
system including a modern bus fleet and a clean, quiet subway
(LRT) which connects the downtown core to all of Edmonton's major
attractions, educational institutions and larger shopping malls.
Travel on the subway throughout the downtown area is free.
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