Calgary is the largest city in the province of Alberta in the west of Canada. The city takes its name after a beach located on the Isle of Mull in Scotland. It is situated in a hilly region around 80km (50 miles) east of the Canadian Rockies. With almost a million inhabitants, Calgary is Canada’s third-largest city. It is very well known destination for winter sports and ecotourisim; a large number of popular resorts are located not far from the city.
In 1988, Calgary was the first Canadian city to host the Winter Olympic Games. The city also hosts a number of festivals throughout the year – amont some of the biggest are the FunnyFest Calgary Comedy Festival, the Folk Music Festival, the Greek Festival, the Calgary Fringe Festival, Summerstock, Expo Latino, the Lilac Festival, the GlobalFest, the Carifest, being the second-largest festival of Caribbean culture, and the Calgary Stampede, or Calgary Rodeo, which is held every July. The Stampede includes, among many other things, an internationally recognised rodeo, theatre productions, agricultural competitions, barbeque courses, a number of exhibitions and pancakes for breakfast served throughout the city. After its rennaissance in the 1990s, the city has become a hub for country music, being often called the "Nashville of the North".
Today, Calgary is a modern and cosmopolitan city, which has nonetheless kept a large part of its traditional culture, including western bars, saloons and, of course, hockey.
Accommodation in Calgary’s student residences
Calgary’s two largest universities are the University of Calgary and the Mount Royal University. During the summer vacations, many student halls are available as casual accommodation for people who visit the city. It should be understood that these residences are designed primarily for students and not children or adults expecting a high level of luxury. However, with this in mind, the halls do meet a level of comfort that we expect most visitors to be happy with, and we will welcome any feedback where this is not the case.
Getting around Calgary
Calgary is served by the International Airport of Calgary (YYC), located in the north-east of the city. It is also an important hub on the Trans-Canada Highway and the Canadian Pacific Railway. Most streets and roads follow a numbered grid pattern, formed by the streets running from east to west and north to south of the city. Roads in primarily residential areas tend not to be numbered, since they often do not conform with the grid layout. Calgary Transit runs the city’s public transport system, connecting the whole city wit a network of buses and trams.