Edmonton
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225859002
2008-07-15T19:00:29Z
Webfan29
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/* Media */
{{otheruses|Edmonton (disambiguation)}}
<!-- Infobox begins -->
{{Infobox Settlement
|official_name = Edmonton
|other_name =
|native_name = <!-- for cities whose native name is not in English -->
|nickname = City of Champions, Festival City-Live all year, Gateway to the North, E-Town, River City, Oil Capital of Canada, Oil Country
|settlement_type = <!--Fort Town or Village (Leave blank for the default City)-->
|motto = ''Industry, Integrity, Progress''
|image_skyline = Edm panorama2.jpg
|imagesize = 250px
|image_caption = View of Downtown Edmonton.
|image_flag = Edmonton-flag.png
|flag_size =
|image_seal =
|seal_size =
|image_shield = Edmonton coa.png
|shield_link = Coat of arms of Edmonton, Alberta
|shield_size =
|city_logo =
|citylogo_size =
|image_map = Edmonton, Alberta Location.png
|mapsize = 180px
|map_caption = Location of Edmonton within census division number 11, Alberta, Canada.
|image_map1 =
|mapsize1 =
|map_caption1 =
|image_dot_map =
|dot_mapsize =
|dot_map_caption =Location of Edmonton within census division number 11, Alberta, Canada.
|dot_x = |dot_y =
|pushpin_map = <!-- the name of a location map as per http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Location_map -->
|pushpin_label_position = <!-- the position of the pushpin label: left, right, top, bottom, none -->
|pushpin_map_caption =
|pushpin_mapsize =
|subdivision_type = Country
|subdivision_name = {{CAN}}
|subdivision_type1 = [[Provinces and territories of Canada|Province]]
|subdivision_name1 = {{AB}}
|subdivision_type2 = [[List of regions of Canada|Region]]
|subdivision_name2 = [[Edmonton Capital Region]]
|subdivision_type3 = [[Census divisions of Alberta|Census division]]
|subdivision_name3 = [[Division No. 11, Alberta|11]]
|subdivision_type4 =
|subdivision_name4 =
|government_footnotes =
|government_type =
|leader_title =Mayor
|leader_name =[[Stephen Mandel]]
|leader_title1 = Governing body
|leader_name1 =[[Edmonton City Council]]
|leader_title2 =Manager
|leader_name2 =Al Maurer
|leader_title3 =[[Members of the Canadian House of Commons|MPs]]
|leader_name3 = {{Collapsible list
|title = List of MPs
|frame_style = border:none; padding: 0;
|list_style = text-align:left;display:none;
|1=[[Rona Ambrose]]
|2=[[Ken Epp]]
|3=[[Peter Goldring]]
|4=[[Laurie Hawn]]
|5=[[Rahim Jaffer]]
|6=[[Mike Lake (politician)|Michael Lake]]
|7=[[James Rajotte]]
|8=[[John G. Williams]]}}
|leader_title4 =[[Legislative Assembly of Alberta|MLAs]]
|leader_name4 ={{Collapsible list
|title = List of MLAs
|frame_style = border:none; padding: 0;
|list_style = text-align:left;display:none;
|1 = [[Carl Benito]]
|2 = [[Naresh Bhardwaj]]
|3 = [[Laurie Blakeman]]
|4 = [[Doug Elniski]]
|5 = [[David Hancock]]
|6 = [[Fred Horne]]
|7 = [[Heather Klimchuk]]
|8 = [[Thomas Lukaszuk]]
|9 = [[Hugh MacDonald]]
|10 = [[Brian Mason]]
|11 = [[Rachel Notley]]
|12 = [[Peter Sandhu]]
|13 = [[Janice Sarich]]
|14 = [[Raj Sherman]]
|15 = [[Kevin Taft]]
|16 = [[Tony Vandermeer]]
|17 = [[David Xiao]]
|18 = [[Gene Zwozdesky]]}}
|established_title = Established
|established_date = 1795
|established_title2 = Incorporated (town)
|established_date2 = 1892
|established_title3 = Incorporated (city)
|established_date3 = 1905
|area_magnitude =
|unit_pref = <!--Enter: Imperial, if Imperial (metric) is desired-->
|area_footnotes =
<ref name=statcan2006/><ref name=statcan2006metro/>
|area_total_km2 = 684.37
|area_land_km2 =
|area_water_km2 =
|area_total_sq_mi =
|area_land_sq_mi =
|area_water_sq_mi =
|area_water_percent =
|area_urban_km2 =
|area_urban_sq_mi =
|area_metro_km2 = 9417.88
|area_metro_sq_mi =
|population_as_of = 2006
|population_footnotes =
<ref name=statcan2006/><ref name=statcan2006metro/>
|population_note =
|population_total = 730,372
|population_density_km2 = 1067.2
|population_density_sq_mi =
|population_metro = 1,076,103
|population_density_metro_km2 = 109.9
|population_density_metro_sq_mi =
|population_urban =
|population_density_urban_km2 =
|population_density_urban_sq_mi =
|population_blank1_title =[[List of the 100 largest municipalities in Canada by population|Population rank]]
|population_blank1 =4th
|population_blank2_title =[[List of the 100 largest metropolitan areas in Canada|Metro rank]]
|population_blank2 =6th
|population_density_blank1_km2 = |population_density_blank1_sq_mi =
|population_blank1_title= Demonym
|population_blank1 = Edmontonian
|timezone = [[Mountain Time Zone|MST]]
|utc_offset = -7
|timezone_DST = [[Mountain Time Zone|MDT]]
|utc_offset_DST = -6
|latd=53 |latm=34 |lats= |latNS=N
|longd=113 |longm=31 |longs= |longEW=W
|elevation_footnotes = <!--for references: use <ref> </ref> tags-->
|elevation_m = 668
|elevation_ft =
|postal_code_type = Postal code span
|postal_code =T5A to T6Z
|area_code =[[Area code 780|780]] <!--[[Area code 587|587]] (Beginning Sept. 2008)-->
|blank_name = [[National Topographic System|NTS]] Map
|blank_info = 083H11
|blank1_name = [[Geographical Names Board of Canada|GNBC]] Code
|blank1_info = IACMP
|website = [http://www.edmonton.ca/portal/server.pt City of Edmonton]
|footnotes =
}} <!-- Infobox ends -->
'''Edmonton''' ({{IPAEng|ˈɛdmɨntɨn}}) is the capital of the [[Canada|Canadian]] [[Provinces of Canada|province]] of [[Alberta]]. The city is located on the [[North Saskatchewan River]] in the central region of the province, an area with some of the most fertile farmland on the prairies. It is the second largest city in Alberta, with a population of 730,372 (2006),<ref name=statcan2006>[[Statistics Canada]] [[Canada 2006 Census|2006 Census]] (Sept 11, 2007) [http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/profiles/community/Details/Page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=4811061&Geo2=PR&Code2=48&Data=Count&SearchText=edmonton&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&Custom= Edmonton (City) 2006 Community Profile]. Catalogue no. 92-591-XWE. Ottawa. Retrieved on [[Oct 27]], [[2007]]</ref> and is the hub of [[Canada]]'s sixth largest [[census metropolitan area]], with a metropolitan population of 1,076,103 (2006<ref name=statcan2006metro>[[Statistics Canada]] [[Canada 2006 Census|2006 Census]] (Sept 11, 2007) [http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/profiles/community/Details/Page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CMA&Code1=835__&Geo2=PR&Code2=48&Data=Count&SearchText=edmonton&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&Custom= Edmonton (Census Metropolitan Area) 2006 Community Profile]. Catalogue no. 92-591-XWE. Ottawa. Retrieved on [[Oct 27]], [[2007]]</ref>), making it the northernmost North American city with a metropolitan population over one million.
At {{km2 to mi2|684|spell=Commonwealth|precision=0|wiki=yes}}, the City of Edmonton covers an area larger than [[Chicago]], [[Philadelphia]], [[Toronto]] or [[Montreal]]. Edmonton has one of the lowest [[population density|population densities]] in North America, about 9.4% that of [[New York City]]. A resident of Edmonton is known as an ''Edmontonian''.
Edmonton serves as the northern anchor of the [[Calgary-Edmonton Corridor]] (one of four regions that together comprise 50% of Canada's population) and is a staging point for large-scale [[oil sands]] projects occurring in northern Alberta and large-scale [[diamond]] mining operations in the [[Northwest Territories]].
Edmonton is Canada's second most populous provincial capital (after [[Toronto]]) and is a cultural, government and educational centre. It plays host to a year round slate of world-class festivals, earning it the title of "The Festival City".<ref>{{Cite web| url= http://www.festivalcity.ca | title= Edmonton Festival City| author= Edmonton Tourism |accessdate= 2007-10-27}}</ref> It is home to North America's largest mall, [[West Edmonton Mall]], and [[Fort Edmonton Park|Canada's largest historic park]] (Fort Edmonton Park). In 2004, Edmonton celebrated the centennial of its incorporation as a city.
== History ==
===Settlement and exploration===
The first inhabitants gathered in the area which is now Edmonton around 3,000 BC and perhaps as early as 10,000 BC, when an ice-free corridor opened up as the last [[ice age]] ended and timber, water and wildlife became available in the region.
In 1754, [[Anthony Henday]], an explorer working for the [[Hudson's Bay Company]], may have been the first European to enter the Edmonton area. His expeditions across the [[Canadian Prairies]] were mainly to seek contact with the aboriginal population for the purpose of establishing fur trade, as competition was fierce between the [[Hudson's Bay Company]] and the [[North West Company]]. By 1795, [[Fort Edmonton]] was established as a major trading post for the Hudson's Bay Company. It was named after [[Edmonton, London]], the home town, of the HBC deputy governor Sir James Winter Lake. In the late [[19th century|nineteenth century]], the highly fertile soils surrounding Edmonton helped attract settlers, further establishing Edmonton as a major regional commercial and agricultural centre. Edmonton was also a stopping point for people hoping to cash in on the [[Klondike Gold Rush]] in 1897, although the majority of people doing so chose to take a steamship north to the Yukon from Vancouver.
Incorporated as a city in 1904 with a population of 8,350,<ref name="history-edm">{{cite web |url=http://www.edmonton.ca/infraplan/demographic/Edmonton%20Population%20Historical.pdf |author=City of Edmonton |title=Population, Historical |accessdate=2007-02-26}}</ref> Edmonton became the capital of Alberta a year later on [[September 1]], [[1905]].
===The war years===
During the early 1910s, Edmonton grew very rapidly due to rising speculation in real estate prices. In 1912, Edmonton [[Amalgamation (politics)|amalgamated]] with the [[Strathcona, Alberta|city of Strathcona]] south of the North Saskatchewan River. As a result, the city extended south of the river.
Just prior to [[World War I]], the real estate boom ended suddenly, causing the city's population to decline sharply from over 72,500 in 1914 to under 54,000 only two years later.<ref name="history-edm"/> Recruitment to the Canadian military during the war also contributed to the drop in population. Afterwards, the city was slow to recover in population and economy during the 1920s and 1930s, until [[World War II]].
The first licensed airfield in Canada, Blatchford Field (now [[Edmonton City Centre Airport]]), was started in 1929. Pioneering aviators such as [[Wop May]] and [[Max Ward (bush pilot)|Max Ward]] used Blatchford Field as a major base for the distribution of mail, food and medicine to the Canadian North. Hence Edmonton's role as the "Gateway to the North" was strengthened.
World War II saw Edmonton becoming a major base for the construction of the [[Alaska Highway]] and the [[Northwest Staging Route]].
===The oil boom years===
[[Image:Leduc oil.jpg|thumb|left|The original Leduc No. 1 oil well, now a monument at the southern entrance of Gateway Park on the Queen Elizabeth II Highway.]]
The first major oil discovery in Alberta was made on [[February 13]], [[1947]] near the town of Leduc to the south of Edmonton. As early as 1914, [[oil reserves]] were known to exist in the southern parts of Alberta (see [[Turner Valley, Alberta]]), but they produced very little oil compared to those around Edmonton. Additional oil reserves were discovered during the late 1940s and the 1950s near the town of [[Redwater, Alberta|Redwater]]. Because most of Alberta's oil reserves were concentrated in central and northern Alberta, Edmonton became home to most of Alberta's oil industry.
The subsequent oil boom gave Edmonton new status as the Oil Capital of Canada. During the 1950s, the city increased in population from 149,000 to 269,000.<ref name="history-edm"/> After a relatively calm but still prosperous period in the 1960s, the city's growth took on renewed vigour with high world oil prices, triggered by the [[1973 oil crisis]] and the 1979 [[Iranian Revolution]]. The oil boom of the 1970s and 1980s ended abruptly with the sharp decline in oil prices on the international market and the introduction of the [[National Energy Program]] in 1981. The population had reached 521,000 that same year.<ref name="history-edm"/> Although the National Energy Program was later scrapped by the federal government in the mid-1980s, the collapse of world oil prices in 1986 and massive government cutbacks kept the city from making a full economic recovery until the late 1990s.
===Recent history===
In 1981, [[West Edmonton Mall]], which was at the time the world's largest mall, opened. Still the biggest in [[North America]], the mall is one of Alberta's most-visited tourist attractions, and contains an indoor [[amusement park]], a large indoor [[waterpark]], a skating rink, a [[New Orleans]]-themed bar district and a luxury hotel in addition to over eight hundred shops and services.
[[Image:Edmonton tornado.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Edmonton Tornado|1987 tornado]].]]
On [[July 31]], [[1987]], a devastating [[tornado]], ranked as an F4 on the [[Fujita scale]], hit the city and killed twenty-seven people. The storm blew CN rail cars off a bridge crossing the [[North Saskatchewan River]] and hit the areas of Beaumont, [[Mill Woods]], [[Bannerman (Edmonton)|Bannerman]], [[Fraser (Edmonton)|Fraser]], and the [[Evergreen Mobile Home Park|Evergreen Trailer Park]]. The day became known as "Black Friday". Then-mayor [[Laurence Decore]] cited the community's response to the tornado as evidence that Edmonton was a "city of champions", which later became the city's unofficial slogan.
[[Image:Icon II construction.JPG|thumb|right| [[Icon Towers|ICON]] Tower I under construction, fall 2007.]]
The city entered its current period of economic recovery and prosperity by the late 1990s, helped by a strong recovery in oil prices and further economic diversification. While oil production and refining remains the basis of many jobs in Edmonton, the city's economy has managed to diversify significantly (such as an explosion in high tech jobs). The downtown core and parts of the inner city, after years of extremely high office vacancy rates and neglect, have recovered to a great degree, with office vacany rates in downtown Edmonton at 5.0%. Downtown is still undergoing a renaissance of its own, with further new projects underway or about to become reality, and more people choosing to live in or near the [[downtown core]] than the suburbs (though suburban sprawl is still growing lots).
In recent years, Downtown Edmonton has become much more vibrant with streets like Jasper Avenue and 104 Street becoming full of clubs, shops, restaurants, and galleries. The new Art Gallery of Alberta is under construction in the downtown core; the collection is temporarily exhibited in Enterprise Centre (former "Bay" Building). The first new office tower in 18 years ([[EPCOR Tower]] Station Lands) is being built. [[Icon Towers|ICON]] Towers (expected completion in 2008-Tower 1, 2009-Tower 2, respectively) will be the tallest residential buildings in the city when completed while many other high rise condos are still under construction in the downtown core. Also, just recently, a new urban-format [[Sobey's]] grocer opened up downtown on 104 Street, and has since made the area more vibrant, and 104 Street quickly becoming a great shopping district. Also due to demand of density outside the core, Century Park, Glenora and Strathearn, three neighbourhoods (2 just outside of [[downtown]]) have proposed new high rises. Also in the outskirts, new subdivisions are being built. These include Tamarack, Lewis Estates, Cameron Hieghts, Ambleside Windermere, and Ellerslie, as well as new power centres such as The Meadows and Windermere. There is also an boom of warehouses and high tech industry jobs in the south, west, and north/northeast sides of the city, some are being considered for offices.
This economic prosperity is bringing in large numbers of workers from around Canada. It is forecast that 83,000 new residents will move to Edmonton between 2006 and 2010, twice the rate that city planners had expected.<ref>{{cite web| author = Canadian Press | authorlink = Canadian Press | title = Demographics blamed for Edmonton's murder surge | publisher = CTV News | date= 2006-11-20| url = http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20061120/edmonton_crime_061120?s_name=&no_ads= | accessdate = 2007-10-27}}</ref> Many of the new workers moving to the city are young men.<ref>{{cite web | author = Statistics Canada | authorlink = Statistics Canada | title = The Daily, Thursday, July 20, 2006 | publisher = Government of Canada | date= 2006-07-20 | url = http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/060720/d060720b.htm | accessdate = 2007-10-27}}</ref>.
== Geography and location ==
Edmonton is located near the geographical centre of the province at an elevation of 668 metres (2,192 ft). The terrain in and around Edmonton is generally flat to gently rolling, with ravines and deep river valleys, such as the North Saskatchewan River valley. Despite the [[Canadian Rockies]] lying as close to Edmonton as roughly 220 kilometres to the southwest (only a few hours' drive away), the city is too distant for any of its peaks to be seen from even its tallest buildings.
The [[North Saskatchewan River]] bisects the city and originates at the [[Columbia Icefield]] in [[Jasper National Park]]. It empties, via the [[Saskatchewan River]], [[Lake Winnipeg]], and the [[Nelson River]], into [[Hudson Bay]]. It runs from the southwest to the northeast and is fed by numerous creeks throughout the city, such as Mill Creek and Whitemud Creek. This creates numerous ravines, many of which have been incorporated into the urban parkland. Edmonton is situated at the boundary between [[prairie]] to the south and [[boreal forest]] to the north, in a transitional area known as [[aspen parkland]]. However, the aspen parkland in and around Edmonton has long since been heavily altered by farming and other human activities, such as oil and natural gas exploration.
===Parkland and environment===
{{see also|North Saskatchewan River valley parks system}}
Edmonton's river valley constitutes the longest stretch of connected urban parkland in [[North America]], and Edmonton has the highest per capita area of parkland of any Canadian city. The river valley is 22 times larger than New York City's Central Park. The public river valley parks provide a unique urban escape area with park styles ranging from fully serviced urban parks to campsite-like facilities with few amenities. This main 'Ribbon of Green' is supplemented by numerous neighbourhood parks located throughout the city, to give a total of 111 square kilometres (27,400 acres) of parkland. Within the 7,400 hectare (18,000 acre), 25 kilometre (15.5 mi) long river valley park system there are eleven lakes, fourteen ravines, and twenty-two major parks. Most of the city has excellent bike and walking trail connections.<ref>{{cite web | author = City of Edmonton, Transportation Department | title = Edmonton Roadway Bicycle Map | publisher = City of Edmonton | date= January, 2007 | url = http://www.edmonton.ca/RoadsTraffic/bikemap/2007%20Cycle%20Edm%20Map%20-%20front.pdf| format = pdf | accessdate = 2007-10-27 }}</ref> These trails are also part of the 235km [[Waskahegan Trail|Waskahegan walking trail]].
Edmonton's streets and parklands are also home to one of the largest remaining concentrations of healthy [[American Elm]] trees in the world, unaffected by [[Dutch Elm disease]], which has wiped out vast numbers of such trees in Eastern North America. [[Jack Pine]], [[Lodgepole Pine]], [[White Spruce]], [[White Birch]], [[Aspen]], [[Green Ash]], [[Basswood]], various [[poplar]]s and [[willows]], and [[Manitoba Maple]] are also abundant; [[Bur Oak]] is increasingly popular. Introduced tree species include [[Blue Spruce]], [[Norway Maple]], [[Red Oak]], [[Sugar Maple]], [[Common Horse-chestnut]], [[McIntosh]] Apple, and [[Evans Cherry]]. Three walnut species -- [[Butternut]], [[Manchurian Walnut]] and [[Black Walnut]] -- have survived in Edmonton.<ref>{{cite web | last = Barkley | first = Shelley | title = Juglans sp. (Butternut/Walnut) | publisher = Government of Alberta| date= 2007-05-22 | url = http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/opp4044?opendocument= | accessdate = 2007-10-27 }}</ref>
Several golf courses, both public and private, are also located in the river valley. The long summer daylight hours of this northern city provide for extended play well into the evening. Golf courses and the park system become a winter recreation area during this season. Cross-country skiing and skating are popular during the long winter. Four downhill ski slopes are located in the river valley as well, two within the city and two immediately outside.
The City of Edmonton has named five parks in its River Valley Parks System in honour of each of "[[The Famous Five (Canada)|The Famous Five]]".
===Neighbourhoods===
[[Image:Edmonton area 007.jpg|thumb|200|right|River valley west of downtown Edmonton.]]
{{See also|List of neighbourhoods in Edmonton}}
Edmonton has numerous distinct neighbourhoods.<ref>{{cite web | author = EFCL | title = Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues | publisher = EFCL | url = http://www.efcl.ca | accessdate = 2007-10-28 }}</ref>
The [[Downtown Edmonton|downtown core]] consists of the Commercial Core, Arts District, Rice Howard Way Pedestrian Mall, MacKay Avenue, Jasper-West, Warehouse District and Government Precinct (a.k.a. Grandin neighbourhood).
Radiating from the core are many inner city neighbourhoods such as Oliver, [[Glenora]], Westmount, [[Queen Mary Park]], Inglewood, Central McDougall, [[Boyle Street]], [[McCauley]], [[Alberta Avenue]] and [[Norwood (Edmonton)|Norwood]] on the north side of the river, while Windsor Park, Garneau, [[Old Strathcona|Strathcona]], [[Bonnie Doon]], and Strathearn line the south side of the river. Several communities survived attempts by the municipal governments of the 1970s to rid the valley proper of all residents: these are [[Riverdale, Edmonton|Riverdale]], [[Rossdale]], Walterdale, and [[Cloverdale, Edmonton|Cloverdale]].
As with any city of its size, the inner communities give way to a collection of suburbs, generally classified as being outside the inner ring road and in extreme cases, outside of [[Anthony Henday Drive]]. One of the most well known communities within Anthony Henday Drive is [[Mill Woods]], which is home to approximately 100,000 residents. Often, it is incorrectly referred to as "Millwoods" due to a typographical mistake on street signs, dating back to the neighbourhood's inception. If Mill Woods were a separate municipality, it would be Alberta's third largest city after [[Calgary]] and Edmonton.
Other communities within the boundaries of the Anthony Henday on the south side of Edmonton include Riverbend, (situated between the North Saskatchewan River and Whitemud Creek), Aspen Gardens, Westbrook Estates, Royal Gardens, Sweet Grass, Blue Quill, Blue Quill Estates, Greenfield, Lansdowne and Grandview Estates, with their main transportation hub as Southgate Transit Centre. Surrounding the new Century Park development are communities such as Yellowbird and Twin Brooks. Several new neighbourhoods are currently in formative stages in the South and Southwest, such as MacEwan, Terwillegar, Southbrook, and Rutherford.<ref>{{cite web | author = City of Edmonton | title = City of Edmonton Maps | publisher = City of Edmonton | url = http://maps.edmonton.ca City of Edmonton's map website | accessdate = 2007-10-28 }}</ref>
[[Image:Edmonton leg.jpg|thumb|Provincial Legislature of Alberta]]
Several [[transit-oriented development]]s (TOD) have begun to appear along the LRT line at Clareview with future developments planned at Belvedere (part of the Old Town Fort Road Redevelopment Project<ref>{{cite web | author = City of Edmonton, Planning | title = Fort Road Old Town Redevelopment | publisher = City of Edmonton | url = http://www.edmonton.ca/portal/server.pt/gateway/PTARGS_0_2_284_220_0_43/http%3B/CMSServer/COEWeb/infrastructure+planning+and+building/current+and+future+projects/Old+Town+Fort+Road+Redevelopment.htm | accessdate = 2007-10-27}}</ref>). Another TOD called Century Park<ref>{{cite web | author = Century Park Club and Residences | title = centuryCentral | publisher = ProCura | url = http://www.centurypark.ca/ | accessdate = 2007-10-27 }}</ref> is already under construction at the site of what was once Heritage Mall (currently under demolition) at the southern end of the future South LRT line. Century Park will eventually house up to 5,000 residents.
== Climate ==
Edmonton has a northern [[continental climate]] with extreme seasonal temperatures, although the city has milder winters than either [[Regina, Saskatchewan|Regina]] or [[Winnipeg, Manitoba|Winnipeg]], which are both located at a more southerly latitude. It has mild summers and chilly winters, with the average daily temperatures ranging from -11.7°[[Celsius|C]] (10.9°[[Fahrenheit|F]]) in January to 17°C (62°F) in July.<ref name="CCN">{{cite web | author = National Climate Data and Information Archive | title = Canadian Climate Normals 1971–2000, Edmonton City Centre Airport | publisher = Environment Canada | date= 2004-02-25 | url = http://www.climate.weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca/climate_normals/results_e.html?Province=ALL&StationName=Edmonton&SearchType=BeginsWith&LocateBy=Province&Proximity=25&ProximityFrom=City&StationNumber=&IDType=MSC&CityName=&ParkName=&LatitudeDegrees=&LatitudeMinutes=&LongitudeDegrees=&LongitudeMinutes=&NormalsClass=A&SelNormals=&StnId=1867& | accessdate = 2007-10-28 }}</ref> Annually, temperatures exceed 30°C (86°F) on an average of three days [but can occur often anytime from late May and early September] and fall below −20°C (−4°F) on an average of twenty-eight days. The highest temperature recorded in Edmonton was 34.5°C (94.1°F) on [[August 5]], [[1998]].<ref name="CCN" /> Some areas, however, such as the City of St Albert and Sherwood Park recorded temperatures of 37.7°C (99.9°F) on July 22, 2006. The coldest temperature was −49.4°C (−56.9°F), recorded on January 19 and 21, 1886.<ref>{{cite web | author = Climate Data Almanac | title = Climate Data Almanac for January 19, Edmonton, AB | publisher = Environment Canada | date= 2004-04-20 | url = http://www.climate.weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca/climateData/almanac_e.html?timeframe=4&Prov=XX&StationID=1863&Year=2007&Month=1&Day=19 | accessdate = 2007-10-28 }}</ref>. 2006 was a particularly warm year for Edmonton, as temperatures reached 29°C (84.2°F) or higher more than twenty times during the year, from as early as Mid-May and again in early September. Typically, summer lasts from late June until late August, and the humidity is seldom uncomfortably high. Winter lasts from November to March and varies greatly in length and severity. Spring and autumn are both short and highly variable.
Edmonton has a fairly dry climate. On average, Edmonton receives 476 mm (18.78 in) of precipitation and 123.5 cm (48.6 in) of snowfall per annum.<ref name="CCN" /> Precipitation is heaviest in the late spring, summer, and early autumn. The wettest month is July, while the driest months are February, March, October, and November.<ref name="CCN" /> In July, the mean precipitation is 92 mm (3.6 in).<ref name="CCN" /> Extremes do occur such as the 114 mm of rainfall that fell on July 31, 1953. Summer thunderstorms can be frequent and occasionally severe enough to produce large hail, damaging winds, funnel clouds and even tornadoes. However, tornadoes near Edmonton are far weaker and short-lived compared to their counterparts farther south. Tornadoes as powerful as the [[Fujita scale|F4]] tornado which struck Edmonton on July 31, 1987, killing twenty-seven, are very rare.
A massive cluster of thunderstorms occurred on July 11, 2004, with large hail and over {{convert|100|mm|in|0|abbr=on}} of rain reported within the space of an hour in many places. This "1-in-200 year event" flooded major intersections and underpasses as well as damaging both residential and commercial properties. The storm caused extensive damage to West Edmonton Mall. The roof collapsed under the weight of the rainwater, causing water to drain onto the mall's indoor ice rink. As a result, the mall was forced to undergo an evacuation as a precautionary measure.
<center>
{{Infobox Weather
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|location = Edmonton (City Centre Airport)
|metric_first = Yes
|Jan_Hi_°F=18.9 |Feb_Hi_°F=25.5 |Mar_Hi_°F=35.8 |Apr_Hi_°F=52.3
|May_Hi_°F=63.7 |Jun_Hi_°F=69.9 |Jul_Hi_°F=73.0 |Aug_Hi_°F=71.8
|Sep_Hi_°F=62.2 |Oct_Hi_°F=51.6 |Nov_Hi_°F=32.0 |Dec_Hi_°F=22.3
|Year_Hi_°F = 48.2
|Jan_Hi_°C=-7.3 |Feb_Hi_°C=-3.6 |Mar_Hi_°C=2.1 |Apr_Hi_°C=11.3
|May_Hi_°C=17.6 |Jun_Hi_°C=21.0 |Jul_Hi_°C=22.8 |Aug_Hi_°C=22.1
|Sep_Hi_°C=16.8 |Oct_Hi_°C=10.9 |Nov_Hi_°C=0.0 |Dec_Hi_°C=-5.4
|Year_Hi_°C = 9.0
|Jan_Lo_°F=3.2 |Feb_Lo_°F=8.4 |Mar_Lo_°F=18.9 |Apr_Lo_°F=31.5
|May_Lo_°F=42.3 |Jun_Lo_°F=50.0 |Jul_Lo_°F=53.8 |Aug_Lo_°F=52.0
|Sep_Lo_°F=42.4 |Oct_Lo_°F=32.5 |Nov_Lo_°F=17.2 |Dec_Lo_°F=7.0
|Year_Lo_°F = 29.8
|Jan_Lo_°C=-16.0 |Feb_Lo_°C=-13.1 |Mar_Lo_°C=-7.3 |Apr_Lo_°C=-0.3
|May_Lo_°C=5.7 |Jun_Lo_°C=10.0 |Jul_Lo_°C=12.1 |Aug_Lo_°C=11.1
|Sep_Lo_°C=5.8 |Oct_Lo_°C=0.3 |Nov_Lo_°C=-8.2 |Dec_Lo_°C=-13.9
|Year_Lo_°C = -1.2
|Jan_Precip_inch=0.89 |Feb_Precip_inch=0.57 |Mar_Precip_inch=0.65 |Apr_Precip_inch=1.02
|May_Precip_inch=1.93 |Jun_Precip_inch=3.43 |Jul_Precip_inch=3.61 |Aug_Precip_inch=2.72
|Sep_Precip_inch=1.72 |Oct_Precip_inch=0.70 |Nov_Precip_inch=0.70 |Dec_Precip_inch=0.82
|Year_Precip_inch = 18.78
|Jan_Precip_mm=22.5 |Feb_Precip_mm=14.6 |Mar_Precip_mm=16.6 |Apr_Precip_mm=26.0
|May_Precip_mm=49.0 |Jun_Precip_mm=87.1 |Jul_Precip_mm=91.7 |Aug_Precip_mm=69.0
|Sep_Precip_mm=43.7 |Oct_Precip_mm=17.9 |Nov_Precip_mm=17.9 |Dec_Precip_mm=20.9
|Year_Precip_mm = 476.9
|source = [[Environment Canada]]<ref name="CCN" />
|accessdate = Jan 2007
}}
</center>
Edmonton is the most northerly major city in North America with a metro population of over one million. It is at the same latitude as [[Hamburg, Germany]] and [[Liverpool, England]]. At the summer [[solstice]], Edmonton receives seventeen hours and six minutes of daylight, with twilight extending well beyond that. Edmonton receives 2,289 hours of sunshine per year, and is one of Canada's sunniest cities.
==Economy==
{{see also|Economy of Alberta}}
[[Image:JasperRoadEdmt.jpg|thumb|200|right|Jasper Ave., a hub of major offices and the financial centre.]]
Edmonton is the major economic centre for northern and central Alberta and a major
centre for the oil and gas industry. In its Autumn
2007 Metropolitan Outlook, the Conference Board of Canada forecast that
Edmonton's GDP for 2007 will be $44.1 billion (2007 dollars), a 3.6% increase over 2006.<ref>{{cite web | author = Edmonton Economic Development Corporation | title = Edmonton.com: Statistics and Reference Information—GDP | publisher = City of Edmonton | date= 2007-09-25 | url = http://www.edmonton.com/statistics/page.asp?page=75 | accessdate = 2007-10-28}}</ref> The Edmonton Economic Development Corporation estimated that as of January 2005 the total value of major projects under construction in northern Alberta was $81.5 billion, with $18.2 billion occurring within Greater Edmonton.
Edmonton traditionally has been a hub for Albertan petrochemical industries, earning it the nickname "Oil Capital of Canada" in the 1940s. Supply and service industries drive the energy extraction engine while research develops new technologies and supports expanded value-added processing of Alberta's massive oil, gas and oil sands reserves. These are reported to be the second largest in the world after Saudi Arabia.<ref>{{cite web | author = Alberta Energy | title = Oil Sands Facts | publisher = Government of Alberta | url = http://www.energy.gov.ab.ca/OilSands/790.asp | accessdate = 2007-10-28 }}</ref>
Despite the apparent focus on oil and gas, Edmonton's economy is now the second most diverse in Canada.<ref>{{cite web | author = Edmonton Economic Development Corporation | title = Greater Edmonton Economic Outlook 2007 | publisher = City of Edmonton | date= June 2007 | url = http://www.edmonton.com/categorydocuments/Statistics_3/Edmonton%20Economic%20Outlook%202007%20final.pdf | format = pdf | accessdate = 2007-10-28}}</ref> Major industrial sectors include a strong technology sector anchored by major employers such as [[IBM]], [[Telus]], [[Intuit Canada]], [[Canadian Western Bank]], [[BioWare]], [[Matrikon]], [[General Electric]] and [[Stantec]]. The associated biotech sector, with companies such as CV Technologies, has recently seen employment growth of 37%.<ref>{{cite web | author = Edmonton Economic Development Corporation | title = Greater Edmonton Life Sciences Value Chain | publisher = EEDC, City of Edmonton, Government of Canada | url = http://www.edmonton.com/categorydocuments/Business_4/Life%20Sciences%20Value%20Chain.pdf | format = pdf | accessdate = 2007-10-28 }}</ref>
Much of the growth in technology sectors is due to Edmonton's reputation as one of Canada’s premiere research and education centres {{POV-statement|date=December 2007}}. Research initiatives are anchored by educational institutions such as the University of Alberta as well as government initiatives underway at the Alberta Research Council and Edmonton Research Park. Recently the [[National Institute for Nanotechnology]] was constructed on the University of Alberta campus.
During the 1970s and 1980's, Edmonton started to become a major financial centre with both regional offices of Canada's major banks and locally based institutions opening. However, the turmoil of the late 1980s economy radically changed the situation. Locally based operations such as [[Principal Trust]] and [[Canadian Commercial Bank]] would fail and some regional offices were moved to other cities. The 1990s saw a solidification of the economy and Edmonton is now home to [[Canadian Western Bank]], the only publicly traded Schedule I chartered bank headquarters west of [[Toronto]]. Other major financial centres include [[ATB Financial]], [[Servus Credit Union]] (formerly Capital City Savings), [[TD Canada Trust]], [[Manulife]].
Edmonton has been the birth place of several companies which have grown to international stature such as PCL Construction, and [[Stantec Inc.]]. The local retail market has also seen the creation of many successful store concepts such as [[The Brick]], Katz Group, AutoCanada, [[Boston Pizza]], Pizza 73, Liquor Stores, Liquor Barn, Planet Organic, Empire Design, Running Room, Booster Juice, Earl's, Fountain Tire and XS Cargo.
The geographical location of Edmonton has made it an ideal spot for distribution and logistics. CN Rail's North American operational facility is located in the city as well as a major intermodal facility that handles all incoming freight from the port of [[Prince Rupert, British Columbia|Prince Rupert]] in British Columbia.
Edmonton was judged to have the “best economic potential” of any North American city by the ''[[Financial Times]]'' publication, ''Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)'' magazine. <ref>Global Direct Investment Solutions. (April 23, 2007) [http://www.gdi-solutions.com/fdi/2007future.htm North American Cities of the Future - 2007 fDi magazine award
]. Retrieved on 2008-03-17.</ref> In a 2007 study, ''FDI'' placed Edmonton immediately ahead of Mississauga, Charlotte, Tijuana, and Calgary among cities with populations between 500,000 and 2 million. Edmonton's economic potential, expanding infrastructure, human resources, cost effectiveness and high standard of living place it in the No. 4 spot on FDI’s ''list of top-10 North American large cities.'' The survey also named Edmonton in the top-five large North American cities for business development and investment promotion.<ref>Edmonton Economic Development Corporation (April 23, 2007) [http://www.edmonton.com/eedc/ede_news.asp?page=111&toolid=1085 Edmonton captures three North American ‘Cities of the Future’ Awards]. Retrieved on: 2007-07-14.</ref> Edmonton is known for its exceptional environmental stewardship, strong life-science sector, and burgeoning high-tech industry economy{{Fact|date=April 2008}}.
==Demographics==
{| style="float:right; background:transparent;"
|align="right"|
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right; font-size:95%;"
|- bgcolor="#cccccc"
! Visible minorities <ref>StatCan: 2006 Community Profiles</ref> [http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/profiles/community/Details/Page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=4811061&Geo2=PR&Code2=48&Data=Count&SearchText=Edmonton&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&GeoLevel=&GeoCode=4811061]
! Population !! Percent
|-
|align="left"| Total [[visible minorities]] || 165,465 || 22.9</tr>
|align="left"| [[Chinese]] || 45,305 || 6.3</tr>
|align="left"| [[South Asian]] || 38,225 || 5.3</tr>
|align="left"| [[Black]] || 19,020 || 3.1</tr>
|align="left"| [[Filipino]] || 18,245 || 2.5</tr>
|align="left"| [[Arab]] || 11,205 || 1.6</tr>
|align="left"| [[Southeast Asian]] || 10,635 || 1.5</tr>
|align="left"| [[Latin American]] || 8,650 || 1.2</tr>
|align="left"| Multiple visible minorities || 4,940 || 0.7</tr>
|align="left"| [[Koreans|Korean]] || 3,440 || 0.5</tr>
|align="left"| [[West Asian]] || 2,690 || 0.4</tr>
|align="left"| [[Japanese people|Japanese]] || 1,845 || 0.3</tr>
|align="left"| Other visible minority || 1,255 || 0.2</tr>
|}
|-
|align="right"|
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right; font-size:95%;"
|- bgcolor="#cccccc"
! Religion<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www12.statcan.ca/english/Profil01/CP01/Details/Page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=4811061&Geo2=PR&Code2=48&Data=Count&SearchText=Edmonton&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=48&B1=All&Custom= | author = Statistics Canada | authorlink = Statistics Canada |title=2001 Census- Religion by population in Edmonton | date= 2007-02-01 | publisher = Government of Canada | accessdate=2007-01-20}}</ref>
! Population !! Percent
|-
|align="left"| [[Protestant]] || 204,770 || 31.2%</tr>
|align="left"| [[Catholic]] || 193,110 || 29.4%</tr>
|align="left"| No religion || 160,150 || 24.4%</tr>
|align="left"| Other Christian || 25,815 || 3.9%</tr>
|align="left"| [[Islam]] || 18,790 || 2.9%</tr>
|align="left"| [[Christian Orthodox]] || 17,275 || 2.6%</tr>
|align="left"| [[Buddhist]] || 13,640 || 2.1%</tr>
|align="left"| [[Sikh]] || 9,235 || 1.4%</tr>
|align="left"| [[Hindu]] || 7,525 || 1.1%</tr>
|align="left"| Other || 2,345 || 0.3%</tr>
|}
|}
According to the [[Canada 2006 Census|mid-2006 census]], there were 730,372 residents within the city of Edmonton proper, compared to 3,290,350 for all of Alberta. The total population of the CMA ([[Census Metropolitan Area]]) was 1,034,945.
In the five years between 2001 and 2006, the population of the city of Edmonton proper grew by 9.6%, compared with an increase of 10.4% for Edmonton CMA, and 10.6% for [[Alberta]] as a whole. The population density of the city of Edmonton proper averaged 1,067.2 people per square kilometre (2,764/sq mi), compared with an average of 5.1 people per square kilometre (13.2/sq mi), for [[Alberta]] altogether.
In mid-2001, <!--Note: 2006 census results other than population and dwelling counts (released March 13, 2007) will not be available until later in the year--> 11.7% of Edmonton's population were of retirement age (65 and over for males and females) compared with 13.2% in Canada. The median age is 35.3 years of age compared to 37.6 years of age for all of Canada. Also, according to the 2001 census, 50.5% of the population within the city of Edmonton proper is female, while 49.5% is male. Children under five accounted for approximately 5.8% of the resident population of Edmonton.<ref>{{cite web | author = Statistics Canada | authorlink = Statistics Canada | title = 2006 Community Profiles, Edmonnton | publisher = Government of Canada | date= 2007-09-11 | url = http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/profiles/community/Details/Page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=4811061&Geo2=PR&Code2=48&Data=Count&SearchText=edmonton&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&Custom= | accessdate = 2007-11-01 }}</ref> This compares with 6.2% in Alberta, and almost 5.6% for Canada overall.
In 2006, people of [[European ethnic groups|European ethnicities]] formed the largest cluster of ethnic groups in Edmonton, mostly of [[English people|English]], [[Scottish people|Scottish]], [[Canadians of German ethnicity|German]], [[Irish Canadian|Irish]], [[Ukrainian Canadian|Ukrainian]] and [[French people|French]] origins. <ref>Ethnocultural Portrait of Canada Highlight Tables, 2006 Census</ref> [http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/highlights/ethnic/pages/Page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo=CSD&Code=4811061&Data=Count&Table=2&StartRec=1&Sort=3&Display=All&CSDFilter=5000] According to the 2006 census, the city of Edmonton was 71.8% [[White people|White]] and 5.3% [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Aboriginal]], while [[Visible minority|Visible Minorities]] accounted for 22.9% of the population. [http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/profiles/community/Details/Page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=4811061&Geo2=PR&Code2=48&Data=Count&SearchText=Edmonton&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&GeoLevel=&GeoCode=4811061]
== Infrastructure ==
;Transportation
{{main|Transportation in Edmonton}}
Edmonton is a major transportation gateway to northern Alberta and northern Canada. There are two airports serving the city, [[Edmonton City Centre Airport]] and [[Edmonton International Airport]], of which the latter is the largest. The Edmonton International Airport has passengers flying to destinations in the [[United States]], [[Europe]], [[Mexico]], and the [[Caribbean]], along with [[charter flight|charters]] to [[Japan]]. The Edmonton City Centre Airport is a general aviation facility since air services consolidation in 1995 and the only airport located within the city limits. It is home to a variety of aviation companies with key markets in Northern Alberta. Interurban passenger rail service is operated by [[VIA Rail]] to [[Jasper National Park]], [[Saskatchewan]], and [[British Columbia]]. Edmonton serves as a major transportation hub for [[Canadian National Railway]], whose North American operations management centre is located at their Edmonton offices.
With direct air distances from Edmonton to places such as New Delhi in Asia and London in Europe being shorter than to other main airports in Western North America,<ref>{{cite web | author = Edmonton Airports | title = Strategic Location | publisher = Edmonton Airports | url = http://corporate.edmontonairports.com/nonimages/2/225.pdf | format = pdf | accessdate = 2007-11-01 }}</ref> Edmonton Airports is working to establish a major container shipping hub called [[Port Alberta]].<ref>{{cite web | author = Edmonton Airports | title = Port Alberta | publisher = Edmonton Airports | date= 2007-11-01 | url = http://corporate.edmontonairports.com/business_at_the_airport/port_alberta | accessdate = 2007-11-01 }}</ref>
A largely gridded street system forms most of Edmonton's street and road network. The address system is mostly numbered, with streets running south to north and avenues running east to west. In built-up areas built since the 1950s, local streets and major roadways generally do not conform to the grid system. Major roadways include Yellowhead Trail and Whitemud Drive, and the city is connected to other communities elsewhere in Alberta, B.C., and Saskatchewan via the [[Yellowhead Highway]] to the west and east, and the [[Queen Elizabeth II Highway]] to the south.
The [[Edmonton Transit System]] is the city's main public transit agency, operating a [[Edmonton Light Rail Transit|light rail]] transit (LRT) line as well as a large fleet of buses and trolley buses. Scheduled LRT began on [[April 23]], [[1978]], with five extensions of the single line completed since. The original Edmonton line is considered to be the first "modern" light rail line in North America (i.e. built from scratch, rather than being an upgrade of an old system). It introduced the use of German-designed rolling stock that subsequently became the standard light rail vehicle of the United States. The Edmonton "proof of payment" fare collection system adopted in 1980—modelled after European ticket systems—became the North American transit industry's preferred approach for subsequent light rail projects. Currently the City of Edmonton is working on the South LRT Extension, which will see trains travelling to Century Park, located at 23 Avenue and 111 Street by the end of 2009, while making an additional stop at Southgate Centre. To facilitate this change, ETS is constructing a new transit centre on 111 Street across from Southgate.
There is an extensive multi-use trail system for bicycles and pedestrians throughout the city; however, most of this is within the river valley parkland system.
;Waste disposal
The [[Edmonton Composting Facility]], the largest stainless steel building in North America. The facility is the largest of its type in the world.
In the next few years, the city anticipates it will divert more than 80% of the city's household waste from entering the landfills. Among the innovative uses for the city's waste includes a Christmas tree recycling program. The trees are collected each January and put through a wood chipper. This material is used to insulate the fields of developing compost. In addition, the wood chips absorb much of the odour produced by the compost, by providing a biological element onto which the odours can attach themselves.
Together, the Waste Management Centre and Wastewater Treatment plant are known as the Edmonton Waste Management Centre of Excellence. Research partners include the University of Alberta, Alberta Research Council, Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, and Olds College.<ref>[http://www.ewmce.com/ Edmonton Waste Management Centre of Excellence]</ref>
;Electricity and water distribution systems
Edmonton's first power company established itself in 1891 and installed street lights along the city's main avenue, Jasper Avenue. The power company was bought by the Town of Edmonton in 1902 and remains under municipal ownership today as [[EPCOR]]. Also in charge of water treatment, in 2002, EPCOR installed the world's largest [[Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation|ultraviolet (UV) water treatment]] or [[Ultraviolet disinfection]] system at its E.L. Smith Water Treatment Plant.
;Health care
There are four main [[hospitals]] serving Edmonton: The [[University of Alberta Hospital]], The [[Royal Alexandra Hospital (Edmonton)|Royal Alexandra Hospital]], The Misercordia Hospital and The Grey Nuns Hospital. Other area hospitals include the Sturgeon Community Hospital in [[St. Albert, Alberta|St. Albert]], the Leduc Community Hospital in [[Leduc, Alberta|Leduc]], the Westview Health Centre in [[Stony Plain, Alberta|Stony Plain]], and the Fort Saskatchewan Health Centre in [[Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta|Fort Saskatchewan]]. Dedicated psychiatric care is also provided at the [[Alberta Hospital Edmonton|Alberta Hospital]]. All hospitals are under the administration of the Capital Health Authority although the Misercordia and the Grey Nuns are run separately by the Caritas Health Group.
== Education ==
===Post-secondary===
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image:Business Quad.JPG|thumb|300px|right|The University of Alberta's Arts and School of Business Buildings as seen from Business Quad.]] -->
[[Image:Grant-MacEwan-Entry-01.jpg|thumb|150px|right|Entryway to Grant MacEwan College downtown campus]]
Edmonton has become one of Canada's major educational centres with more than 60,000 full time post-secondary students spread over several institutions and campuses (total enrolment between the schools is as high as 170,000, which includes students enrolled in multiple institutions<ref>[http://www.edmonton.com/statistics/page.asp?page=89 School statistics]</ref>).
The [[University of Alberta]] (known colloquially as the "U of A"), whose main campus is situated on the south side of Edmonton's river valley, is a board-governed, public institution with annual revenue of one billion dollars. 35,000 students are served in more than 200 undergraduate programs and 170 graduate programs. Main campus consists of more than ninety buildings on 890,000 square metres (220 acres) of land, with buildings dating back to the university's establishment in 1908. It is also home to Canada's second largest research library which ranks first in volumes per student with over 10 million (in 2005)<ref>[http://www.library.ualberta.ca/aboutus/macleans/ University of Alberta Libraries]</ref> and subscriptions to 13,000 full-text electronic journals and 500 electronic databases.
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image:Rutherford South Reading Room.jpg|thumb|300px|right|The University of Alberta's Rutherford Library.]] -->
Other universities within the borders of Edmonton include [[Athabasca University]], [[Concordia University College of Alberta]], the [[King's University College (Edmonton)|King's University College]], Taylor University College and Seminary,<ref>[http://www.taylor-edu.ca/ Taylor University College]</ref> and the Edmonton campus of the [[University of Lethbridge]].
Other Edmonton post-secondary institutions include [[Grant MacEwan College]], which enrolls<ref>[http://www.macewan.ca/web/home/DetailsPage.cfm?id=674&MenuOption=0 Grant MacEwan College Student Profile]</ref> 40,791 students in programs offering career diplomas, university transfers and bachelor degrees<ref>[http://www.macewan.ca/web/home/index.cfm Grant MacEwan College university transfers]</ref> the [[Northern Alberta Institute of Technology]] (NAIT), with 48,500 students enrolled in 190 technical, vocational and apprenticeship programs<ref>[http://www.nait.ca North Alberta Institute of Technology]</ref> and NorQuest College,<ref>[http://www.norquest.ca NorQuest College]</ref> with 11,300 students, specializing in short courses in skills and academic upgrading.
Edmonton is also home to [[Antarctic Institute of Canada]].
===K-12===
Edmonton has three publicly funded school boards (districts), who provide kindergarten and grades one through twelve. The vast majority of students attend schools in the two large English language boards: [[Edmonton Public Schools]] and the separate Catholic school [[Edmonton Catholic School District]].<ref>[http://www.ecsd.net/ Edmonton Catholic School District]</ref> Also, since 1994, the [[francophone]] minority community has had their own school board based in Edmonton, the North-Central Francophone School Authority, which includes surrounding communities. Most recently the city has seen a small number of public [[Alberta charter schools|charter schools]] open, independent of any board. All three school boards and public charter schools are funded through provincial grants and [[property tax]]es.
Some private schools exist as well. Included are the Edmonton Academy and Tempo School.<ref>[http://www.edmontonacademy.com/home.html Edmonton Academy]</ref> The Edmonton Society for Christian Education<ref>[http://www.edmchristian.net/home/default.aspx Edmonton Society for Christian Education]</ref> used to be a private school, however they became part of [[Edmonton Public Schools]].
Both the Edmonton Public Schools and the Edmonton Catholic School District provide support and resources for those wishing to [[homeschooling|home school]] their children.
== City life ==
{{see also|List of attractions and landmarks in Edmonton}}
===Nightlife===
[[Image:edm panorama2.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Downtown Edmonton's skyline at night.]]
There are several key concentrations of nightlife in the city of Edmonton. The most popular is the [[Old Strathcona|Whyte Avenue]] (82nd Avenue) strip, concentrated between 109 Street and 99 Street. It has the highest concentration of heritage buildings in Edmonton. Once the heart of the town of Strathcona (annexed by Edmonton on [[February 1]], [[1912]]), it fell into disrepair during the middle of the twentieth century. Beginning in the 1970s, a concentrated effort to revive the area through the establishment of a Business Revitalization Zone has produced an area rich with restored historical buildings and pleasant streetscapes. Its proximity to the University of Alberta has led to a high concentration of establishments ranging from restaurants and pubs to trendy clubs while hosting a wide variety of shops during the day. This area also contains two independent movie theatres: the Garneau and Princess theatres, as well as several live theatre, music and comedy venues.
Downtown Edmonton has undergone a continual process of renewal and unprecedented growth since the mid 1990s. Many buildings were demolished during the oil boom starting in the 1960s and continuing into the 1980s to make way for office towers. As such, there have always been numerous pub-type establishments such as ''The Rose and Crown'', ''Sherlock Holmes''' and ''Elephant & Castle'' as well as many hotel lounges and restaurants. The past decade, has seen a strong resurgence in more mainstream venues. Edmonton also has a high demand for pub crawl tours in the city. Various clubs such as the ''New City Suburbs'', "OilCity Roadhouse", "The Bank", and ''Halo'' are also to be found along Edmonton's main street, Jasper Avenue. The Edmonton City Centre mall also houses an [[Empire Theatres]] movie theatre, featuring ten screens. The non-profit ''Metro Cinema'' <ref>[http://www.metrocinema.org ''Metro Cinema'']</ref> shows a variety of alternative or otherwise unreleased films every week.
[[West Edmonton Mall]] holds several after hour establishments in addition to its many stores and attractions. Bourbon Street has numerous eating establishments and clubs and casinos can also be found within the complex. Scotiabank Theatre (formerly known as SilverCity), at the west end of the mall, is a theater which features twelve screens and an [[IMAX]].
=== Culture ===
[[Image:Winspear centre.JPG|thumb|250px|right|The Francis Winspear Centre for Music.]]
Many events are anchored in the downtown Arts District, centred around the newly renovated [[Churchill Square (Edmonton)|Churchill Square]] (named in honour of Sir Winston Churchill).
*The [[Francis Winspear Centre for Music]]<ref>[http://www.winspearcentre.com/content.asp?catid=2&rootid=2 Francis Winspear Centre]</ref> was opened in 1997 after years of planning and fundraising.<ref>[http://www.edmontonsymphony.com/content.asp?catid=13&rootid=2 Edmonton Symphony Orchestra fundraising]</ref> Described as one of the most acoustically perfect concert halls in Canada, it is home to the [[Edmonton Symphony Orchestra]] and hosts a wide variety of shows every year. It seats 1,932 patrons and houses the $3 million Davis Concert Organ, the largest concert organ in Canada. An interesting aspect of the hall's design is its separation into acoustically separate areas each of which are insulated from each other through acoustical barriers built into the structure. Patrons and artists can see these in the form of double-door "sound locks".
*Across 102nd Avenue is the [[Citadel Theatre]], so named after the [[Salvation Army]] Citadel in which [[Joe Shoctor]] first started the [[Citadel Theatre company]] in 1965. It is now one of the largest theatre complexes in Canada with five halls each specializing in different kinds of productions.<ref>[http://www.citadeltheatre.com/history.asp?fb=78 Citadel Theatre company history]</ref> For instance, the Maclab Theatre features a thrust stage surrounded by a U-shaped seating arrangement, while the Shoctor Theatre is a traditional stage setup.
*On the University of Alberta grounds is the 2534-seat [[Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium]], which recently reopened after being out of commission for a year during heavy renovations carried out as part of the province's centennial celebrations. Both it and its southern twin in Calgary were constructed in 1955 for the province's silver jubilee and have played host to many concerts, musicals, and ballets. The Edmonton Opera uses the Jubilee as its base of operations. On the front of the building is a quote from [[Lives of the Twelve Caesars|Suetonius]]' Life of Augustus: "He found a city built of brick—left it built of marble."
*[[Old Strathcona]] is home to the Theatre District, which holds the Transalta Arts Barns (headquarters of the [[Edmonton International Fringe Festival]]), [[The Walterdale Playhouse]], [[Catalyst Theatre]], and the [[Varscona Theatre]] (base of operations for several theatre companies, including [[Teatro la Quindicina]], [[Shadow Theatre]], [[Rapid Fire Theatre]], [[Die-Nasty]], and [[Oh Susanna!]]). Edmonton was named cultural capital of Canada in 2007.
===Museums and galleries===
There are also over seventy museums in Edmonton of ranging sizes. The largest is the [[Royal Alberta Museum]] (formerly the Provincial Museum of Alberta until renamed by [[Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|Queen Elizabeth II]] during her 2005 visit) which houses over 10 million objects in its collection. The museum showcases the culture and practices of the diverse aboriginal tribes of the region. The main building, located on the river valley west of downtown in Glenora, was opened in 1967 and is now in the early stages of large-scale redevelopment.<ref>[http://www.royalalbertamuseum.ca/renewal/index.htm Redevelopment of Royal Alberta Museum]</ref>
The [[Telus World of Science, Edmonton|Telus World of Science]] is located in the [[Woodcroft (Edmonton)|Woodcroft]] district. It opened in 1984 but has been expanded several times since then. It contains 5 permanent galleries, plus 1 for temporary exhibits, an [[IMAX]] theatre, a [[planetarium]], an [[observatory]] and an [[amateur radio station]].
The [[Alberta Aviation Museum]] is at the City Centre Airport, in a hangar that was built for the [[British Commonwealth Air Training Plan]]. Its collection includes both civilian and military aircraft, of which the largest are a [[Boeing 737]] and two [[CF-101 Voodoo]]s. Every summer it holds a small [[airshow]], featuring modern [[fighter aircraft]] that fly in from [[Maple Flag]] for the event.
The [http://www.railwaymuseum.ab.ca/ Alberta Railway Museum] is located in the extreme north end of the city. It contains a variety of [[locomotive]]s and [[railroad car]]s from different periods, and includes a working [[steam locomotive]]. Since most of its exhibits are outdoors, it is only open between [[Victoria Day]] and [[Labour Day]].
The [[Valley Zoo]] is in the river valley to the west of the city centre.
The [[Art Gallery of Alberta]] was the city's largest single gallery. Housed in an inconspicuous production of 1970s architecture, the AGA collection had over 5,000 pieces of art. The Art Gallery was demolished in July 2007, for construction of a new facility designed by Randall Stout estimated to cost over $88 million dollars. The amount that Edmonton City Council has donated towards the construction was met with some controversy. Independent galleries can be found throughout the city, especially along the 124th Street corridor.
The University of Alberta operates its own internal Museums and Collections service.<ref>[http://www.museums.ualberta.ca/ University of Alberta]—Museums</ref>
===Festivals===
[[Image:Edmonton Sourdough Raft Race.jpg|thumb|right|250px|2001 Sourdough Raft Race, passing beneath the [[High Level Bridge (Edmonton)|High Level Bridge]]'s Great Divide waterfall during Klondike Days.]]
{{main|Festivals in Edmonton}}
Edmonton plays host to several large [[festival]]s each year, hence its local nickname as "The Festival City". Downtown Edmonton and Churchill Square host numerous festivals each summer. [[The Works Art & Design Festival]], which takes place from late June to early July, showcases Canadian and international art and design from well-know, award-winning artists, as well as emerging and student artists. The [[Edmonton International Street Performer's Festival]]<ref>[http://www.edmontonstreetfest.com/ Edmonton International Street Performer's Festival]</ref> takes place in mid-July and showcases street performance artists from around the world.
Edmonton's main summer festival is [[Edmonton's Capital Ex|Capital Ex]] (formerly Klondike Days). Klondike Days (or K-Days) was originally an annual fair and exhibition which eventually adopted a [[Klondike Gold Rush|gold rush]] theme. In early 2006, it was decided that the festival would be renamed "The Capital City Exhibition" ("Capital Ex"). Activities include [[chuckwagon]] races, carnival rides and fairways, music, trade shows and daily fireworks. Since 1960, the Sourdough Raft Races have also been a popular event. Later in November, Edmonton plays host to the [[Canadian Finals Rodeo]] and Farmfair. This is a significant event in Canada's rodeo circuit and second only to the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas in prestige.
The [[Edmonton International Fringe Festival]], which takes place in mid-August, is the largest Fringe Theatre Festival in North America, and second only to the [[Edinburgh Fringe]] festival in the world. In August, Edmonton is also host to the [[Edmonton Folk Music Festival]], one of the most successful and popular [[folk music]] festivals in North America. Another major summer festival is the [[Edmonton Heritage Festival]] which is an ethnocultural festival that takes place in Hawrelak Park on the [[Civic Holiday|Heritage Day]] long weekend.
Many other festivals occur such as the [[Free Will Shakespeare Festival]], the [http://www.edbfa.com/Dragon Boat Festival], Whyte Avenue Art Walk, and the [[Edmonton International Film Festival]].
==Shopping==
[[Image:Corridor.JPG||thumb|right|West Edmonton Mall]]
Edmonton is home to several shopping malls, including [[West Edmonton Mall]], one of the world's largest malls, and is now North America's largest. Other malls include [[Bonnie Doon Shopping Centre]], [[Edmonton City Centre]] (formerly [[Eaton Centre]]), [[Westmount Centre]], [[Southgate Centre]] (currently undergoing renovations), [[Kingsway Garden Mall]], [[Northgate Centre]], Abbotsfield Mall and [[Londonderry Mall]].
Edmonton also has many [[big-box]] shopping centres and [[power centres]]. Some of the major ones include: [[South Edmonton Common]] (North America's largest open air retail development<ref>http://southedmontoncommon.com/index.htm South Edmonton Common Website</ref>), Terra Losa Shopping Centre, Southpark Centre, The Meadows and [[North Town Centre]]. As well, [[Windermere]] will be a new shopping centre to be built in 2008.
Although there are many suburban outlets in Edmonton, there are many urban shopping areas. [[Whyte Avenue]], which is on the south side of the river near the university, is one of the most popular, with many urban retailers. It is the centre of the former [[Strathcona]] town.
Another urban centre is 124 Street/High Street that is an emerging shopping district. It holds such retailers as Ginger, Dwell Modern, Light Form, Matahari, and McEtherans. In the downtown core, there are a few shopping areas such as 104 Street (4th st.), which is an urban-style shopping area/district. It holds certain urban trendy shops and restaurants like: [[Sobeys]]: Ready to Serve, 29 Armstrong, Eye Group, Blue Plate, Tzin, Ric's, as well as many galleries. Other shopping areas in downtown Edmonton are: The [[Arts]] District, [[Edmonton City Centre]], and Jasper Avenue.
There are also several farmers' markets in Edmonton. There is the Strathcona Farmers Market around Whyte Avenue, The Callingwood Farmer Market at the Martketplace at Callingwood, and City Market which is an urban farmer's market on 104 Street downtown.
== Sports and recreation ==
{{main|Sport in Edmonton}}
Edmonton has a proud heritage of very successful sports teams including the [[Edmonton Grads]], [[Edmonton Eskimos]], [[Edmonton Trappers]], [[Edmonton Oil Kings]], and [[Edmonton Oilers]]. The primary professional sports facilities are the [[Commonwealth Stadium (Edmonton)|Commonwealth Stadium]], [[Telus Field]] and [[Rexall Place]].
Numerous minor-league teams in the City include the [[Edmonton Cracker-Cats]], the city's thirteenth baseball franchise since 1884. Local [[Rugby Union|rugby]] players compete in the [[Rugby Canada Super League]] with the [[Edmonton Gold]]. Also, the city hosts the [[Edmonton Rush]] national lacrosse team, which plays out of [[Rexall Place]]
In addition to the minor-league teams, Edmonton also has very successful University-level sports teams including the U of A [[Alberta Golden Bears|Golden Bears]], the U of A [[Alberta Pandas|Pandas]], [[Northern Alberta Institute of Technology|NAIT Ooks]], and [[Grant MacEwan College|Grant MacEwan Griffins]].
Edmonton hosted the [[1978 Commonwealth Games]], the 1983 World University Games ([[Universiade]]), the [[2001 World Championships in Athletics]], and the 2005 World Master Games.<ref>[http://www.infoedmonton.com/edmonton2005/2005worldmastersgames.html 2005 World Master Games]</ref> In 2006, it played host to the Women's Rugby World Cup. In the summer of 2007, Edmonton hosted the Under 20 Fifa World Cup which is the third largest sporting event in the world as well as the [[CN Canadian Womens Open]].
Edmonton has a circuit on the [[Indy Racing League]] known as the [[Edmonton Indy]] (formerly the Grand Prix of Edmonton). In addition, [[Castrol Raceway]] brings [[sprint cars]] and a national [[International Hot Rod Association|IHRA]] event to their facility next to [[Edmonton International Airport]].
{| style="background:transparent;"
|-
|+'''Current professional and amateur franchises'''
|- bgcolor="gainsboro"
|width="200px"| '''''Club'''''
|width="200px"| '''''League'''''
|width="200px"| '''''Venue'''''
|width="50px" align="center"| '''''Established'''''
|width="20px" align="center"| '''''Championships'''''
|-
| [[Edmonton Eskimos]]
| [[Canadian Football League]]
| [[Commonwealth Stadium (Edmonton)|Commonwealth Stadium]]
|align="center"| 1949
|align="center"| 13
|-
| [[Edmonton Oilers]]
| [[National Hockey League]]
| [[Rexall Place]]
|align="center"| 1972
|align="center"| 5
|-
| [[Edmonton Cracker Cats]]
| [[Golden Baseball League]]
| [[Telus Field]]
|align="center"| 2005
|align="center"| 0
|-
| [[Edmonton Rush]]
| [[National Lacrosse League]]
| [[Rexall Place]]
|align="center"| 2005
|align="center"| 0
|-
| [[Edmonton Oil Kings]]
| [[Western Hockey League]]
|align="| [[Rexall Place]]
|align="center"| 2007
|align="center"| 0
|-
| [[Edmonton Chill]]
| [[International Basketball League]]
|align="|[[Grant MacEwan College]]
|align="center"| 2008
|align="center"| 0
|-
| [[Edmonton Drillers (CMISL)|Edmonton Drillers]]
| [[Canadian Major Indoor Soccer League]]
|align="|[[Servus Place]] (St. Albert)
|align="center"| 2008
|align="center"| 1
|-
| [[Edmonton Seahawks]]
| [[Alberta Football League]]
|align="|[[Clarke Stadium]]
|align="center"| 2006
|align="center"| 0
|-
| Edmonton Stallions
| [[Alberta Football League]]
|align="|[[Foote Field]]
|align="center"| 2003
|align="center"| 1
|}
== Media ==
{{main|Media in Edmonton}}
Edmonton has six broadcast television stations shown on basic cable TV. The [[cable television]] providers in Edmonton are [[Telus]] and [[Shaw Cable]]. Previously, network programming from the United States was received on cable via affiliates from [[Spokane, Washington]], but local viewers now have more choice given the advances with cable television that are now being offered as digital or [[High Definition Television|HD (high definition)]] service. Broadcasts from both eastern and western locations in the United States can be viewed. At least seventeen FM and eight AM radio stations are based in Edmonton.
FM Stations include: [[CJSR-FM|88.5—CJSR]], [[CBCX-FM|90.1—CBC (French)]], [[CBX-FM|90.9—CBC Radio 2]], [[CHBN-FM|91.7—"The Bounce"]], [[CKNG-FM|92.5—"Joe FM"]], 93.9—CBC Radio 1, [[CKUA|94.9—CKUA]], [[CKRA-FM|96.3—"Capital FM"]], [[CIRK-FM|97.3—"K-97"]], [[CHMC-FM|99.3—"Magic 99"]], [[CFBR-FM|100.3—"The Bear"]], 101.1, [[CKER-FM|101.7—"World FM"]], [[CHDI-FM|102.9—"Sonic"]], [[CISN-FM|103.9—"Cisn Country"]], [[CFMG-FM|104.9—"Easy Rock"]], [[CJRY-FM|105.9—"Shine FM"]].
Edmonton has two large-circulation daily newspapers, ''[[The Edmonton Journal]]'' and ''[[The Edmonton Sun]]''. There is also a number of smaller papers, which focus on different themes, such as the ''See Magazine''<ref>[http://seemagazine.com/Intro/index.html See Magazine]</ref> and ''Vue Weekly'',<ref>[http://vueweekly.com/ Vue Weekly]</ref> which focus on Edmonton's independent arts scene, and two independent free newspapers, ''Metro'' and ''24 Hours''.
== Metropolitan area ==
[[Image:DWEdmonton1.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Downtown Edmonton from the air.]]
{{main|Edmonton Capital Region}}
Edmonton is at the centre of a metropolitan area that includes twenty-five independent municipalities either adjacent to Edmonton's city limits or within several kilometres of it. Larger communities include [[Sherwood Park, Alberta|Sherwood Park]] (part of the [[Strathcona County, Alberta|Specialized Municipality of Strathcona County]]), [[St. Albert, Alberta|St. Albert]], Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, [[Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta|Fort Saskatchewan]], [[Leduc, Alberta|Leduc]], [[Nisku, Alberta|Nisku]] (major industrial area in Leduc County), and the towns of [[Beaumont, Alberta|Beaumont]], [[Devon, Alberta|Devon]] and [[Morinville, Alberta|Morinville]]. This large scale fragmentation has played a role in the development of the Edmonton region. Although several attempts have been made by the City of Edmonton to annex surrounding municipalities, no [[Amalgamation (politics)|amalgamation]] has of yet been approved by the provincial government since Edmonton absorbed the town of [[Beverly, Alberta|Beverly]] in 1961.
==Notable people==
{{seealso|List of Edmontonians}}
*[[Tommy Banks]], jazz musician, Canadian Senator
*[[Chris Benoit]], [[Professional Wrestling|professional wrestler]] ([[World Wrestling Entertainment|WWE]], [[World Championship Wrestling|WCW]], [[Extreme Championship Wrestling|ECW]], [[New Japan Pro Wrestling|New Japan]])
*[[John Bucyk]], NHL hockey player
*[[Terry Chen]], film actor
*[[Rae Dawn Chong]], film actor
*[[Cam Ward]], NHL hockey player
*[[Ray Whitney (ice hockey)|Ray Whitney]], NHL hockey player
*[[Tommy Chong]], film actor and comedian
*[[Bernard Ebbers]], WorldCom co-founder
*[[Nathan Fillion]], film actor
*[[Michael J. Fox]], film actor
*[[Robert Goulet]], film actor
*[[Jay Bouwmeester]], NHL hockey player
*[[Scott Niedermayer]], NHL hockey player
*[[Randy Gregg (ice hockey)|Randy Gregg]], NHL hockey player
*[[Jill Hennessy]], film actor
*[[Arthur Hiller]], film director
*[[Joffrey Lupul]], NHL hockey player
*[[Kelly Hrudey]], NHL commentator
*[[Jarome Iginla]], NHL hockey player
*[[W. P. Kinsella]], film author
*[[Daymond Langkow]], NHL hockey player
*[[Marshall McLuhan]], philosopher
*[[Mark Messier]], NHL hockey player
*[[Leslie Nielsen]], film actor
*[[Robert Young Pelton]], author
*[[Dion Phaneuf]], NHL hockey player
*[[Doug Pruden]], athlete
*[[John "Red" Pollard]], jockey
*[[Catherine Mary Stewart]], film actor
*[[Ryan Stock]], T.V. Circus stunt man
*[[Max Ward (bush pilot)|Max Ward]], aviator
*[[Kenneth Welsh]], film actor
*[[Greg Zeschuk]], co-founder, [[BioWare]] Corp.
*[[Ray Muzyka]], co-founder, [[BioWare]] Corp.
*[[Kreesha Turner]], singer/song-writer
*[[Fernando Pisani]], NHL hockey player
*[[Jason Chimera]], NHL hockey player
*[[Gilbert Brule]], NHL hockey player
*[[Erik Christensen]], NHL hockey player
*[[Bryan Little]], NHL hockey player
*[[Andrew Ference]], NHL hockey player
*[[Scott Nichol]], NHL hockey player
*[[Richard Matvichuk]], AHL hockey player
*[[Mike Comrie]], NHL hockey player
*[[Steve Regier]], NHL hockey player
*[[Blair Betts]], NHL hockey player
*[[Jason Strudwick]], NHL hockey player
*[[Mike Commodore]], NHL hockey player
*[[Alex Leavitt]], NHL hockey player
*[[Derek Morris]], NHL hockey player
*[[Steve Reinprecht]], NHL hockey player
*[[Darryl Sydor]], NHL hockey player
*[[Ben Ondrus]], NHL hockey player
*[[Justin Pogge]], AHL hockey player
*[[Brad Isbister]], NHL hockey player
*[[Matt Pettinger]], NHL hockey player
==Military==
Edmonton is home to [[1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group]] (1 CMBG), the Regular Force army brigade group of [[Land Force Western Area]] of the [[Canadian Army]]. Units in 1 CMBG include [[Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians)]], [[1 Combat Engineer Regiment]], two of the three regular force battalions of [[Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry]], and various headquarters, service and support elements. Although not part of 1 CMBG, [[408 Tactical Helicopter Squadron]] and [[1 Field Ambulance]] are co-located with the brigade group. All of these units are located at Lancaster Park, immediately north of the city. From 1943 it was a major air force base [http://www.abheritage.ca/aviation/history/military_namao.html]. In 1996, the aviation units were transferred to [[CFB Cold Lake]].
The Canadian Airborne Training Centre had been located in the city in the 1980s. The move of 1CMBG and component units from Calgary occurred in 1996 in what was described as a "cost-saving" measure.<ref>[http://www.parl.gc.ca/38/1/parlbus/commbus/senate/Com-e/defe-e/16eva-e.htm?Language=E&Parl=38&Ses=1&comm_id=76 Parliament of Canada]—Proceedings of the Standing Senate Committee on National Security and Defence; Issue 16—Evidence, March 7, 2005</ref> The brigade had existed in Calgary since the 1950s, and Lord Strathcona's Horse had traditionally been a Calgary garrison unit dating back before the [[First World War]].
Edmonton also has a large army reserve element from 41 Canadian Brigade Group (41 CBG) including the [[The Loyal Edmonton Regiment (4th Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry)]], [[8 Field Engineer Regiment]], and HQ Squadron, [[20th Field Artillery Regiment]], and B Squadron of [[The South Alberta Light Horse]], one of Alberta's oldest army reserve units. Despite being far from Canada's coasts, Edmonton is also the home of HMCS ''Nonsuch'',<ref>[http://www.navres.dnd.ca/navres/noh/Intro_e.htm HMCS ''Nonsuch'']</ref> a Naval Reserve division.
There are numerous cadet corps<ref>[http://www.cadets.forces.gc.ca/directory-repertoire/local_e.asp?pr=9&urb=Edmonton Edmonton cadet corps]</ref> of the different elements (Sea, Army and Air Force) within Edmonton as well.
The Edmonton Garrison is currently located in the north end of Edmonton, in an area known as Lancaster Park{{coor dms|53|40|28|N|113|29|29|W|}}
== Religion ==
Edmonton holds the following religious offices:
* The archbishop responsible for Roman Catholic institutions in central Alberta between the Saskatchewan and British Columbia borders.<ref>See [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton]]</ref><ref>[http://www.edmontoncatholic-church.com/index.shtml Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
* The archbishop responsible for Ukrainian Catholic Church in Alberta.<ref>See [[Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Edmonton]]</ref>
* The archbishop responsible for Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada in all of Western Canada.<ref>See [[Archbishop of Edmonton and Western Canada]]</ref>
* The bishop responsible for Eastern Rite Orthodox Churches in North America.<ref>[http://www.orthodoxchurchofcanada.org/ Home - Orthodox Church Of Canada<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
* The bishop responsible for Anglican institutions in central Alberta between the Saskatchewan and British Columbia borders.<ref>[http://edmonton.anglican.org/ Anglican Diocese of Edmonton<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
One of Alberta's two [[Baha'i]] Centres is located in Edmonton, the other centre is situated in [[Sylvan Lake, Alberta]].
The first [[mosque]] established in North America, the [[Al-Rashid Mosque]] founded by [[Abdullah Yusuf Ali]], is situated in Edmonton.<ref>[http://muslim-canada.org/alrashidmosque.html Al Rashid Mosque in Edmonton<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
Edmonton also hosts a [[Maronite]] [[Catholic]] church, on 76th Avenue/98th Street with services in English (on Saturdays) and Arabic (on Sundays).
Another sign of the [[Lebanon|Lebanese]] community's visibility is the existence of a [[Druze]] Community Centre on the north side of the city.
The [[Edmonton Alberta Temple]] of [[the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] was dedicated on [[December 11]], [[1999]].
The Hindu Community in Edmonton is served by the [[Hindu Society of Alberta]]<ref>[http://www.hindusociety.ab.ca Hindu Society of Alberta]</ref> (North Indian Temple) and [[Maha Gahapathy Society of Alberta]] (South Indian Temple)<ref>[http://www.mahaganapathytemple.com Maha Ganapathy Temple (Hindu Temple)- Edmonton, AB, Canada]</ref>.
== Sister cities ==
Edmonton is an official [[sister city]] of several cities worldwide:
*{{flagicon|Canada}} [[Hull, Quebec]] (now a part of [[Gatineau, Quebec]]) (1967)<ref>[http://www.army.dnd.ca/1asg_hq/edmonton/Western_Sentinel/08sep05/sent021-024.pdf sent021<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
*{{flagicon|China}} [[Harbin]], [[Heilongjiang]] Province, [[People's Republic of China|China]] (1985)<ref>[http://www.harbin.gov.cn/english/hrb_ywb/display.php?id=33 Edmonton<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
*{{flagicon|USA}} [[Nashville, Tennessee]], [[United States]] (1990)<ref>[http://randsco.com/index.php/2004/06/08/edmonton_facts Randsco - Edmonton - Eskimos, Ermine & Energy<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
*{{flagicon|South Korea}} [[Wonju]], [[Gangwon-do (South Korea)|Gangwon]] Province, [[South Korea]] (1998)<ref>http://english.wonju.go.kr/Sub_menu.php?sub=2-5Sister.html&menu_code=108-16-12-15&level=5</ref>
== See also ==
*[[List of Edmonton mayors|Mayors of Edmonton]]
*[[List of cities in Canada|Other Canadian cities]]
*[[List of notable Edmontonians|Notable Edmontonians]]
*[[List of neighbourhoods in Edmonton|Neighbourhoods in Edmonton]]
*Churches in Edmonton
*[[List of tallest buildings in Edmonton|Tallest buildings in Edmonton]]
*[[Edmonton Capital Region]]
*[[Downtown Edmonton]]
==References==
{{reflist|2}}
==External links==
{{sisterlinks|Edmonton}}
*[http://www.epictrip.com/Edmonton-travel-l123028.html Edmonton Travel Guide]
*[http://www.edmonton.ca Edmonton Municipal Government site]
*[http://www.edmonton.com Greater Edmonton portal]
*[http://www.edmontonhistory.ca/ Edmonton History]
{{coord|53.543997|-113.489856|region:CA-AB_type:city(730000)|display=title}}
{{-}}
{{Canadian City Geographic Location (8-way)
|Centre = Edmonton
|Northwest = [[Morinville, Alberta|Morinville]]<br/>[[Saint Albert, Alberta|St. Albert]]
|North = [[Sturgeon County, Alberta|Sturgeon County]]
|Northeast = [[Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta|Fort Saskatchewan]]
|East = [[Strathcona County, Alberta|Strathcona County]]<br/>[[Elk Island National Park]]
|Southeast = [[Beaumont, Alberta|Beaumont]] <br/> [[Camrose, Alberta|Camrose]]
|South = [[Leduc County, Alberta|Leduc County]]<br/>[[Leduc, Alberta|Leduc (city)]]
|Southwest = [[Devon, Alberta|Devon]]
|West = [[Parkland County, Alberta|Parkland County]]<br/>[[Stony Plain 135, Alberta|Enoch Cree Nation]]<br/>[[Spruce Grove, Alberta|Spruce Grove]]<br/>[[Stony Plain, Alberta|Stony Plain]]
}}
{{Canada capitals}}
{{Subdivisions of Alberta}}
{{Census metropolitan areas by size}}
{{Edmonton neighborhoods}}
{{Commonwealth Games Host Cities}}
<!--- {{Cities with million plus in Canada}} --->
<!--Categories-->
[[Category:Edmonton| ]]
[[Category:Host cities of the Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Settlements established in 1795]]
[[Category:1904 establishments]]
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