Edmonton

History The area around Edmonton, which sits in the geographic centre of the province, was home to native populations for thousands of years before the arrival of European settlers. In 1795, Edmonton House was constructed and work on Fort Edmonton began. The original site was near Fort Saskatchewan, but was relocated near the present day Legislature in 1830. The town developed around the fur trade, and in the early days there was little to distinguish it from other such settlements in the area. The first hotel and hospital were built in the 1870s. The latter part of the century saw an influx of wealthy families, and in 1892 the Town of Edmonton was officially founded. Early developments were centred around the Quarters area. In 1905, Edmonton was declared the capital of the province of Alberta, and a year later was designated a city. The 1907-1914 period saw the city experience an unprecedented boom, with the population rising from around 6,000 to 78,000. During this period, the University of Alberta was founded In 1947 oil was discovered just outside of Edmonton in Leduc county, which spurred a second period of growth, leading to urban sprawl and the development of US-style malls. The Royal Alberta Museum opened in 1967. The utilitarian office buildings and condos that dominate the downtown landscape today were mostly constructed in the 1970s. Today, Edmonton is the hub for energy development and petrochemicals for Alberta.

By plane Airport Destinations Most major Canadian airlines service Edmonton. Edmonton's main airport is western Canada's hub to the Northwest Territories. Direct flights to Edmonton within Canada include from Calgary (1 hour), Charlottetown (4.75 hours), Halifax (5.25 hours), Kelowna (1.5 hours), Moncton (4.5-4.75 hours), Montreal (4.5 hours), Ottawa (4.25-4.5 hours), Prince George (1.5 hours), Regina (1.5 hours), Saskatoon (1.25 hours), St. John's (NL) (5.5 hours), Toronto (4-4.25 hours), Vancouver (1.5 hours), Victoria (1.5-175 hours), Whitehorse (2.5 hours), Winnipeg (2 hours), and Yellowknife (1.75 hours). From the United States, scheduled flights to Edmonton include from Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Las Vegas (3 hours), Los Angeles, Maui, Minneapolis, Nashville, Orlando, Palm Springs, Phoenix, Seattle (2 hours), and San Francisco (3 hours). From Mexico and the Caribbean, seasonal charter flights serve Acapulco, Cancún, Cozumel, Holguin, Huatulco, La Romana, Liberia, Manzanillo, Mazatlan, Montego Bay, Puerto Plata, Puerto Vallarta, Punta Cana, Santa Barbara de Samana, San Jose del Cabo, and Varadero. From Europe, KLM flies a couple of times a week from Amsterdam, and there are summer services from Frankfurt with Condor. Airlines Canadian airlines operating to Edmonton: Public transit Edmonton Transit System's Route 747 connects the airport to Century Park LRT and bus station, every hour during the day (first bus at 4:10AM, last bus shortly after midnight) with half-hour service at peak times.

A large part of the city, built before and during the Second World War, is laid out in a grid pattern of straight streets, which makes for easy navigation by car or foot. There are a number of bridges, including the Walterdale Bridge and High Level Bridge, going in and out of the downtown core. Edmonton's downtown is fairly eclectic, home to many Government of Alberta buildings and modern office towers, including the CN Tower near City Hall and the impressive, white marble-clad Bank of Montreal on 101 Street. Edmonton had some of the most architecturally significant buildings in the province, including the crimson-coloured Citadel Theatre and the church-like spires of Grant MacEwan University. Edmonton streets are mostly numbered, although there are some named streets: usually major roadways and roads in the newer residential areas. Streets in Edmonton run north-south, while avenues run east-west. The downtown core of the city is centred near 101 St and Jasper Ave (which corresponds to 101 Ave), with streets increasing in number as you go west, and avenues increasing as you go north. Addresses follow a regular system throughout Edmonton, with even-numbered address numbers are on the north side of avenues and west side of streets. The first two or three digits of a building or house number identify the street it lies just west of, or the avenue it lies north of. For example, 10219-101 Street would be on the east side of 101 Street, just north of 102 Avenue. Some addresses end in "NE" or "SW", indicating a different quadrant.

A young city, Edmonton's historic structures are still relatively new. The City of Edmonton's Municipal Historic Resources are buildings or structures that have been designated by bylaw as buildings or structures legally protected from demolition and from inappropriate changes and alterations. For further reading about Edmonton's architecture from 1940-1969, Capital Modern is a book available from the Art Gallery of Alberta. Here are some of the most popular attractions: Alberta Legislature Building - This beautiful example of Beaux-Arts architecture dates back to 1911, built following Edmonton's selection as the provincial capital. Free tours are available. There are wading pools to cool off in during the summer and skating rinks beside walkways light up with tons of Christmas lights during the Christmas season. See Central. Its grounds are a beautiful area to relax in any time of the year, and are patrolled at night for visitor security. Art Gallery of Alberta (formerly the Edmonton Art Gallery) - This modern facility explores all forms of art. The gallery has a unique selection of Canadian and international pieces and regularly brings in traveling exhibitions. See Central. Muttart Conservatory - These four glass pyramids rising out of the river valley are a unique Edmonton landmark. Inside, they house three distinct climate zones and a fourth seasonal display, packed with several hundred plant varieties.

Edmonton's summer brings many festivals, and with Canada's most impressive mountain parks 3.5-hr drive away, Edmonton is fun year-round. You can expect to find some kind of festival any weekend during the summer months and they are usually located in the central region either around Whyte Ave or downtown at the Legislature grounds or in front of City Hall. Theatre and music Edmonton has a vibrant performing arts community with notable accomplishments in live theatre and live music. The central area contains the Winspear or Francis Winspear Centre for Music, a new concert hall with stellar acoustics, and the Citadel Theatre, which has hosted major live theatre performances for over forty years. South Central area is home to the theatre district with a number of venues, and the Jubilee Auditorium, a large concert hall. The west end has two dinner theatres, Jubilation's and Mayfield. Recreation Edmonton's river valley and Mill Creek area have an extensive network of trails, good for walking, biking, and cross-country skiing. At many points in the extensive ravines and forested areas in the river valley, you can't even tell you're in a city. Maps of walking and cross-country skiing trails are available at City Hall, Edmonton Tourism's Visitor Information Centres, and many bicycle and ski shops. The Edmonton Bicycle Commuters' Society (EBC), a non-profit bicycle co-op, operates a staffed drop-in DIY workshop where rental bicycles are available. During the summer months, River Valley Adventure rents bicycles and operates Segway tours.

Some of the best shopping opportunities are... Whyte Avenue (in South Central) is the stretch of 82 Avenue west of 75 St. You'll tend to want to focus on the strip between Gateway Boulevard and 109 Street. Whyte Avenue is Edmonton's main retail district on the urban side and certainly should not be missed. It's edgy, funky, mainstream, indie, quirky, and nerdy. Stroll through bookstores, clothing shops, and little gift shops while amidst the wonderful crowd of people. 124th Street (in Central) is Edmonton's quieter urban shopping experience. Outside the downtown, this strip has become a good place to stop. The place is mainly home to boutiques and designer shops for stuff like fashion, furniture and home improvement. The area is also home to the Gallery Walk - the first of its kind in Canada. The member galleries are easily accessible within walking distance. There are two self-guided gallery walks organized each spring and fall. right| West Edmonton Mall (in West End) ... few can miss the largest mall in the continent, at 8882 170 St (NW). Over 800 shops fill the suburban mega shopping and entertainment centre. Pretty much any style can be found here. Browse the shops for art, books, gifts, lingerie, soaps, groceries, clothing, watches, jewelry and what ever else you can think of! Kingsway (Garden) Mall (in North) is Edmonton's second largest mall. Downtown (in Central) you will find Edmonton City Centre, which transforms three city blocks into a retail destination of more than 170 stores and services.

See the district articles for specific listings of different restaurants and fast food joints. There are three major dining centres: Downtown and Wîhkwêntôwin- many restaurants both chains and independents, with a side range in pricing. 103 St., 102nd Avenue, 100 St. and Jasper Avenue have the highest concentration. Some of the most popular include: Lux Steakhouse, Sorrentino's, Famoso Neapolitan, Japanese Village, La Ronde, Sabor Divino, Corso 32 and La Tapa. Whyte Ave. - a trendy area that has some good restaurants and many that are average, and the greatest concentration of bars and pubs in the city. West Edmonton - whether in West Edmonton Mall or nearby, there are many restaurants, but few that will provide an above-average meal. Edmonton is the birthplace of two major Canadian restaurant chains: Boston Pizza (Italian), and Earl's (Canadiana). These two have major locations across Canada. The city is also home to a lot of good quality fast food chains like Burger Baron and Fatburger. Italian food is very high quality in Edmonton. Chianti's, Sicilian Kitchen, Sorrentino's, Fiore Cantina, and Tony's Pizza offer hearty and filling pasta. The best are Whyte Ave, Downtown, or in Little Italy. Edmonton has some excellent ethnic restaurants. "Langano Skies" is a fabulous Ethiopian restaurant on Whyte Ave, "Syphay" offers spicy Thai cuisine on Calgary Trail and 62 Ave and "Padmanadi's" is a delicious Indonesian vegan restaurant in downtown. Edmonton has its fair share of cheap Chinese food, most of which is concentrated in Chinatown.

Alcohol While the giant Labatt brewery makes beer in Edmonton (look for a giant beer can at Gateway Blvd and Whitemud Dr), if you're looking for a more unique (and usually pricier) brew, Edmonton is home to a growing number of smaller breweries. Alley Kat and Yellowhead brews are commonly on tap in bars. There are many pubs, clubs, lounges, and bars clustered on Jasper Avenue (downtown) and Whyte Avenue (Old Strathcona). Some of the most popular in Old Strathcona include Hudson's', Filthy McNasty's, Tavern on Whyte and O'Byrne's. For those looking for a more indie experience should journey to Black Dog Pub and The Buckingham who provide visitors with a less mainstream outing. Downtown you will find a range of places to serve your drinking desires. Contemporary resto-lounges, such as Sherlock Holmes, Red Star Pub, and The Pint. A variety of dance clubs can be located in the downtown area and these include: Vinyl Retro Dance Lounge (Retro Classics/Top 40), Oil City Roadhouse (Country), Treasury Vodka Bar (Top 40/Electronic), and Warehouse (Top 40) Edmonton also has a prominent LGBT community and offers several establishments that cater to this particular group, including The Grindstone and Evolution Wonderlounge. Further afield Edmonton also offers nighttime spots in less centralized locations. Midway Music Hall is a live music nightclub located in South Edmonton at 6107 104 Street.

Budget Most of the budget hotels in the city are concentrated in and around the south (e.g. Derrick Hotel) end of the city or in the deep east central area. Staying near the airport can often be less expensive than in the city, see Leduc#Sleep. There are also hostels located downtown, by Jekyll & Hyde's Pub, and just off of Whyte Avenue. Mid-range Closer to the core, Holiday Inn Express Downtown and the Comfort Inn & Suites are good options. These two offer great views along with easy access to the benefits of downtown. In the north end, the Prospector's Gaming Room and North Inn and Suites are some great examples of some modern and simple good priced hotels at that part of the city. In the West End, with the closeness of West Edmonton Mall, there are a ton of hotels to choose from, most of which are on 100 Ave. South of the river, in Old Strathcona-University the Campus Suites is a great option for nice service and its proximity to the University. Days Inn Edmonton South in Old Strathcona is just a few blocks off Whyte Avenue. Also on Gateway Boulevard there are a lot of hotels like Greenwood Inn & Suites, Ramada South, Ramada Edmonton, Mayfield Inn, Travelodge South, Econo Lodge, Sawridge Inn Edmonton South and Cedar Park Inn are the highest quality. In the east, there is a lovely Four Points hotel with easy access to the city.

Area codes for phones in Edmonton are 780, 587, 825, and 368. Most hotels offer wireless connection. For outdoor use, check out City Hall/Churchill Square or most parts of downtown, as they have good internet connection. There are a small number of internet cafés, most being downtown or in Old Strathcona-University.

Visiting Edmonton is no more risky than visiting any other large city. There are some areas where increased caution is advised, particularly after dark: The "inner city" area to the east of downtown (these neighbourhoods include: Boyle, Central McDougall, Chinatown, Little Italy, and Alberta Avenue) – a square bounded by Jasper Avenue (corresponds to 101 Avenue) on the south, 118 Avenue on the north, 97 Street on the west, and around 85th Street on the east – has parts that are best avoided. 118 Avenue and 107 Avenue feature numerous signs asking visitors to report prostitution by calling a 1-800 number. There is a large homeless and transient population in this area which has been followed with a serious drug and alcohol issue and gang violence. As well as the inner city, Stony Plain Road on the west side, 107 Avenue north of downtown, and a few areas in the city's northeast, particularly around 66th Street and Fort Road, and Abbotsfield (around 118 Ave and 34 Street) have higher crime rates and gang problems. There has been an increase in alcohol-fuelled disturbances on weekends near 82nd (Whyte) Avenue between 103 Street and 109 Street (the city's most concentrated party zone). Use caution and common sense here, be somewhat wary of the closing-time outflow after midnight on Friday and Saturday nights.

Calgary – a bustling city, Alberta's largest metropolis, south of Edmonton Jasper National Park – the less-developed, less-commercial national park, beautiful in all seasons Banff National Park – attracts a globe-spanning population of tourists to its mountains, lakes, and shopping districts approximately 5 hours from Edmonton Elk Island National Park – less than an hour's drive east of Edmonton along the Yellowhead Highway (Hwy 16). This is one of the last remaining large areas of natural aspen parkland undisturbed by agriculture and other human activities. It is home to a variety of wildlife indigenous to the region such as moose, wood bison, deer, elk, beaver, muskrat and various waterfowl. Over 250 species of birds live here, making it a good place for birdwatching. The Ukrainian Pioneer Home, located in the vicinity of Lake Astotin, is Canada's oldest Ukrainian museum. There is camping, cross country skiing, hiking and other outdoor activities.