Edmonton is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city anchors the north end of what Statistics Canada defines as the "Calgary–Edmonton Corridor"
The metro area of Edmonton had a population of 1,491,000 at the beginning of 2021,making it Alberta's second-largest city (after Calgary) and Canada's fifth-largest municipality.Edmonton's 2019 municipal census subsequently recorded a population of 972,223. Also in 2016, Edmonton had a metropolitan population of 1,321,426, making it the sixth-largest census metropolitan area (CMA) in Canada. Edmonton is North America's northernmost metropolitan area with a population over one million. A resident of Edmonton is known as an Edmontonian.
Edmonton's historic growth has been facilitated through the absorption of five adjacent urban municipalities (Strathcona, North Edmonton, West Edmonton, Beverly and Jasper Place)in addition to a series of annexations through 1982,and the annexation of 8,260 ha (82.6 km2) of land from Leduc County and the City of Beaumont on January 1, 2019. Known as the "Gateway to the North", the city 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 a cultural, governmental and educational centre. It hosts a year-round slate of festivals, reflected in the nickname "Canada's Festival City".It is home to North America's second largest mall, West Edmonton Mall (the world's largest mall from 1981 until 2004),and Fort Edmonton Park, Canada's largest living history museum.
edmonton rates as one of the world’s most livable cities, and was named “Canada’s Cultural Capital” by Monocle Magazine and a UNESCO “City of Design”.edmonton features a China Town, a Little Italy, a Little Portugal and various other neighbourhoods adopted by immigrants as their own. These enclaves give edmonton a taste of many world foods, cultures and music.
I have nothing bad to say against the city of Edmonton. I liked it there. I had a fun year playing. It's something I'll remember for the rest of my life.
Home to a fascinating mix of permanent cultural and natural history exhibits, as well as always-changing temporary installations, a visit to this ultra-modern facility is certainly time well spent. Particularly impressive are the many fossils from the dinosaur and ice age eras, a large aquaria of native fish, and live insects-including some exotic and enormous species. New additions include a large feature gallery hosting traveling exhibits from across Canada and around the world, a huge new kids' gallery, and a bigger bug room with live invertebrates and a visible nursery. The museum's cultural history departments explore aboriginal cultures with artifacts from Blackfoot, Cree, and other First Nations. A well-stocked gift shop and a café are also located on-site.
This national park is just a 30-minute drive from Edmonton and covers a wooded area with lakes and wetlands, and is home to all kinds of wildlife, including moose, elk, deer, and beaver. But the main attraction of Elk Island National Park is the large herd of buffalo (bison), which graze over a special enclosure. Anyone driving slowly along the road through the park cannot fail to catch sight of one of these massive shaggy beasts. Fun things to do here in the summer include hiking and biking, kayaking and canoeing, as well as camping, while winter activities include snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. The Beaver Hills area has now been designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and includes a dark sky preserve, a bird sanctuary, and a wilderness center. Originally the tribal home of the Sarcee Indians, it was the Cree, however, that hunted the beaver and buffalo for their pelts, which were then traded with the large fur-trading companies.
Canada's West Edmonton Mall is not only the country's largest shopping center-and one of the largest in the world-it's also a major tourist attraction. In addition to hundreds of shops and restaurants, the facility contains a hotel, movie theaters, an ice rink, an aquarium, and much more.Adding to the appeal are the themed sections of the mall, designed to mimic the feel of popular travel destinations around the world. In Europa Boulevard, for example, many of the shops have European-style fronts and carry the names of international fashion designers, while Bourbon Street, a copy of the famous New Orleans street, is a destination for Creole food and live music.
Established in the 1970s along the Yellowhead Highway, this open-air museum preserves the cultural heritage of the many immigrants from Bukovina and Ukraine who settled in what is now Alberta in the 1890s. Known locally simply as "the Village," various historic buildings have been reconstructed on the site, and the pale onion dome of a Ukrainian church is visible from afar. There are many living history elements to explore, including a blacksmith, market, and an old-fashioned general store. Part of the fun is the opportunity to interact with the costumed guides, here to explain what life was like for these early settlers. If possible, try to time your visit with one of the many events or workshops hosted throughout the year, from cooking demonstrations to harvest celebrations and a commemoration of Ukraine's national day.
In Edmonton, you will never be short of friends as one of the most frequent remarks that tourists or new residents make is about the friendliness of most of the people in the city. Edmonton isn’t a particularly big city which always helps, as it promotes a more neighbor-friendly feeling and a community vibe throughout. You don’t need to worry about asking someone for directions, or for a favor, or trying to make friends in your local bar as all in all the people you approach will be more than happy to help you or speak with you. It may seem unbelievable that you can have a city full of friendly faces, but the slower pace and down to earth nature of the residents means that you will always feel welcome. For this reason, it is also a great place to be if you are planning on coming here with a small family, there are a large number of areas in the city that are very family-friendly, and are therefore suitable as a place to raise children.
3. Lower Rent Prices
Perhaps it is because it is considered to be a prairie city, or maybe Edmonton is just trying to attract as many people as possible, but either way, you get to enjoy the benefits of low rents across the whole city. The average rent prices are cheaper than cities like Toronto or Vancouver, and they are also cheaper than its neighboring city of Calgary. Of course, you have to shop around, but you can find rent on a one-bedroom apartment for just over $800 per month, you can expect to pay up to a thousand dollars if you are more choosy about size, and location, but if you are wanting a cheap place that is comfortable and does the job its supposed to do, then you can live a much more stress-free life with the low rental costs.
5. So Much Greenery!
Edmonton is a picture-perfect place to look at, the greenery throughout and around the city is simply beautiful, and the heavy snowfalls never take any beauty away from this place. It has a fantastic combination of a city skyline while also looking like a gigantic park at most angles, think of a Central Park landscape, but literally twenty times bigger, the views in this city are stunning so it is best to pack a before you go!
2. Festival Heaven
There is a very good reason why Edmonton is given the name of the ‘Festival City’, it’s because there are more festivals in this city than anywhere else in the country. The number of festivals that happen annually is staggering, with a huge variety to say the least. There is a festival to cover any interest you might have including food, art, religion, folk, and the regular festivals for the different national holidays, and on top of all this, they also host the biggest theatre festival in Canada. With more than fifty festivals occurring each year, there is something happening every single week.
4. Strong Economy
This is an important one and one that people definitely want to know about when they are looking at a list of options for places to move to. Edmonton really has a great economy; when it comes to employment the city fairs quite well, while the province as a whole has regularly had a higher unemployment rate than the national average, Edmonton on its own does much better, ending the year several times over the last few years with the lowest rate of unemployment in the province. There are struggles in finding a job, as there are in all places in the world, but statistically, your struggle should be less here. The city has seen a high population increase over the last ten years with many people moving there to study or find work, which means there is more income for the city from the new residents paying the various taxes. More income has meant that there has been more money invested into the city, more jobs have been created from this growth, and alongside it, the average salary has also increased as a result The expansion of this city is nothing for people to worry about, it is a comparatively small city, and the increase in population is leading to lots of positives things. Even in just the last five years, job opportunities and incomes have risen far more than anyone would expect. Another positive effect of the cities strong economy is the attraction of private investors into a variety of sectors. People might not associate Edmonton with being the most lively or the most vibrant of cities, but there is no doubt that with the stream of investors, and economic growth, Edmonton will have a very different reputation in the future.
1. Friendly Locals
In Edmonton, you will never be short of friends as one of the most frequent remarks that tourists or new residents make is about the friendliness of most of the people in the city. Edmonton isn’t a particularly big city which always helps, as it promotes a more neighbor-friendly feeling and a community vibe throughout. You don’t need to worry about asking someone for directions, or for a favor, or trying to make friends in your local bar as all in all the people you approach will be more than happy to help you or speak with you. It may seem unbelievable that you can have a city full of friendly faces, but the slower pace and down to earth nature of the residents means that you will always feel welcome. For this reason, it is also a great place to be if you are planning on coming here with a small family, there are a large number of areas in the city that are very family-friendly, and are therefore suitable as a place to raise children.
3. Lower Rent Prices
Perhaps it is because it is considered to be a prairie city, or maybe Edmonton is just trying to attract as many people as possible, but either way, you get to enjoy the benefits of low rents across the whole city. The average rent prices are cheaper than cities like Toronto or Vancouver, and they are also cheaper than its neighboring city of Calgary. Of course, you have to shop around, but you can find rent on a one-bedroom apartment for just over $800 per month, you can expect to pay up to a thousand dollars if you are more choosy about size, and location, but if you are wanting a cheap place that is comfortable and does the job its supposed to do, then you can live a much more stress-free life with the low rental costs.
5. So Much Greenery!
Edmonton is a picture-perfect place to look at, the greenery throughout and around the city is simply beautiful, and the heavy snowfalls never take any beauty away from this place. It has a fantastic combination of a city skyline while also looking like a gigantic park at most angles, think of a Central Park landscape, but literally twenty times bigger, the views in this city are stunning so it is best to pack a before you go!
2. Festival Heaven
There is a very good reason why Edmonton is given the name of the ‘Festival City’, it’s because there are more festivals in this city than anywhere else in the country. The number of festivals that happen annually is staggering, with a huge variety to say the least. There is a festival to cover any interest you might have including food, art, religion, folk, and the regular festivals for the different national holidays, and on top of all this, they also host the biggest theatre festival in Canada. With more than fifty festivals occurring each year, there is something happening every single week.
4. Strong Economy
This is an important one and one that people definitely want to know about when they are looking at a list of options for places to move to. Edmonton really has a great economy; when it comes to employment the city fairs quite well, while the province as a whole has regularly had a higher unemployment rate than the national average, Edmonton on its own does much better, ending the year several times over the last few years with the lowest rate of unemployment in the province. There are struggles in finding a job, as there are in all places in the world, but statistically, your struggle should be less here. The city has seen a high population increase over the last ten years with many people moving there to study or find work, which means there is more income for the city from the new residents paying the various taxes. More income has meant that there has been more money invested into the city, more jobs have been created from this growth, and alongside it, the average salary has also increased as a result The expansion of this city is nothing for people to worry about, it is a comparatively small city, and the increase in population is leading to lots of positives things. Even in just the last five years, job opportunities and incomes have risen far more than anyone would expect. Another positive effect of the cities strong economy is the attraction of private investors into a variety of sectors. People might not associate Edmonton with being the most lively or the most vibrant of cities, but there is no doubt that with the stream of investors, and economic growth, Edmonton will have a very different reputation in the future.