Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ALONG THE BOW
RIVER
The Calgary Zoo, Botanical Garden &
Prehistoric Park opened in 1920
and is known for its realistic re-cre-
ations of natural habitats, now home
to over 300 species of animals. The
Botanical Garden boasts some 10,000
plants and trees, while the Prehistoric
Park recreates the world of dinosaurs
with a collection of full-size replicas set
amidst plants and rock formations from
prehistoric Alberta.
Fort Calgary was built as part
of the March West, which brought
the North West Mounted Police to the
Canadian West to stop the whisky trade.
“F” Troop arrived at the confl uence of
the Bow and Elbow rivers in 1875, and
chose to set up camp here. Nothing re-
mains of the original Fort Calgary, and
the fort will never be completely rebuilt
as that would interfere with archaeo-
logical work already underway. An
excellent interpretive centre includes
great hands-on displays, woodworking
demonstrations and the chance to try
on the famous scarlet Mountie uniform.
Friendly guides in period costumes
provide tours.
SOUTHEAST
AND SOUTHWEST
The Southeast is Calgary's indus-
trial area, but it is also the site of the
“Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth,” the
Calgary Stampede. At the intersection
of Ninth Avenue SE and the Bow lies
A POT OF BLACK GOLD
Almost 400 million years ago, great coral reefs formed along the
Pacifi c coast, in what is now eastern Alberta. After the reefs died, the
coral fossilized into porous rock. Billions of marine organisms lived
and died above and within this coral. Their remains accumulated at
the ocean fl oor in the cavities of the fossilized coral. One hundred
million years ago, the Pacifi c retreated to what are today the foothills
of the Rockies. Naturally, the watercourses on the newly revealed
plains fl owed into the ocean. With time, they in turn deposited a layer
of sediment that would become tight rock over the layer of porous
rock. Nature had just put the lid on a tremendous pot where carbon
matter, subjected to the right pressure and temperature, slowly began
to change. Hundreds of millions of years later, the contents of this pot
would become Alberta's fortune: oil.
4
Calgary's skyscrapers tower over the Saddledome.
© Travel Alberta
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