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Calgary is a dynamic city on the banks of the Bow River & close to Alberta's Rocky Mountains, it started life as Mounted Police fort controlling the whisky trade.

The vast prairie, supplies of timber & fresh water soon led to the Canadian government opening the territory to ranching & was helped by the arrival of the railway in 1883.

Calgary started out as a series of wood frame houses however a when a large portion of town burned down in 1886 a different building material was found on the banks of the Bow river - sandstone.

It was practical & attractive & local quarries worked hard to keep up with the demand. Calgary became known as "The Sandstone City"

Oil  was first found in 1914 at the Dingman well in nearby Turner Valley. It was a short boom that was halted by the outbreak of World War One. In 1924 oil & gas erupted from a drill stem the Royalite drilled below the Dingman the boom continued until 1927.

In 1947 oil was found near Edmonton & as more oil was found in Alberta Calgary kept an administrative grip on
the industry. The energy industry continues to be a cornerstone of the economy while other sectors have been targeted for growth including the film industry, tourism, food processing, health services, high-tech research, manufacturing & distribution.

Calgary's best-known visitor attraction is the Calgary Stampede an event featuring a large parade & a world-class rodeo that draws more than a million people to the city each year.

In 1988 Calgary hosted the Winter Olympic - Canada Olympic Park is a multi-purpose athletic facility designed for skiing, snowboarding & bobsleigh during the winter & mountain biking during the summer.