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A province of western Canada between British Columbia and Saskatchewan. It joined the confederation in 1905. Wheat and cattle farming were the basis of the province's economy until the discovery of oil and natural gas in the early 1960s. Edmonton is the capital and Calgary is the largest city. Population: 3,380,000.
Albertan Al·ber'tan adj. & n.
For more information on Alberta, visit Britannica.com.
Land and People
Alberta is bounded on the E by Saskatchewan, on the N by the Northwest Territories, on the W by British Columbia, and on the S by Montana. Westernmost of the Prairie Provinces, it lies on a high plateau that rises in the west through the Rocky Mts. to the Continental Divide at the British Columbia border. The foothills of the Rockies and the mountains themselves, with three noted national parks—Jasper, Banff, and Waterton Lakes (the Canadian section of Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park)—are famed for their beauty.
Although Alberta is known as a Prairie Province, only about one quarter of its area is actually treeless—chiefly the undulating prairie of S Alberta. Central Alberta has parklike, partly wooded country, and in the north are vast tracts of virgin timberland. Endowed with many lakes, streams, and rivers, the province is drained by the Peace, the Athabasca, the north and south branches of the Saskatchewan, the Red Deer, the St. Mary, the Milk, and many other rivers.
Visitors are impressed by the grand scale of Alberta's landscape—its rolling wheat fields, huge granaries, sprawling cattle ranches, and vast oil refineries. Annual festivals include the Indian Days Celebration at Banff, which attracts thousands of native peoples from a wide area, and the famous Calgary Exhibition and Stampede. Other attractions include Elk Island National Park and the huge Wood Buffalo National Park (shared with the Northwest Territories), home to wood bison, whooping cranes, and other rare species.
The population is concentrated in S and central Alberta; except for farm centers in the fertile wheat-growing valley of the Peace, the north is sparsely settled. Edmonton is the capital and second largest city. The largest city is Calgary; other important cities are Lethbridge, Red Deer, Medicine Hat, St. Albert, and Fort McMurray.
Economy and Higher Education
Agriculture, Alberta's economic mainstay before World War II, remains important. Grain, especially wheat, is the dominant crop; rapeseed (for cooking oil) is also important. In the south, large irrigation developments, such as those around Lethbridge, have enabled the growing of a variety of crops, including sugar beets and potatoes. The province is noted as well for the quality of its livestock. Meatpacking, flour milling, dairying, and food processing are important industries.
Since the 1960s, however, Alberta's major industry has been the exploitation of vast petroleum, natural gas, and other mineral resources. Its coal beds contain about one half of Canada's reserves, while the province leads the country in the production of oil; it is believed to have among the richest oil deposits in the world, notably in the famous tar sands of the Athabasca River, and consistently provides over 80% of Canada's crude petroleum output. Its natural-gas production and reserves are also among the world's greatest. Crude oil and gas pipelines radiate from Alberta to points in E and W Canada and in the United States.
Construction and service industries long prospered or slumped in response to fluctuations in the petroleum market, the high times reflected in such developments as the huge West Edmonton Mall. In the 1990s, however, Alberta's economy diversified. Calgary now trails only Toronto as a Canadian corporate headquarters center; telecommunications, banking, and other industries are major actors in the province. Tourism remains important, and other industries include food and beverage production, lumbering, printing and publishing, and the manufacture of iron, steel, and clay products.
Institutions of higher education include Athabasca Univ.; the Univ. of Alberta, at Edmonton; the Univ. of Calgary; and the Univ. of Lethbridge.
History and Politics
Alberta was originally part of the vast territory granted to the Hudson's Bay Company by King Charles II in 1670, and its early history was dominated by the fur trade. The first European known to have reached (1754) present-day Alberta was Anthony Hendon of the Hudson's Bay Company. There was also much exploration of the region by the Montreal-based North West Company, which merged with the Hudson's Bay Company in 1821. Traders arrived from the upper Great Lakes before Sir Alexander Mackenzie crossed (1793) the region on his way to the Pacific. In 1794 a Hudson's Bay Company fort was built at the site of present-day Edmonton. Destroyed by natives in 1807, it was rebuilt 12 years later and for 50 years thereafter served traders and missionaries within a wide radius.
The area remained under the control of the Hudson's Bay Company until 1870 when it was sold to the newly created confederation of Canada. In 1874 the Northwest Mounted Police established Fort Macleod in S Alberta, and the following year they built a log fort on the site of present-day Calgary. An act of 1882 created four administrative divisions from the Northwest Territories, and one was named Alberta in honor of Queen Victoria's daughter, Princess Louise Caroline Alberta, whose husband was then governor-general of Canada.
The Canadian Pacific Railway came through in the mid-1880s, opening up the area to ranchers and homesteaders, but settlement was slow. In 1891 there were only 14,500 nonnative settlers in the present province. To populate the vast, fertile land, the Canadian government advertised for immigrants, offering many free acres as inducement. Over the next five years immigrants poured in owing to the government's vigorous immigration policy, dwindling available arable land in the U.S. West, the introduction of a new strain of fast-maturing hard spring wheat, and the easing of the 22-year-long depression endured by North America. Edmonton boomed as a supply base during the 1898 Klondike gold rush, and its growth continued during the early 1900s as immigrants began settling surrounding farmlands.
Alberta became a province in 1905. The discovery (1914) of oil at Turner Valley, near Calgary, presaged a new era for the mineral-rich province, but it was not until 1947, when the Leduc fields near Edmonton were opened, that the basic change in Alberta's economy began. By then agriculture had suffered extensively: The 1929 crash—followed by droughts, early frosts, grasshopper plagues, and dust storms—had triggered substantial emigration from the area.
Politically, Albertans in that period turned to the Social Credit party, with its mixture of religious fundamentalism and radical monetary theory. In 1935, William Aberhart became premier of the first Social Credit government. Social Credit administrations were elected for years after Aberhart's death in 1943, but their attempts to reform banking and money control were declared unconstitutional by the courts. The Progressive Conservatives gained control of the provincial government in 1971 with Peter Lougheed as premier (1971–85). Ralph Steinhauer, a Cree, was lieutenant governor (1974–79) of Alberta; he was the first Canadian of indigenous descent to hold such a high executive post. The Progressive Conservatives have continued to control the provincial government, with Lougheed being succeeded by Donald Getty (1985–92), Ralph Klein (1993–2006), and Ed Stelmach (2006–).
Alberta sends 6 senators and 26 representatives to the national parliament.
Bibliography
See C. B. Macpherson, Democracy in Alberta (2d ed. 1962); R. Kroetsch, Alberta (1968); J. G. MacGregor, A History of Alberta (1981); B. M. Barr and P. J. Smith, ed., Geographical Dimensions of Settlement and Livelihood in Alberta (1983); W. Pasnak, Alberta: Blue Skies and Golden Opportunities (1988).
Province in western Canada, bordered by the Northwest Territories to the north, Saskatchewan to the east, Montana to the south, and British Columbia to the west. Edmonton is its capital and largest city.
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| Motto: "Fortis et
liber" (Latin) "Strong and free" |
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| Capital | Edmonton | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Largest city | Calgary | ||||
| Official languages | English (see below) | ||||
| Government | |||||
| - Lieutenant-Governor | Norman Kwong | ||||
| - Premier | Ed Stelmach (PC) | ||||
| Federal representation | in Canadian Parliament | ||||
| - House seats | 28 | ||||
| - Senate seats | 6 | ||||
| Confederation | September 1, 1905 (split from Northwest Territories) (8th Province) | ||||
| Area | Ranked 6th | ||||
| - Total | km² ( sq mi) | ||||
| - Land | km² ( sq mi) | ||||
| - Water (%) | km² ( sq mi) (2.95%) | ||||
| Population | Ranked 4th | ||||
| - Total (2007) | 3,473,984 (est.)[1] | ||||
| - Density | /km² (/sq mi) | ||||
| GDP | Ranked 3rd | ||||
| - Total (2006) | C$235.593 billion[2] | ||||
| - Per capita | C$69,789 (2nd) | ||||
| Abbreviations | |||||
| - Postal | AB | ||||
| - ISO 3166-2 | CA-AB | ||||
| Time zone | UTC-7 | ||||
| Postal code prefix | T | ||||
| Flower |  Wild rose |
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| Tree | Lodgepole Pine | ||||
| Bird | Great Horned Owl | ||||
| Web site | www.gov.ab.ca | ||||
| Rankings include all provinces and territories | |||||
Alberta (IPA: /ælˈbɝtə/) is one of Canada's prairie provinces. It became a province on September 1, 1905.
Alberta is located in Western Canada, bounded by the provinces of British Columbia to the west and Saskatchewan to the east, Northwest Territories to the north, and by the U.S. state of Montana to the south. Alberta is one of two provinces (the other being New Brunswick) to border only a single U.S. state. It is also one of two provinces that are completely land-locked (the other being Saskatchewan).
The capital city of Alberta is Edmonton, located just south of the centre of the province. Calgary is a major distribution and transportation hub as well as being one of Canada's major commerce centres. Edmonton is the primary supply and service hub for Canada's oil sands and other northern resource industries. According to recent population estimates, these two metropolitan areas have now both exceeded 1 million people, Calgary being slightly more populous than Edmonton.[3] Other major but much smaller municipalities include Red Deer, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Fort McMurray, Grande Prairie, Camrose, Lloydminster, Wetaskiwin, Banff, and Jasper. See also: List of communities in Alberta.
Since December 14, 2006, the Premier of the province is Hon. Ed Stelmach, Progressive Conservative.
Alberta is named after Princess Louise Caroline Alberta (1848–1939), the fourth daughter of Queen Victoria. Princess Louise was the wife of the Marquess of Lorne, Governor General of Canada from 1878 to 1883. Lake Louise, the village of Caroline, and Mount Alberta were also named in honour of Princess Louise.
Alberta is in western Canada, and covers an area of 661,190 km² (255,287 mi²).[4] To the south, it borders the U.S. state of Montana on the 49th Parallel. To the east at a longitude of 110°W, it borders the province of Saskatchewan. At 60°N, it is bordered by the Northwest Territories. To the west, its border with British Columbia follows the line of peaks of the Rocky Mountains range along the Continental Divide, which runs northwesterly until it reaches 120° W, at which point the border follows this meridian to 60°N.
With the exception of the southeastern section, the province is well watered. Alberta contains dozens of rivers and lakes used
for swimming, water skiing, fishing and a full range of other water sports. There are three large lakes
and a multitude of smaller lakes less than 260 km² each. Part of Lake Athabasca
( km²) lies in the province of Saskatchewan. Lake
Claire ( km²) lies just west of Lake Athabasca in Wood Buffalo National Park. Lesser Slave Lake
( km²) is northwest of Edmonton.
Because Alberta extends for km from north to south, and about 600 km wide at its greatest east-west extent, it is natural that the climate should vary considerably between the 49th and 60th parallels. It is also further influenced by its elevation since the province is a high plateau. The elevation ranges from about metres in the south (Calgary is about – metres and Red Deer is about 850 m) to 650 metres in the north. The presence of a wall of mountains on the west and open prairies on the east also influences the weather.
Northern Alberta is mostly covered by boreal forest and has fewer frost-free days than southern Alberta, which has a semi-arid climate. The southeastern corner of Alberta experiences greater summer heat and lower rainfall than the rest of the province. Western Alberta is protected by the mountains, and enjoys the mild temperatures brought by winter chinook winds, while southeastern Alberta is a generally flat, dry prairie with some hills, where temperatures are most extreme. They can range from very cold (−35 °C (−31 °F) or lower in the winter) to very hot (38 °C (100 °F) or higher in the summer). Central and parts of northwestern Alberta in the Peace River region are largely aspen parkland, a biome transitional between prairie to the south and boreal forest to the north. After southern Ontario, Central Alberta is the most likely region in Canada to experience tornadoes. Thunderstorms, some of them severe, are frequent in the summer, especially in central and southern Alberta. The region surrounding the Calgary-Edmonton Corridor is notable for having the highest frequency of hail in Canada, due to the role of orographic lifting from the nearby Rocky Mountains which enhances the updraft/downdraft cycle necessary for the formation of hail.
Overall, Alberta has cold winters, with a temperature average ranging from −10 °C (14 °F) in the south to −24 °C (−12 °F) in the north. In the south along the foothills of the Rockies, the winter cold is sometimes interrupted by Chinook winds which can propel temperatures upward in a short time frame close to or infrequently above 20 °C (68 °F). These conditions most commonly occur in February or March. In the summer, the average daytime temperatures range from around 21 °C (70 °F) in the Rocky Mountains (valleys) and far north to near 30 °C (86 °F) in the dry prairie of the southeast. The northern and western parts of the province experience higher rainfall and lower evaporation rates caused by cooler summer temperatures. The south and east-central portions are prone to drought-like conditions sometimes persisting over periods of years, although even these areas can receive heavy precipitation. Alberta experiences a good amount of sunshine for its northern location owing to its fairly dry climate; the east-central part of the province (bordering Saskatchewan), is the sunniest place in Canada with an average of over hours a year.
Alberta's capital city, Edmonton, is located almost in the geographic centre of the province, and most of Alberta's oil is refined here. Southern Alberta, where Calgary is located, is known for its ranching. Much of the unforested part of Alberta is given over either to grain or to dairy farming, with ranching and grasslands predominant in the south.
The Albertan badlands are located in southeastern Alberta, where the Red Deer River crosses the flat prairie and farmland, a feature deep gorges and striking landforms. Dinosaur Provincial Park, near Brooks, Alberta, showcases the badlands terrain, desert flora, and remnants from Alberta's past when dinosaurs roamed the then lush landscape.
Alberta is one of only two Canadian provinces to have no maritime coast (the other being the neighbouring province of Saskatchewan.)
Largest municipalities and metro areas by population
| Settlement | 2006 | 2001 | 1996 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Census Metropolitan Areas: | |||
| Calgary CMA | 1,079,310< | 951,395 | 821,628 |
| Edmonton CMA | 1,034,945 | 937,845 | 862,597 |
| Cities (10 Largest): | |||
| Calgary | 1,019,193 | 878,866 | 768,082 |
| Edmonton | 1,001,600 | 666,104 | 616,306 |
| Red Deer | 82,772 | 67,707 | 60,080 |
| Lethbridge | 74,637 | 67,374 | 63,053 |
| St. Albert (included in Edmonton CMA) | 57,719 | 53,081 | 46,888 |
| Medicine Hat | 56,997 | 51,249 | 46,783 |
| Grande Prairie | 47,076 | 36,983 | 31,353 |
| Airdrie (included in Calgary CMA) | 28,927 | 20,382 | 15,946 |
| Spruce Grove (included in Edmonton CMA) | 19,496 | 15,983 | 14,271 |
| Lloydminster (part)[5] | 15,910 | 13,148 | 11,317 |
| Districts (3 Largest): | |||
| Strathcona County (included in Edmonton CMA) | 82,511 | 71,986 | 64,176 |
| Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo | 51,496 | 42,581 | 35,213 |
| Municipality of Rocky View (included in Calgary CMA) | 34,171 | 29,925 | 23,326 |
| Top employers[6] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Company | Employees | Headquarters |
| Government of Alberta | 35,000 | Edmonton |
| Canada Safeway | 30,000 | Calgary |
| Westfair Foods | 29,000 | Calgary |
| Calgary Health Region | 18,000 | Calgary |
| Canadian Pacific Railway | 16,106 | Calgary |
| The Forzani Group | 10,733 | Calgary |
| City of Calgary | 10,000 | Calgary |
| SportChek | 9,700 | Calgary |
| Calgary Board of Education | 8,296 | Calgary |
| Capital Health Authority | 8,199 | Edmonton |
Alberta's economy is one of the strongest in Canada, supported by the burgeoning petroleum industry and to a lesser extent, agriculture and technology. The per capita GDP in 2006 was by far the highest of any province in Canada at C$69,789. This was 56% higher than the national average and more than twice that of some of the Atlantic provinces. This deviation from the national average was the largest for any province in Canadian history.[7]
The Calgary-Edmonton Corridor is the most urbanized region in the province and one of the densest in Canada. Measured from north to south, the region covers a distance of roughly 400 kilometres. In 2001, the population of the Calgary-Edmonton Corridor was 2.15 million (72% of Alberta's population).[8] It is also one of the fastest growing regions in the country. A 2003 study by TD Bank Financial Group found the corridor is the only Canadian urban centre to amass a U.S level of wealth while maintaining a Canadian-style quality of life, offering universal health care benefits. The study found GDP per capita in the corridor is 10 percent above average U.S. metropolitan areas and 40 percent above other Canadian cities.
According to the Fraser Institute Alberta also has very high levels of economic freedom. It is by far the most free economy in Canada,[9] and is rated as the 4th most free economy of U.S. States and Canadian Provinces.[10]
Alberta is the largest producer of conventional crude oil, synthetic crude, natural gas and gas products in the country. Two of the largest producers of petrochemicals in North America are located in central and north central Alberta. In both Red Deer and Edmonton, world class polyethylene and vinyl manufacturers produce products shipped all over the world, and Edmonton's oil refineries provide the raw materials for a large petrochemical industry to the east of Edmonton.
The Athabasca Oil Sands (sometimes known as the Athabasca Tar sands) have estimated non-conventional oil reserves approximately equal to the conventional oil reserves of the rest of the world, estimated to be 1.6 trillion barrels (254 km³). With the development of new extraction methods such as steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD), which was developed in Alberta, bitumen and synthetic crude oil can be produced at costs close to those of conventional crude. Many companies employ both conventional strip mining and non-conventional in situ methods to extract the bitumen from the oil sands. With current technology and at current prices, about 315 billion barrels (50 km³) of bitumen are recoverable. Fort McMurray, one of Canada's fastest growing and liveliest cities, has grown enormously in recent years because of the large corporations which have taken on the task of oil production. As of late 2006 there were over $100 billion in oil sands projects under construction or in the planning stages in northeastern Alberta.
Another factor determining the viability of oil extraction from the Tar Sands is the price of oil. The oil price increases of 2004-2006 have made it more than profitable to extract this oil, which in the past would give little profit or even a loss.
With concerted effort and support from the provincial government, several high-tech industries have found their birth in Alberta, notably patents related to interactive liquid crystal display systems.[11] With a growing economy, Alberta has several financial institutions dealing with civil and private funds.
Agriculture has a significant position in the province's economy. Over three million cattle are residents of the province at one time or another,[12] and Albertan beef has a healthy worldwide market. Nearly one half of all Canadian beef is produced in Alberta. Alberta is one of the prime producers of plains buffalo (bison) for the consumer market. Sheep for wool and mutton are also raised.
Wheat and canola are primary farm crops, with Alberta leading the provinces in spring wheat production, with other grains also prominent. Much of the farming is dryland farming, often with fallow seasons interspersed with cultivation. Continuous cropping (in which there is no fallow season) is gradually becoming a more common mode of production because of increased profits and a reduction of soil erosion. Across the province, the once common grain elevator is slowly being lost as rail lines are decreased and farmers now truck the grain to central points.
Alberta is the leading beekeeping province of Canada, with some beekeepers wintering hives indoors in specially designed barns in southern Alberta, then migrating north during the summer into the Peace River valley where the season is short but the working days are long for honeybees to produce honey from clover and fireweed. Hybrid canola also requires bee pollination, and some beekeepers service this need.
The vast northern forest reserves of softwood allow Alberta to produce large quantities of lumber, oriented strand board (OSB) and plywood, and several plants in northern Alberta supply North America and the Pacific Rim nations with bleached wood pulp and newsprint.
The government of Alberta is organized as a parliamentary democracy with a unicameral legislature. Its unicameral legislature — the Legislative Assembly — consists of eighty-three members.
Locally municipal governments and school boards are elected and operate separately. Their boundaries may or may not coincide. Municipalities where the same body acted as both local government and school board were formally referred to as "counties" in Alberta.
As Canada's head of state, Queen Elizabeth II is the head of state for the Government of Alberta. Her duties in Alberta are carried out by Lieutenant Governor, Norman Kwong. Although the Lieutenant Governor is technically the most powerful person in Alberta, (s)he is in reality a figurehead whose actions are restricted by custom and constitutional convention. The government is therefore headed by the Premier. The current Premier is Ed Stelmach who was elected as leader of the governing Progressive Conservatives on December 2, 2006. Stelmach was sworn in as the 13th Albertan Premier on December 15, 2006.
As is always the case in a parliamentary system of government, the Premier is a Member of the Legislative Assembly, and he draws all the members of his Cabinet from among the Members of the Legislative Assembly.
The City of Edmonton is the seat of the provincial government — the capital of Alberta.
The province's revenue comes mainly from the taxation of oil, natural gas, beef, softwood lumber, and wheat, but also includes
a tax on corporate and personal income, gaming revenue, and grants from the federal
government primarily for infrastructure projects. Albertans are the lowest-taxed
people in Canada, and Alberta is the only province in Canada without a provincial
Alberta's elections tend to yield results which are much more conservative than those of other Canadian provinces. Alberta has traditionally had three political parties, the Progressive Conservatives ("Conservatives" or "Tories"), the Liberals, and the social democratic New Democrats. A fourth party, the strongly conservative Social Credit Party, was a power in Alberta for many decades, but fell from the political map after the Progressive Conservatives came to power in 1971. Since that time, no other political party has governed Alberta. In fact, only four parties have governed Alberta: the Liberals, from 1905 to 1921; the United Farmers of Alberta, from 1921 to 1935; the Social Credit Party, from 1935 to 1971, and the currently governing Progressive Conservative Party, from 1971 to the present.
As is the case with many western Canadian provinces, Alberta has had occasional surges in separatist sentiment. Even during the 1980s, when these feelings were at their strongest, there has never been enough interest in secession to initiate any major movements or referendums. There are a number of groups wishing to promote the independence of Alberta in some form currently active in the province. See also: Alberta separatism.
In the 2004 provincial election, held in November, the Progressive Conservative Party was re-elected as a majority government (62 Members), the Liberal Party of Alberta was elected as the Official Opposition (16 Members), the New Democratic Party elected four Members, and the Alberta Alliance Party, running to the right of the Conservatives, won one seat.
As with any Canadian province, the Albertan Legislature has (almost) exclusive authority to make laws respecting education. Since 1905 the Legislature has used this capacity to continue the model of locally elected public and separate school boards which originated prior to 1905, as well as to create and/or regulate universities, colleges, technical institutions and other educational forms and institutions (public charter schools, private schools, home schooling).
There are forty-two public school jurisdictions in Alberta, and seventeen operating separate school jurisdictions. Sixteen of the operating separate school jurisdictions have a Roman Catholic electorate, and one (St. Albert) has a Protestant electorate. In addition, one Protestant separate school district, Glen Avon, survives as a ward of the St. Paul Education Region. The City of Lloydminster straddles the Alberta/Saskatchewan border, and both the public and separate school systems in that city are counted in the above numbers: both of them operate according to Saskatchewan law.
For many years the provincial government has funded the greater part of the cost of providing K - 12 education. Prior to 1994 public and separate school boards in Alberta had the legislative authority to levy a local tax on property, as supplementary support for local education. In 1994 the government of the province eliminated this right for public school boards, but not for separate school boards. Since 1994 there has continued to be a tax on property in support of K - 12 education; the difference is that the mill rate is now set by the provincial government, the money is collected by the local municipal authority and remitted to the provincial government. The relevant legislation requires that all the money raised by this property tax must go to the support of K - 12 education provided by school boards. The provincial government pools the property tax funds from across the province and distributes them, according to a formula, to public and separate school jurisdictions and Francophone authorities.
Public and separate school boards, charter schools, and private schools all follow the Program of Studies and the curriculum approved by the provincial department of education (Alberta Education). Home schoolers may choose to follow the Program of Studies or develop their own Program of Studies. Public and separate schools, charter schools, and approved private schools all employ teachers who are certificated by Alberta Education, they administer Provincial Achievement Tests and Diploma Examinations set by Alberta Education, and they may grant high school graduation certificates endorsed by Alberta Education.
Alberta's oldest and largest university is Edmonton's University of Alberta. The University of Calgary, once affiliated with the University of Alberta, gained its autonomy in 1966, and is now the second largest university in Alberta. There is also Athabasca University, which focuses on distance learning, and the University of Lethbridge. There are 15 colleges that receive direct public funding, along with two technical institutes, NAIT and SAIT.[13] There is also a large and active private sector of post-secondary institutions, including DeVry University. Students may also receive government loans and grants while attending selected private institutions. There has been some controversy in recent years over the rising cost of post-secondary education for students (as opposed to taxpayers). In 2005, Premier Ralph Klein made a promise that he would freeze tuition and look into ways of reducing schooling costs.[14] So far, no plan has been released by the Albertan government.
Alberta has over 180,000 km of highways and roads, of which nearly 50,000 km are paved. The main north-south corridor is Highway 2, which begins south of Cardston at the Carway border crossing and is part of the CANAMEX corridor. Highway 4, which effectively extends U.S. Interstate Highway 15 into Alberta and is the busiest U.S. gateway to the province, begins at the Coutts border crossing and ends at Lethbridge. Highway 3 joins Lethbridge to Fort Macleod and links Highway 4 to Highway 2. Highway 2 travels northward through Fort Macleod, Calgary, Red Deer, and Edmonton before dividing into two highways. The section of Highway 2 between Calgary and Edmonton has been named the Queen Elizabeth II Highway to commemorate the visit of the monarch in 2005. Past Edmonton, one branch continues northwest as Highway 43 into Grande Prairie and the Peace River Country; the other (Highway 63) travels northeast to Fort McMurray, the location of the Athabasca Oil Sands. Highway 2 is supplemented by two more highways that run parallel to it: Highway 22, west of highway 2, known as "the cowboy trail," and Highway 21, east of highway 2.
Alberta two has main east-west corridors. The southern corridor, part of the Trans-Canada Highway system, enters the province near Medicine Hat, runs westward through Calgary, and leaves Alberta through Banff National Park. The northern corridor, also part of the Trans-Canada network but known alternatively as the Yellowhead Highway (Highway 16), runs west from Lloydminster in eastern Alberta, through Edmonton and Jasper National Park into British Columbia. On a sunny spring or fall day, one of the most scenic drives is along the Icefields Parkway, which runs for 228 km between Jasper and Lake Louise, with mountain ranges and glaciers on either side of its entire length.
Another major corridor through central Alberta is Highway 11 (also known as the David Thompson Highway), which runs west from the Saskatchewan River Crossing in Banff National Park through Rocky Mountain House and Red Deer, connecting with Highway 12 20 km west of Stettler. The highway connects many of the smaller towns in central Alberta with Calgary and Edmonton, as it crosses Highway 2 just west of Red Deer.
Urban stretches of Alberta's major highways and freeways are often called trails. For example, Highway 2 is Deerfoot Trail as it passes through Calgary, Calgary Trail as it leaves Edmonton southbound, and St. Albert Trail as it leaves Edmonton northbound toward the city of St. Albert. Visitors from outside Alberta often find this disconcerting, accustomed as they are to the notion that a trail is an unpaved route primarily for pedestrians.
Edmonton, Calgary, Red Deer, Medicine Hat, and Lethbridge have substantial mass transit systems. Edmonton and Calgary also operate light rail vehicles.
Alberta is well-connected by air, with international airports at both Edmonton
and Calgary. Calgary International Airport and
There are over 9000 km of operating mainline railway, and many tourists see Alberta aboard Via Rail or Rocky Mountain Railtours. The Canadian Pacific Railway company operates railway freight across the province.
Health care in Alberta is divided into nine Health region: Aspen Regional Health Authority: Calgary Health Region, Capital Health (Edmonton), Chinook Health, David Thompson Regional Health Authority, East Central Health, Northern Lights Health Region, Palliser Health Region and Peace Country Health Region.
Summer brings many festivals to the province. The Edmonton Fringe Festival is the world's second largest after Edinburgh's. The folk music festivals in both Calgary and Edmonton are two of Canada's largest and both cities host a number of annual multicultural events. With a large number of summer and winter events, Edmonton prides itself as being the "Festival City". The city's "heritage days" festival sees the participation of over 70 national groups. Calgary is also home to Carifest, the second largest Caribbean festival in the nation (after Caribana in Toronto). The city is also famous for its Calgary Stampede, dubbed "The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth." The Stampede is Canada's biggest rodeo festival and features various races and competitions like calf roping, and bull riding. These events highlight the province's cultural diversity and love of entertainment. Most of the major cities have several performing theatre companies who entertain in venues as diverse as Edmonton's Arts Barns and the Francis Winspear Centre for Music.
Alberta also has significant ethnic diversity. Both the Chinese and East Indian communities are significant. According to Statistics Canada, Alberta is home to the second highest proportion (two percent) of Francophones in western Canada (after Manitoba). Many of Alberta's French-speaking residents live in the central and northwestern regions of the province. As reported in the 2001 census, the Chinese represented nearly four percent of Alberta's population and East Indians represented better than two percent. Both Edmonton and Calgary have Chinatowns and Calgary's is Canada's third largest. The Chinese presence began with workers employed in the building of the Canadian Pacific Railway in the 1880s. Aboriginal Albertans make up approximately three percent of the population.
The major contributors to Alberta's ethnic diversity have been the European nations.[16] Forty-four percent of Albertans are of British and Irish descent, and there are also large numbers of Germans, Ukrainians and Scandinavians. Amongst those of British origins, the Scots have had a particularly strong influence, with many place-names (including Calgary, Airdrie, Canmore and Banff) having Scottish origins.
Both cities are home to Canadian Football League and National Hockey League teams. Soccer, rugby union and lacrosse are also played professionally in Alberta.
Alberta is home to speakers of a number of languages, with many minority languages growing due to immigration. English remains the only official language used in all government services, although French is also an official language of the courts.
Alberta has been a tourist destination from the early days of the twentieth century, with attractions including outdoor locales for skiing, hiking and camping, shopping locales such as West Edmonton Mall, outdoor festivals, professional athletic events, international sporting competitions such as the Commonwealth Games and Olympic Games, as well as more eclectic attractions.
According to Alberta Economic Development, Edmonton and Calgary both host o
