Edmonton, North America’s northernmost city is known, rather creatively, as the ‘Gateway to the North’. Back in the 1940s, the city was also dubbed ‘Oil Capital of Canada’, given the Alberta region’s enormous oil and gas reserves—second only to Saudi Arabia’s. These days, while oil and gas and their myriad satellite industries remain of significant economic importance, Edmonton also boasts a thriving technology sector, notably biotech and nanotech. Being an outpost of civilization has not diminished Edmonton’s ambition to be a world-class city; it houses North America’s largest shopping mall (indeed, one of the largest in the world) and as a testing ground for many US retailers, is often ahead of the rest of the world on new brands and trends. Space is not an issue in Edmonton. Famous for its ‘Ribbon of Green’, Edmonton has the longest stretch of connected urban parkland in North America. In total, it boasts a whopping 111 km2 (27,400 acres) of parkland—more green space per capita than any other Canadian city. Edmonton’s thriving economy (it currently has the lowest unemployment rate in Canada) vibrant quality of life, reputation for great schools and its easy pace make living way up north a breeze.