Calgary, nestled in the grasslands of Alberta at the foot of the Canadian Rockies, is famed for its Stampede Rodeo, fantastic winter sports, bountiful game hunting and fishing, tax-free shopping and, not least, for its fossil fuel reserves. The city is home to a staggering 87% of Canada’s oil and natural gas producers as well as more than half the country’s coal producers. A hub for energy heavyweights such as Shell, BP and Suncor Energy, Calgary is second only to Toronto for boasting more head offices than any other Canadian city. The resulting affluence is evident in its world-class facilities, polished presentation—and spiralling cost of living. The oil and gas boom has triggered considerable growth of the city’s population in recent years. This, in turn, has placed considerable pressure on the city’s infrastructure; evident in ramped up real estate prices and increasing traffic congestion. Those who can comfortably afford Calgary’s lifestyle are in for a treat. Calgary is a delightfully pedestrian city, with several walkable and very trendy shopping districts. The city caters to almost every taste, from Kensington’s bohemian quarter to the chic boutiques and trendy cafes of Uptown 17th Avenue and Inglewood, or the superb shopping malls of Stephen Avenue Walk along 8 Avenue downtown. Foodies will revel in Calgary’s cornucopia of farmers’ markets selling anything from vintage wines and cheeses to freshly baked pies and mouth-watering patisseries. The Calgary Farmers’ Market—the city’s most popular—is open all year. Crossroads is a year-round indoor/outdoor market just south of downtown, while Bearspaw and Millarville have markets just outside city limits. For hunting and fishing enthusiasts, the Calgary region is second to none. Fly fishers and anglers flock to the Bow River for its mature stocks of brown trout and rainbow trout. Game hunters will find deer, elk, moose and black bear in the mountains and foothills around Calgary. Outdoor lovers will revel in the whitewater sports, powder snow at Olympic Park, mountain biking, sport climbing and hiking. Meanwhile, those who prefer the indoors can lose themselves in a rich and varied selection of museums, galleries and fantastic libraries. Calgary offers an abundance of year-round outdoor and indoor activities that make for a wonderful and richly rewarding lifestyle. What is special or unique about your city? Calgary, Heart of the New West is a vibrant city that offers the best of all worlds—a cosmopolitan city of nearly one million with outstanding outdoor adventure and pristine wilderness only an hour away in the Canadian Rockies. Nearly 5 million visitors each year find a wealth of cultural attractions, diverse and award-winning restaurants, parks and pathways, specialty shops and trendy night spots in Calgary. Our wide, blue sky and moderate climate beckons year-round outdoor enthusiasts to golf or hike, fish or mountain bike, ski or dog-sled. Our parks offer some of the finest natural areas in North America, and our shopping is a paradise—we are the only province in Canada with no provincial sales tax.