Alberta

Alberta is a land of spectacular scenery where the sprawling expanse of prairie fields meets the snowcapped majesty of the Rocky Mountains. Who has not heard the names Banff National Park (which is the birthplace of Canada's national park system), Jasper National Park, Lake Louise, and Kananaskis (with their abundant natural beauty and recreational opportunities – not to mention the freedom to spoil yourself into oblivion at a hot springs or spa)?

Perhaps less well-known, though no less spectacular, is Waterton Lakes National Park, which straddles the border with Montana's Glacier National Park. The two parks joined in 1931 to form Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, the first such park, which is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Equally spectacular is the massive Columbia Icefield, located between Banff and Jasper, composed of eight glaciers – including three major glaciers, Athabasca, Stutfield, and Dome – and containing 325 square kilometers (125 square miles) of ancient ice reaching estimated depths of 385 meters (1,270 feet). The icefield feeds four major river systems – the Columbia, Fraser, Mackenzie, and Saskatchewan – and straddles the Continental Divide where the waters flow west to the Pacific, north to the Arctic Ocean, or east to the Atlantic. Visitors to the area can watch the divide in action, as a creek separates in mid-flow! And if you don't want to visit the icefield itself, you can drive the 230 kilometers (143 miles) to Icefields Parkway on one of the world's most scenic highways, which winds through Banff and Jasper with unending views of waterfalls, lakes, alpine meadows, and snow-capped peaks – plus the glaciers! In Alberta, the driving is good, but the hiking, skiing, trekking, camping, horseback riding, climbing, golfing, and fishing are even better!

And anyone with children of the dino-crazed age has probably heard of the desert Badlands, and Dinosaur Provincial Park. Another World Heritage Site, Dinosaur Provincial Park covers 7,332 hectares (18,116 acres) and is one of the most significant paleontological sites in the world, containing the remains of 35 types of dinosaurs. You and your children can gape at the skeletons in the Royal Tyrrell Museum Field Station, explore the area on self-guided trails, or visit the natural preserve on a guided tour.

In Alberta's great outdoors, you experience all four seasons. Particularly in the southern areas, the temperature can easily reach 32C (90F) during the summer and -18C (0F) in the winter. But never fear! The famous Chinook winds blowing down over the Rockies can appear suddenly and warm things up. How warm? On January 11, 1983, the temperature in Calgary rose 30C (86F) from -17C (1.4F) to 13C (55F) in four hours.

If you become bored with the outdoors and the view you can also take a step back in time and experience life at any number of frontier forts and villages: Calgary Heritage Park Historical Village with 150 buildings, 45,000 exhibits, an antique midway, and more; Rocky Mountain House National Historic Site (located a few miles from Rocky Mountain House), which contains the archeological remains of fur-trading forts built between 1799 and 1875; Fort Edmonton Park (Edmonton), which is a complete replica of a 19th century fort; and the colorfully named Fort Whoop-up Interpretive Centre, centered around what was once the first and largest (and illicit) whiskey trading post in the region. The establishment of the fort in 1869 by Americans was one of the events prompting the arrival of the North West Mounted Police to the area in 1874. To step further back in time, visit Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park, one of the few places in western North America untouched during the last glacial period, and bearing evidence of a 7,000 year old Native encampment.

Modern civilization is also certainly available in this province of 3.1 million inhabitants (which earns hefty revenues from the petroleum industry and is thus blessed with a 10% single-rate personal income tax, the lowest fuel taxes in Canada, no sales tax, and some of the lowest corporate tax rates)! For those with a Western bent, there's the world-famous Calgary Stampede – the rowdy and exuberant spectacle that draws millions each July. For the shopper, there is the West Edmonton Mall – "the world's largest entertainment and shopping centre." This shoppers' dreamland includes 800 stores and services, more than 110 eating facilities, and seven world class attractions including the world's largest indoor amusement park and the world's largest wave pool. For patrons of more upscale culture, there are opera, symphony, and theatrical performances. The Citadel Theatre in Edmonton includes five theatres, production facilities, restaurant, shop, and a theatre school and is Canada's largest theatre complex.

You'll never be bored in Alberta!

See our 247 Jobs in Alberta

Discuss This Article

Have something you'd like to say? Tell us what you think! Read and post comments for this article.

Find a Job in Alberta

Choose your career:

MedHunters is the world's biggest healthcare job board. Our job directory has 17,979 jobs with 2,508 hospitals and other direct employers.

We want you to find your next job on MedHunters. Need Help? Call us at 1-888-884-8242, email us at info@medhunters.com or sign up now.