PLANNING A HOLIDAY IN 2019? HOW ABOUT VISITING EDMONTON?

If you are planning a holiday this year, you just might want to consider Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Edmontonis the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city anchors the north end of what Statistics Canada defines as the "Calgary–Edmonton Corridor".

 

The city had a population of 932,546 in 2016, making it Alberta's second-largest city and Canada's fifth-largest municipality. Also in 2016, Edmonton had a metropolitan population of 1,321,426, making it the sixth-largest census metropolitan area (CMA) in Canada. Edmonton is North America's northernmost metropolitan area with a population over one million. A resident of Edmonton is known as an Edmontonian.

 

Edmonton's historic growth has been facilitated through the absorption of five adjacent urban municipalities (Strathcona, North Edmonton, West Edmonton, Beverly and Jasper Place) in addition to a series of annexations through 1982, and the annexation of 8,260 ha (82.6 km²) of land from Leduc County and the city of Beaumont on January 1, 2019.  Known as the "Gateway to the North", the city is a staging point for large-scale oil sands projects occurring in northern Alberta and large-scale diamond mining operations in the Northwest Territories.

 

Edmonton is a cultural, governmental and educational centre. It hosts a year-round slate of festivals, reflected in the nickname "Canada's Festival City". It is home to North America's largest mall, West Edmonton Mall (the world's largest mall from 1981 until 2004), and Fort Edmonton Park, Canada's largest living history museum.

 Edmonton also boasts some pretty impressive cultural museums, not the least of which is
The Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village. This is an open-air museum telling the story of Ukrainian settlement in east central Alberta from 1892 to 1930. The Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village is an open-air museum telling the story of Ukrainian settlement in east central Alberta from 1892 to 1930. It's located on Hwy 16, 50km East Of Edmonton.

Another spectacular wonder is Elk Island National Park. This is a national park in Canada that played an important part in the conservation of the American bison. The park is administered by the Parks Canada Agency. This "island of conservation" is located 35 km east of Edmonton, Alberta along the Yellowhead Highway, which goes through the park. It is Canada's 8th smallest in area but largest fully enclosed national park, with an area of 194 square kilometres. In this park, you will find two species of Buffalo, many birds and other wild animals. Plenty of trails, boating opportunities and picnic areas await you. It is well worth a visit if you have never been to Alberta before.

Edmonton is also a culturally diverse city. Several ethic groups call this city home and you can find many events, festivals and other attractions throughout the year celebrating the many and varied ethic communities. 

Edmonton is also affordable in terms of rental homes, apartments and more and if you are looking to buy a home, Edmonton offers a huge array of homes at all price levels to suit almost any budget. Finally, Edmonton is one of the more desirable cities to live in as the cost of living is much lower here than other parts of Canada. Low gas prices, affordable shopping and no Provincial sales tax make this an ideal place to be. Alberta also has a moderate income tax which allows you to earn more and pay less in taxes.

Whether you wish to live in Alberta or simply visit, you will find a trip to this beautiful city well worth it and you will make many friends and many more memories. So, come and visit Edmonton this year! You won't be disappointed.

To learn more about Edmonton, Alberta, visit the official tourist site https://exploreedmonton.com/.