Interesting Facts

In 1947, Edmonton was taken by storm with rapid growth in the oil and gas industry, which is still the economic mainstay in Western Canada. The resulting boom was followed by extensive cultural growth with arts programs and new venues.
In the early days Edmonton was known as a fur-trading outpost, a designation which brought the first Europeans to the region. The first known European to reach the area was fur trader Anthony Henday who explored Edmonton and the Red Deer area in 1754-55.
The North Saskatchewan River valley gives Edmonton an abundance of green space, popular for outdoor festivals. Per capita, Edmonton itself has more parkland than any other city in North America.
Downtown Edmonton has a series of completely enclosed pedestrian walkways that are a boon in the blustery winter months. You can get to most of the major offices and shopping areas without ever having to set foot out in the freezing cold!
Perhaps the single most important event in Edmonton history was the arrival of the railway in 1883.
In any given year, there's an 88% chance that Edmonton will have a white Christmas.
Edmonton loves hockey! And with a team like the Oilers to root for, that's no surprise. During the 1980s, the team won five Stanley Cups, and had hockey's "dream team," which included players Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Esa Tikkanen, Randy Gregg, Glenn Anderson and Paul Coffey. While not as dominant, today's Oilers have a massive fan base, and home games usually sell out.
West Edmonton Mall is the largest shopping and entertainment complex in North America. More than 600 stores, nearly 100 places to eat, a casino, an indoor amusement park (also the world's largest), sports and fitness center, water park, and a whole lot of other fun stuff. As you might guess, it's Edmonton's top tourist attraction. Don't worry too much about parking � the mall also has a massive parking lot, with over 20,000 spaces.
About 30 minutes from downtown Edmonton is Castrol Raceway. The racetrack has a six-month season of IHRA sanctioned events, drawing thousands of race fans each year.
The Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival is the largest of its kind in North America.