Moving To Edmonton: Your Festival City Relocation Guide

There’s one fascinating city in Canada where even ordinary things are wrapped up in colorful uniqueness, decorated with a beautiful green ribbon and presented with a warm and authentic smile that will undoubtedly touch your heart.

This largest northernmost metropolis boasts strong and stable economy, a multitude of impressive museums, art galleries and concert halls, the largest urban parkland in North America, plenty of sunny days each year and a never-ending array of spectacular festivals and exciting events.

And most importantly, this city offers authenticity that is hard to match.

Welcome to Edmonton!

Regardless of whether you’re planning to move to or simply visit the vibrant city of Edmonton, this concise relocation guide will help you get a better idea of what to expect from The Festival City.

Geography And Climate

Edmonton is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Situated on the North Saskatchewan River, its population (817,498 people) makes it Alberta’s second largest city after Calgary.

The climate in Edmonton is fairly dry. The city enjoys a great deal of sunshine (2,299 hours per year) – one of the sunniest cities in Canada.  In comparison, Calgary receives an average of 2,405 hours of sunshine a year). The average temperatures range from −10.4 °C (13.3 °F) in January to 17.7 °C (63.9 °F) in July.

You can follow the weather in Edmonton closely on this website.

Economy

The oil and gas industries are the main drivers of Edmonton’s economy. The city has been a center for the petrochemical industries in Alberta since the 1940s when it was even nicknamed “Oil Capital of Canada”.

Also, the city is part of the Calgary-Edmonton Corridor – one of the fastest growing regions in Canada. Edmonton is one of the principal research and education centers in the country which has propelled the growth in technology sectors. The National Institute for Nanotechnology is located in the campus of the University of Alberta and was built with the sole purpose of nanotechnological research.

Main Sights And Attractions

Muttart Conservatory

Officially opened in September 1976, the Muttart Conservatory is a botanical garden situated across from downtown Edmonton, owned and operated by the city itself. It consists of three greenhouses, public gardens, as well as four iconic glassed pyramids that house plant species from three biomes – tropical, temperate and arid regions. The conservatory offers a year-round escape to the beauty of plant life found throughout our planet.

Fort Edmonton Park

Established in 1974, Fort Edmonton Park is the largest living history museum in Canada and represents both original and rebuilt historical structures that narrate the history of Edmonton. The park covers 158 acres (0.639 sq. km) and consists of four sections as each one represents a different era:

• Fur Trade Era (1795-1859)
• The Settlement Era (1871-1891)
• The Municipal Era (1892-1914)
• The Metropolitan Era (1914-1929)

Visitors can board a fully operational steam train to cross the entire length of the museum, and then continue its walk through time on foot. They can also experience horse-drawn carriages, streetcars and automobiles from the respective eras.

University of Alberta (U of A)

The University of Alberta is a public research university that was founded in 1908 by the first premier of Alberta. It has four campuses in Edmonton, and the original north campus comprises of 150 buildings. U of A is attended by more than 39,000 Canadian and foreign students in 400 different programs in 18 faculties.

The University of Alberta plays an enormous role in Alberta’s economy, with an estimated impact of $12.3 billion a year. With 15,000 employees, it is also the fourth largest employer in the Canadian province.

Francis Winspear Centre for Music

Opened in 1997, Francis Winspear Centre for Music is a performing arts center in downtown Edmonton with a seating capacity of 1,716 people. It is the home venue of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra which consists of 56 professional musicians who stage over 85 concerts a year.

In 2002, a 6,551-pipe concert organ (the largest one in Canada) was installed in the Centre. The acoustics in the hall can be adjusted via an advanced system of velour banners and curtains.

Ribbon Of Green

The North Saskatchewan River Valley Parks System, (aka Ribbon of Green), is a group of urban parks which comprises of more than 20 major parks – the largest urban parkland in North America. With its size of 7,400 ha (18,000 acres) and length of 48 km (30 mi), the River Valley Parks System is home to 11 lakes, endless bike and walking trails, numerous golf courses, as well as cross-country skiing and skating venues in the wintertime. Also, a diverse wildlife population lives along the river valley: deer, coyotes, rabbits, beavers, skunks, etc.

West Edmonton Mall

Opened on September 15, 1981, West Edmonton Mall is the largest shopping center in North America by gross leasable area. Until 2004 it was the largest mall in the world, now it takes the 10th spot. With a gross area of 490,000 sq. m. (5,300,00 sq. ft.), the mall offers more than 800 stores and parking space for over 20,000 vehicles.

Galaxyland, World Waterpark, Sea Life Caverns, Ice Palace, Professor WEM’s Adventure Golf and numerous movie theater complexes are only a small part of all the attractions that the endless stream of daily visitors (between 90,000 and 200,000) at West Edmonton Mall can enjoy.

Festival City

A large number of exciting festivals are held each year in Edmonton, hence the nickname “The Festival City”.

• The Works Art And Design Festival – a 13-day festival from late June to early July which presents Canadian and international art and design from well-established and emerging artists.

• Edmonton International Street Performer’s Festival – held in mid-July, it’s all about street performance artists from all over the world.
• K-Days – the main summer festival and exhibition which attract around 800,000 visitors each year. It’s 10 days filled with tons of daily activities and fun – carnival rides, music, trade shows and fireworks.
• Edmonton Folk Music Festival – an annual 4-day outdoor music festival with performances in many genres – folk, Celtic, blues, gospel, roots and others. The event is very successful – the 2012 edition was sold out in several minutes.
• and many, many more!

For a full list of the annual festivals held in Edmonton, visit the following website.

Curious Facts About Edmonton

• 

  Out of the large number of museums in Edmonton, the most notable ones are: Royal Alberta Museum (RAM), Telus World of Science – Edmonton, Alberta Aviation Museum and Alberta Railway Museum.

• Edmonton is a major air transportation center to Northern Canada. The Edmonton International Airport (EIA) is the principal airport in the city and one of the largest ones in the country.
• According to the 2001 census, 31.2 percent of Edmontonians are Protestant, 29.4 percent are Catholic, 2.9 percent are Muslim, 0.6 percent are Jewish, and 24.4 percent profess no religion.
• The first mosque in Canada was established in Edmonton and is named The Al-Rashid Mosque

Useful Information

• To receive professional help when moving to Edmonton, check out this large database of reliable moving companies.
• Explore Edmonton
• The City of Edmonton
• 81 Things To Do In Edmonton
• Edmonton Events Calendar