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Edmonton is the capital city of Alberta and is well known for its scenic river valley and a thriving music and art community. Located 294 km (183 mi) north of Calgary, Edmonton is home to North America’s largest shopping and entertainment complex, West Edmonton Mall. More than just a shopping centre, West Edmonton Mall also has a giant water park, a man-made lake, a skating rink, two mini-golf courses, 21 movie theatres, a Vegas-style casino and an amusement park with 25 rides and attractions.

Edmonton’s vibrant population tends to hang out and let loose at the trendy Whyte Avenue district, which is situated next to the reputable University of Alberta. The Muttart Conservatory, an expansive horticultural spectacle, is noted for its unique architecture, as is the remarkable Alberta Legislature Building. Fort Edmonton Park is a large living history museum that recognizes Edmonton’s past through a series of interactive restorations.

Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta. The city is located on the North Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province, an area with some of the most fertile farmland on the prairies. It is the second largest city in Alberta after Calgary, and is the hub of Canada’s sixth-largest metropolitan area. In the Canada 2006 Census, the city had a population of 730,372 and its census metropolitan area had a population of 1,034,945, making it the northernmost North American city with a metropolitan population over one million!

At 684 km2 (264 sq mi), the City of Edmonton covers an area larger than Chicago, Philadelphia, Toronto, or Montreal so there’s Massive opportunity for you to find your favourite spot!

If you’re into shopping Edmonton is home to several shopping malls, including Canada’s first mall, Westmount Centre (still in operation but under development) and West Edmonton Mall, The world’s largest shopping and entertainment complex, with a roller coaster, tropical rainforest and an indoor bungee jump, in addition to the over 800 stores and 20 restaurants. Other malls include Bonnie Doon Shopping Centre, Edmonton City Centre (formerly Eaton Centre), Southgate Centre (currently undergoing expansion), Kingsway Garden Mall, Northgate Centre, Abbotsfield Mall, Londonderry Mall, and Mill Woods Town Centre.

Edmonton also has many big box shopping centres and power centres. Some of the major ones include South Edmonton Common (North America’s largest open air retail development), Skyview Power Centre, Terra Losa Centre, Oliver Park, Southpark Centre, The Meadows, Christy’s Corner, and Westpoint. In 2008, construction started on the Windermere power centre.

In contrast to suburban centres, Edmonton has many urban retail locations. The largest of them all, Old Strathcona includes many independent stores between 99 Street and 109th St on Whyte Avenue and area. In the downtown of Edmonton there are a small handful of shopping districts. Areas around Jasper Avenue, 104 street, 109 street, and 100 street have small pockets of retail. Near Oliver there is 124 Street which is home to a bunch of retail.

Edmonton also offers a variety of different things to do and places to see – these include Valley Zoo, Fort Edmonton Park, Mayfield Dinner Theatre, World Waterpark (which is actually in West Edmonton Mall), Fantasyland (the world’s largest indoor amusement park) and many more!

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And if you’re looking for Hotels in Edmonton click here!

If you’re looking for flights to Edmonton from the UK – click here to find flights and prices

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 18th, 2009 at 10:14 am and is filed under Alberta. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.