The Bow and Elbow rivers provide the city with hydroelectric power. The Calgary area also has abundant coal reserves. Leading products include building materials, chemicals, electrical equipment, fertilizer, plastics, and sulfur. Calgary lies in a wheat-growing region, and grain elevators and flour mills operate in and near the city. Calgary has more than 200 public schools and about 70 Roman Catholic schools.
Public funds support both systems.
The University of Calgary works closely with Calgary's Mount Royal College. The Southern Alberta Institute of Technology and the Alberta Vocational Center are also in Calgary. The Calgary Public Library, which opened in 1912, was the first public library in Alberta. It has 14 branches. Cultural life of the city is highlighted by the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede in July.