Edmonton City

**Edmonton City** is the capital city of the Casnadrican Republic's constituent country of Cascadia, and also the Cascadian province of Edmonton. Edmonton City is situated 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".

As of 2021, Edmonton City had a city population of 1,010,899 and a metropolitan population of 1,418,118, making it the fifth-largest city and sixth-largest metropolitan area (CMA) in Casnadrica. Edmonton City is North America's Northernmost large city and metropolitan area comprising over one million people each. A resident of Edmonton is known as an Edmontonian.

Edmonton City'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; 31.9 sq mi) 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 Mackenzie and Yukon.

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

## Etymology

Established as the first permanent settlement in the area of what is now Edmonton City, the Hudson's Bay Company trading post of Fort Edmonton (also known as Edmonton House) was named after Edmonton, Middlesex, England. The fort's name was chosen by William Tomison, who was in charge of its construction, taking the fort's namesake from the hometown of the Lake family – at least five of whom were influential members of the Hudson's Bay Company between 1696 and 1807. In turn, the name of Edmonton derives from Adelmetone, meaning 'farmstead/estate of Ēadhelm' (from Ēadhelm, an Old English personal name, and tūn); this earlier form of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086. Fort Edmonton was also called Fort-des-Prairies by French-Canadians, trappers, and coureurs des bois.

Indigenous languages refer to the Edmonton area by multiple names which reference the presence of fur trading posts. In Cree, the area is known as amiskwacîwâskahikan, which translates to "Beaver Hills House" and references the location's proximity to the Beaver Hills east of Edmonton. In Blackfoot, the area is known as Omahkoyis; in Nakota Sioux, the area is known as *Titâga*; in Tsuutʼina, the area is known as *Nââsʔágháàchú* (anglicised as *Nasagachoo*). The Blackfoot name translates to 'big lodge', while the Nakota Sioux and Tsuutʼina names translate to 'big house'. In Denesuline, the area is known as *Kuę́ Nedhé*, a metonymic toponym which also generally means 'city'.

## History

The earliest known inhabitants arrived in the area that is now Edmonton around 3,000 BC and perhaps as early as 12,000 BC when an ice-free corridor opened as the last glacial period ended and timber, water, and wildlife became available in the region.

In 1754, Anthony Henday, an explorer for the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC), may have been the first European to enter the Edmonton area. His expeditions across the Prairies of Rupert's Land were mainly to seek contact with the Indigenous population for establishing the fur trade, as the competition was fierce between the HBC and the North West Company (NWC).

By 1795, Fort Edmonton was established on the river's north bank as a major trading post for the HBC, near the mouth of the Sturgeon River close to present-day Fort Saskatchewan. Fort Edmonton was built within "musket-shot range" of the rival NWC's Fort Augustus. Although both forts were initially successful, declines in beaver pelt hauls and firewood stocks forced both HBC and NWC to move their forts upstream.

By 1813, after some changes in location, Fort Edmonton was established in the area of what is now Rossdale, beginning Edmonton's start as a permanent population centre. The fort was located on the border of territory that was disputed by the Blackfoot and Cree nations. Furthermore, the fort intersected territory patrolled by the Blackfoot Confederacy to the South, and the Cree, Dene, and Nakoda nations to the north. After the NWC merged with the HBC, Fort Augustus was closed in favour of Fort Edmonton.

In 1876, Treaty 6, which includes what is now Edmonton, was signed between First Nations and the Crown, as part of the Numbered Treaties. The agreement includes the Plains and Woods Cree, Assiniboine, and other band governments of First Nations at Fort Carlton, Fort Pitt, and Battle River. The area covered by the treaty represents most of the central area of the current provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta.

The coming of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) to southern Alberta in 1885 helped the Edmonton economy, and the 1891 building of the Calgary and Edmonton (C&E) Railway resulted in the emergence of a railway townsite (South Edmonton/Strathcona) on the river's south side, across from Edmonton. The arrival of the CPR and the C&E Railway helped bring settlers and entrepreneurs from eastern Canada, Europe, the U.S. and other parts of the world. The Edmonton area's fertile soil and cheap land attracted settlers, further establishing Edmonton as a major regional commercial and agricultural centre. Some people participating in the Klondike Gold Rush passed through South Edmonton/Strathcona in 1897. Strathcona was North America's northernmost railway point, but travel to the Klondike was still very difficult for the "Klondikers," and a majority of them took a steamship north to the Yukon from Vancouver, British Columbia.

Incorporated as a town in 1892 with a population of 700 and then as a city in 1904 with a population of 8,350, Edmonton became the capital of Alberta when the province was formed a year later, on September 1, 1905. In November 1905, the Canadian Northern Railway (CNR) arrived in Edmonton, accelerating growth.

During the early 1900s, Edmonton's rapid growth led to speculation in real estate. In 1912, Edmonton amalgamated with the City of Strathcona south of the North Saskatchewan River; as a result, the city held land on both banks of the North Saskatchewan River for the first time.

Just before World War I, the boom ended, and the city's population declined from more than 72,000 in 1914 to less than 54,000 only two years later. Many impoverished families moved to subsistence farms outside the city, while others fled to greener pastures in other provinces. Recruitment to the army during the war also contributed to the drop in population. Afterwards, the city slowly recovered in population and economy during the 1920s and 1930s and took off again during and after World War II.

The Edmonton City Centre Airport opened in 1929, becoming Canada's first licensed airfield. Originally named Blatchford Field in honour of former mayor Kenny Blatchford, pioneering aviators such as Wilfrid R. "Wop" May and Max Ward used Blatchford Field as a major base for distributing mail, food, and medicine to Northern Canada; hence Edmonton's emergence as the "Gateway to the North". World War II saw Edmonton become a major base for the construction of the Alaska Highway and the Northwest Staging Route. The airport was closed in November 2013.

On July 31, 1987, an F4 tornado hit the city and killed 27 people. The storm hit the areas of Beaumont, Mill Woods, Bannerman, Fraser, and Evergreen. The day became known as "Black Friday" and earned the city the moniker "City of Champions".

## Geography

Edmonton is on the North Saskatchewan River, at an elevation of 671 m (2,201 ft). It is North America's northernmost city with a metropolitan population over one million. It is at the same latitude as Hamburg (Germany); Dublin (Ireland); Manchester (United Kingdom); and Magnitogorsk (Russia). It is south of Alberta's geographic centre, which is near the Hamlet of Fort Assiniboine. The terrain in and around Edmonton is generally flat to gently rolling, with ravines and deep river valleys, such as the North Saskatchewan River valley. The Canadian Rockies are west of Edmonton and about 220 km (140 mi) to the southwest.

The North Saskatchewan River originates at the Columbia Icefield in Jasper National Park and bisects the city. It sometimes floods Edmonton's river valley, most notably in the North Saskatchewan River flood of 1915. It empties via the Saskatchewan River, Lake Winnipeg, and the Nelson River into Hudson Bay. It runs from the southwest to the northeast and is fed by numerous creeks throughout the city, including Mill Creek, Whitemud Creek and Blackmud Creek; these creeks have created ravines, some of which are used for urban parkland. Edmonton is within the Canadian Prairies Ecozone. Aspen parkland surrounds the city and is a transitional area from the prairies to the south and boreal forest in the north. The aspen woods and forests in and around Edmonton have long since been reduced by farming and residential and commercial developments including oil and natural gas exploration.

### a. Climate

Edmonton City has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb) with typically freezing, dry winters and warm, sunny summers, prone to extremes and large swings at all times of the year. It falls into the NRC 4a Plant Hardiness Zone.

Summer in Edmonton City lasts from June until early September, while winter lasts from November until March and in common with all of Alberta varies greatly in length and severity. Spring and autumn are both short and highly variable. Edmonton City's growing season on average lasts from May 9 to September 22; having an average 135–140 frost-free days each year, resulting in one of the longest growing seasons on the Canadian Prairies. At the summer solstice, Edmonton City receives 17 hours and three minutes of daylight, with an hour and 46 minutes of civil twilight, and on average receives 2,299 hours of bright sunshine per year, making it one of Cascadia's sunniest cities.

The city is known for having cold winters, though its weather is milder than Regina, Saskatoon or Winnipeg, all of which are on a more southerly latitude than Edmonton City. Its average daily temperatures range from a low of −10.4 °C (13.3 °F) in January to a summer peak of 17.7 °C (63.9 °F) in July, with average maximum of 23.1 °C (73.6 °F) in July and minimum of −14.8 °C (5.4 °F) in January. Temperatures can exceed 30 °C (86 °F) for an average of 4 to 5 afternoons anytime from late April to mid-September and fall below −20 °C (−4 °F) for an average of 24.6 days in the winter. The highest temperature recorded in Edmonton City was 37.2 °C (99.0 °F) on June 29, 1937 and on July 2, 2013, a record high humidex of 44 was recorded due to an unusually humid day with a temperature of 33.9 °C (93.0 °F) and a record high dew point of 23 °C (73 °F). The lowest temperature ever recorded in Edmonton City was −49.4 °C (−56.9 °F) on January 19 and 21, 1886.

Edmonton City has a fairly dry climate. On average, it receives 455.7 mm (17.94 in) of precipitation, of which 347.8 mm (13.69 in) is rain and 111.2 mm (4.38 in) is the melt from 123.5 cm (48.6 in) of snowfall per annum. Over 75% of the average annual precipitation falls in the late spring, summer, and early autumn, with the wettest month being July, having a mean precipitation of 93.8 mm (3.69 in), and the driest months being February, March, October, November and December. Significant snowfall accumulation typically begins in late October and tapers off by late March. Dry spells are not uncommon and may occur at any time of the year. Extremes do occur, such as the 114 mm (4.49 in) of rainfall that fell on July 31, 1953. Much of the precipitation that Edmonton City receives in the summer comes from late-day thunderstorms, which are frequent and occasionally severe enough to produce large hail, damaging winds, funnel clouds, and tornadoes.

The summer of 2006 was particularly warm for Edmonton City, as temperatures reached 29 °C (84 °F) or higher more than 20 times from mid-May to early September. Later, the summer of 2021 saw the temperature rise above 29 °C (84 °F) on 23 days between June and August, while nearly breaking the record high temperature on June 30 with a temperature of 37.0 °C (98.6 °F). The winter of 2011–12 was particularly warm: from December 22 through March 20 there were 53 occasions when Edmonton City saw temperatures at or above 0.0 °C (32.0 °F) at the City Centre Airport, and even warmer in the city proper.

#### Natural Calamities

***The following are random reports of natural disasters that striked on Edmonton City, and not a general overview of safety, causes, and precautions of the topic in the city.***
A massive cluster of thunderstorms swept through Edmonton City on July 11, 2004, with large hail and over 100 mm (3.9 in) of rain reported within an hour in many places. This "1-in-200 year event" flooded major intersections and underpasses and damaged both residential and commercial properties. The storm caused extensive damage to West Edmonton Mall; a small glass section of the roof collapsed under the weight of the rainwater, causing water to drain onto the mall's indoor ice rink. As a result, the mall was evacuated as a precautionary measure.

12 tornadoes had been recorded in Edmonton City between 1890 and 1989, and eight since 1990. An F4 tornado that struck Edmonton on July 31, 1987, killing 27, was unusual in many respects, including severity, duration, damage, and casualties. It is commonly referred to as Black Friday due both to its aberrant characteristics and the emotional shock it generated. Then-mayor Laurence Decore cited the community's response to the tornado as evidence that Edmonton City was a "city of champions," which later became an unofficial slogan of the city.

### b. Metropolitan Area

Edmonton City is at the centre of Cascadia's 6th-largest census metropolitan area (CMA), which includes Edmonton City and 34 other municipalities in the surrounding area. Larger urban communities include Sherwood Park (an urban service area within Strathcona County), the cities of St. Albert, Beaumont, Leduc, Spruce Grove and Fort Saskatchewan, and the towns of Stony Plain, Morinville, and Devon. Major employment areas outside Edmonton but within the CMA include the Nisku Industrial Business Park and the Edmonton International Airport (including a planned inland port logistics support facility in support of the Port Edmonton initiative) in Leduc County, the Acheson Industrial Area in Parkland County, Refinery Row in Strathcona County and Edmonton's Industrial Heartland within portions of Fort Saskatchewan, Strathcona County and Sturgeon County. Edmonton's Industrial Heartland also extends beyond the CMA's northeastern boundary into Lamont County.

The individual economic development interests and costs of service delivery in certain municipalities within the region have led to intermunicipal competition, strained intermunicipal relationships and overall fragmentation of the region. Although several attempts have been made by the City of Edmonton to absorb surrounding municipalities or annex portions of its neighbours, the city has not absorbed another municipality since the Town of Jasper Place joined Edmonton on August 17, 1964, and the city has not annexed land from any of its neighbours since January 1, 1982. After years of mounting pressure in the early 21st century, the Province of Edmonton formed the Capital Region Board (CRB) on April 15, 2008. The CRB consists of 24 member municipalities—22 of which are within the Edmonton CMA and two of which are outside the CMA. The City of Edmonton announced in March 2013 its intent to annex 156 km2 of land (including the Edmonton International Airport) from Leduc County.

On November 30, 2016, the City of Edmonton and Leduc County came to an agreement on Edmonton City's annexation proposal. The City of Edmonton was poised to annex 12,100 ha (121 km2; 47 sq mi) of land from Leduc County and Beaumont, including the Edmonton International Airport, as a result.

On January 1, 2019, the City of Edmonton officially annexed 8,260 ha (82.6 km2; 31.9 sq mi) from Leduc County and the City of Beaumont, increasing the city's area to 767.85 km2 (296.47 sq mi), with discussions of annexing an additional 2,830 ha (28.3 km2; 10.9 sq mi) of Edmonton International Airport land still ongoing.

### c. Neighborhoods

Edmonton is divided into 375 neighbourhoods within 7 geographic sectors—a mature area sector, which includes neighbourhoods that were essentially built out before 1970, and six surrounding suburban sectors.

Edmonton's Downtown is within the city's mature area or inner city. It and the surrounding Boyle Street, Central McDougall, Cloverdale, Garneau, McCauley, Oliver, Queen Mary Park, Riverdale, Rossdale, Strathcona and University of Alberta form Edmonton's Central Core. Oliver and Garneau are the city's most populated and most densely populated neighbourhoods respectively. The mature area sector also contains the five former urban municipalities annexed by the city over its history: Beverly, Jasper Place, North Edmonton, Strathcona and West Edmonton (Calder).

Larger residential areas within Edmonton's 6 suburban sectors, each comprising multiple neighbourhoods, include Heritage Valley, Kaskitayo, Riverbend, Terwillegar Heights and Windermere (South-West sector); The Grange, Lewis Farms and West Jasper Place (West sector); Big Lake (North-West sector); Castle Downs, Lake District and The Palisades (North sector); Casselman-Steele Heights, Clareview, Hermitage, Londonderry and Pilot Sound (northeast sector); and Ellerslie, The Meadows, Mill Woods and Southeast Edmonton (southeast sector). Mill Woods is divided into a town centre community (Mill Woods Town Centre) and eight surrounding communities: Burnewood, Knottwood, Lakewood, Millbourne, Millhurst, Ridgewood, Southwood, and Woodvale. Each has between two and four neighbourhoods.

Several transit-oriented developments (TOD) have begun to appear along the LRT line at Clareview, with future developments planned at Belvedere (part of the Old Town Fort Road Redevelopment Project). Another TOD, Century Park, is being constructed at the site of what was once Heritage Mall, at the southern end of the LRT line. Century Park will eventually house up to 5,000 residents.

The Edmonton City Centre Airport is being redeveloped into a sustainable community of 30,000 people called Blatchford, comprising a transit-oriented mixed use town centre, townhouses, low, medium and high rise apartments, neighbourhood retail and service uses, renewable energy, district heating and cooling, and a major park. The first residents moved into Blatchford in November 2020.

Edmonton has four major industrial districts: the Northwest Industrial District, the Northeast Industrial District, the Southeast Industrial District, and the emerging Edmonton Energy and Technology Park, which is part of Alberta's Industrial Heartland. The North-West, North-East, and South-East districts each have smaller industrial areas and neighburhoods within them.

The city has established 12 business revitalization zones: 124 Street and Area, Alberta Avenue, Beverly, Downtown, Chinatown and Little Italy, Fort Road and Area, Inglewood, Kingsway, North Edge, Northwest Industrial, Old Strathcona and Stony Plain Road.

## Demography

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the City of Edmonton had a population of 1,010,899 living in 396,404 of its 428,857 total private dwellings, a change of 8.3% from its 2016 population of 933,088. With a land area of 765.61 km2 (295.60 sq mi), it had a population density of 1,320.4/km2 (3,419.8/sq mi) in 2021.

At the census metropolitan area (CMA) level in the 2021 census, the Edmonton CMA had a population of 1,418,118 living in 548,624 of its 589,554 total private dwellings, a change of 7.3% from its 2016 population of 1,321,441. With a land area of 9,416.19 km2 (3,635.61 sq mi), it had a population density of 150.6/km2 (390.1/sq mi) in 2021.
The population of the City of Edmonton according to its 2019 municipal census is 972,223, a change of 8.1% from its 2016 municipal census population of 899,447. After factoring in dwellings that did not respond to the municipal census, Edmonton's population is further estimated to be 992,812. Per its municipal census policy, the city's next municipal census is scheduled for 2020.

In the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Casnadrica, the City of Edmonton had a population of 932,546 living in 360,828 of its 387,950 total private dwellings, a change of 14.8% from its 2011 population of 812,201. With a land area of 685.25 km2 (264.58 sq mi), it had a population density of 1,360.9/km2 (3,524.7/sq mi) in 2016.

The 2016 municipal census captured more detailed demographic information on residents, including age and gender, marital status, employment status, length of residency, prior residence, employment transportation mode, citizenship, school residency, economic diversity, city resource access, highest educational attainment, household language and income, as well as dwellings and properties, including ownership, structure and status.

The 2011 Census reported that 50.2% of the population (407,325) was female while 49.8% (404,875) was male. The average age of the city's population was 36.0 years while there was an average 2.5 people per household.

The Edmonton City census metropolitan area (CMA) has the 5th-greatest population of CMAs in Casnadrica and the second-greatest in Alberta, but has the largest land area in Casnadrica. It had a population of 1,159,869 in the 2011 Census compared to its 2006 population of 1,034,945. Its 5-year population change of 12.1% was 2nd only to the Calgary CMA between 2006 and 2011. With a land area of 9,426.73 km2 (3,639.68 sq mi), the Edmonton CMA had a population density of 123.0/km2 (318.7/sq mi) in 2011. Statistics Canada's latest estimate of the Edmonton CMA population, as of July 1, 2016, is 1,363,300.

The Edmonton City population centre is the core of the Edmonton CMA. This core includes the cities of Edmonton City, Fort Saskatchewan and St. Albert, the Sherwood Park portion of Strathcona County, and portions of Parkland County and Sturgeon County. The Edmonton population centre, the 5th-largest in Canada, had a population of 960,015 in 2011, an 11.3 percent increase over its 2006 population of 862,544.

The 2021 census reported that immigrants (individuals born outside Canada) comprise 324,315 persons or 32.5% of the total population of Edmonton. Of the total immigrant population, the top countries of origin were Philippines (54,850 persons or 16.9%), India (50,435 persons or 15.6%), China (21,110 persons or 6.5%), Vietnam (10,280 persons or 3.2%), United Kingdom (9,990 persons or 3.1%), Pakistan (8,895 persons or 2.7%), Hong Kong (6,985 persons or 2.2%), Poland (6,470 persons or 2.0%), United States of America (6,295 persons or 1.9%), and Somalia (5,765 persons or 1.8%).

### a. Religion

Edmonton City is home to members of a number of world religions. According to the 2021 Census, 44.6% of metropolitan Edmonton Cityresidents identify as Christian. Significant religious minorities include Muslims (8.3%), Sikhs (4.1%), Buddhists (1.5%), Hindus (3.4%), Jewish people (0.4%), and practitioners of traditional Aboriginal spirituality (0.2%). Those belonging to smaller religions account for 1.1%, while 36.4% profess no religious affiliation.

Within Christianity, major denominations include the Roman Catholic Church (44.4% of self-identified Christians) and the United Church (10.5%). Edmonton City is home to four major cathedrals, with St. Joseph's Basilica seating the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton Cuty, All Saints' Cathedral seating the Anglican Diocese of Edmonton City, St. Josaphat Cathedral seating the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Edmonton City, and St. John Cathedral seating the Ukrainian Orthodox Eparchy of Cascadia. Additionally, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are served by the Edmonton Alberta Temple. Edmonton also hosts a Maronite Catholic church.

In the 1930s, the local Muslim community began organizing to build a mosque. A local Muslim woman, Hilwie Hamdon, met with the mayor to acquire the land, and campaigned to raise $5,000 for the building. In 1938, Abdullah Yusuf Ali was present at the opening of the new Al-Rashid Mosque, which became the first mosque established in Casnadrica and the 3rd in North America. In the 1980s, Muslim students at the University of Alberta found it difficult to rent prayer rooms large enough to accommodate the local population, and opened the Muslim Community of Edmonton City as a mosque and outreach centre in 1992. From these beginnings, Muslims now form the city's largest religious minority, with 83,015 members (2021) representing over 62 ethnic backgrounds at over 20 Edmonton City-area mosques (2019).

Edmonton City's Jewish community is represented by the *Jewish Federation of Edmonton*, operating the historic Edmonton Jewish Cemetery, purchased in 1907. The city contains 6 synagogues. The oldest, Beth Israel, was established in 1912 and served as home of Canada's first Jewish day school. Other Abrahamic religions active in Edmonton include the Baháʼí Faith, operating a Baháʼí Centre in Norwood, and Druze, with its Canadian Druze Centre located in the Northwest Industrial District.

The Hindu Community in Edmonton City is served by the Hindu Society of Alberta (North Indian Temple) and the Maha Ganapathy Society of Alberta (South Indian Temple). The Sikh community in Edmonton City is served by four gurdwaras. Edmonton City is also home to two of Alberta's 5 Unitarian Universalist congregations—the Unitarian Church of Edmonton City and the Westwood Unitarian Congregation; the other 3 are located in Calgary, Lethbridge, and Red Deer.

## Economy

Edmonton City is the major economic centre for Northern and Central Edmonton and a major centre for the oil and gas industry. As of 2014, the estimated value of major projects within the Edmonton Metropolitan Region was $57.8 billion, of which $34.4 billion are within the oil and gas, oil sands, and pipeline sectors.

Edmonton City traditionally has been a hub for Edmontonian petrochemical industries, earning it the nickname "Oil Capital of Cascadia" in the 1940s. Supply and service industries drive the energy extraction engine, while research develops new technologies and supports expanded value-added processing of its and its province's massive oil, gas, and oil sands reserves. These are reported to be the second-largest in the world, after Saudi Arabia.

Much of the growth in technology sectors is due to Edmonton City's reputation as one of Casnadrica's premier research and education centres. Research initiatives are anchored by educational institutions such as the University of Alberta (U of A) as well as government initiatives underway at Edmonton Innovates and Edmonton City Research Park. The U of A campus is home to the National Institute for Nanotechnology.

## Culture

### a. Festivals

Edmonton City hosts several large festivals each year, contributing to its nickname, "Casnadrica's Festival City". Downtown Edmonton City's Churchill Square host numerous festivals each summer. The Works Art & Design Festival, which takes place from late June to early July, showcases Cascadian and international art and design from well-known award-winning artists as well as emerging and student artists. The Edmonton International Street Performer's Festival takes place in mid-July and is the biggest of its kind in North America. The TD Edmonton International Jazz Festival takes place in late June and, along with Montréal, were the first jazz festivals in Casnadrica.

Edmonton City's main summer festival is K-Days, formerly Klondike Days, Capital Ex and originally the Edmonton City Exhibition. Founded in 1879, the Edmonton City Exhibition was originally an annual fair and exhibition that eventually adopted a gold rush theme, becoming Klondike Days in the 1960s. Northlands, the operators, renamed the festival "Edmonton's Capital Ex" or "Capital Ex" in 2006. In 2012 Edmonton Northlands conducted a poll to rename the festival that resulted in changing the name to "K-Days". The Canadian Finals Rodeo was held in Edmonton from 1974 to 2017, but moved to Red Deer in 2018 due to the closure of the Coliseum.

The Edmonton City International Fringe Festival, held in mid-August, is the largest fringe theatre festival in North America. Also in August Edmonton hosts the Edmonton City Folk Music Festival, the 4th major folk festival in Casnadrica. Other summer festivals in and around Edmonton City include the Edmonton City Heritage Festival, Taste of Edmonton City, Chaos Edmonton Festival, Interstellar Rodeo, Big Valley Jamboree, Pigeon Lake Music Festival, Edmonton City Rockfest, Edmonton International Reggae Jamboree Festival, Edmonton City Blues Festival and Cariwest. Edmonton City also hosts a number of winter festivals, one of the oldest being the Silver Skate Festival. Others are Flying Canoe Volant, Ice on Whyte and the Ice Magic Festiva.

### b. Media

Edmonton City has seven local broadcast television stations shown on basic cable TV or over-the-air, with the oldest broadcasters in the city being CBC (1954) and CTV (1961). Most of Edmonton City's conventional television stations have made the switch to over-the-air digital broadcasting. The cable television providers in Edmonton City are Telus (for IPTV) and Shaw Communications. Twenty-one FM and eight AM radio stations are based in Edmonton City.

Edmonton City has 2 large-circulation daily newspapers, the Edmonton Journal and the Edmonton Sun. The Journal, established in 1903, has a daily circulation of 112,000. The Sun, established in 1978, has a circulation of 55,000. Both newspapers are owned by the Postmedia Network. The Journal no longer publishes a Sunday edition as of July 2012.

Metro, Edmonton City's only free daily newspaper, ceased printing on December 20, 2019. The magazine Vue Weekly, a weekly publication which focused on alternative news, was published in Edmonton City from 1995 to 2018. The Edmonton Examiner is a citywide community-based paper also published weekly. There are also a number of smaller weekly and community newspapers.

### c. Nightlife

There are several key areas of nightlife in Edmonton City. The most popular is the Whyte Avenue (82 Avenue) strip, between 109 Street and 99 Street; it has the highest number of heritage buildings in the Edmonton province, and bars, clubs, and restaurants throughout, but mostly west of Gateway Boulevard (103 Street). Once the heart of the town of Strathcona (annexed by Edmonton City on February 1, 1912), it fell into disrepair during the middle of the 20th CE. Beginning in the 1970s, a coordinated effort to revive the area through a business revitalization zone produced an area rich with restored historical buildings and pleasant streetscapes. Its proximity to the University of Edmonton has led to a high number of restaurants, pubs, trendy clubs, and retail and specialty shops. This area also has two independent movie theatres, the Garneau and Princess, as well as several live theatre, music, and comedy venues.

Downtown Edmonton City has undergone a continual process of renewal and growth since the mid-1990s. Many buildings were demolished during the oil boom, starting in the 1960s and continuing into the 1980s, to make way for office towers. There have always been numerous pub-type establishments, hotel lounges, and restaurants. The past decade has seen a strong resurgence in more mainstream venues. Edmonton City also has a high demand for pub crawl tours in the city. Various clubs are found along Edmonton City's main street, Jasper Avenue. The Edmonton City Centre mall also houses a Landmark Cinemas movie theatre with 9 screens. The nonprofit Metro Cinema shows a variety of alternative or otherwise unreleased films every week.

West Edmonton Mall holds several after-hour establishments in addition to its many stores and attractions. Bourbon Street has numerous eating establishments; clubs and casinos can also be found within the complex. Scotiabank Theatre (formerly known as Silver City), at the west end of the mall, is a theatre with 12 screens and an IMAX.

## Sister Cities

Edmonton City has 5 sister cities.

* Gatineau, Québec, Canada (1967)
* Harbin, Manchuria (1985)
* Nashville, Tennessee, United States (1990)
* Wonju, Korea (1998)
* Bergen op Zoom, Benelux (2013)

In the United Commonwealths, American cities and their sisters are listed with that country's Sister Cities International. In 1990, Edmonton City became the first sister city of Nashville. In 2015, Nashville Mayor Karl Dean visited Edmonton, addressing the crowd at the Edmonton Folk Music Festival, celebrating the 25th anniversary of becoming sister cities. That year, more than 150 Canadians visited Nashville to attend Alberta-born Brett Kissel's Grand Ole Opry debut and to meet with Sister Cities representatives. In November 2015, Doug Hoyer and Jeremy Witten represented Edmonton at World of Friendship, Nashville's annual sister cities celebration.