10 wild and interesting facts about Calgary you might not know

Calgary is full of surprises and interesting facts. From hidden underground tunnels to iconic cocktails invented right in the city, there is no shortage of fun facts to learn.

We’ve rounded up 10 weird and interesting facts that you may or may not have known about Calgary.

Plus 15s

Did you know that Calgary is home to the world’s most extensive network of elevated pedestrian bridges? While most people may not think much of it, the Plus 15 network is a remarkably impressive and intricate system.

Since the first bridge was built in 1969, the Plus 15 networks now span over 16 kilometres between 86 bridges and connect more than 130 buildings in the downtown core.

Black squirrels 

If you’ve ever taken a walk through the city and its parks, you have more than likely come across a black squirrel, but did you know they are not native to Calgary?

In the 1930s, Tom Baines, the Calgary Zoo’s first curator, brought the eastern grey squirrels from the Toronto Zoo to Calgary. Some of the squirrels managed to escape the zoo and have now become the most common squirrel in Calgary, outcompeting the native red and flying squirrel. 

Caesars were born here

In 1969, Walter Chell, the food and beverage manager at the Calgary Inn (now the Westin Calgary Hotel), created the beverage for a new Italian restaurant.

Now a Canadian favourite, it is estimated that Canadians consume over 400 million Caesars a year, and it even has its own national day. 

Calaway Park

Originally, Calaway Park was set to be the Flintstones Fun Park, named and themed after the animated TV show. The park’s founders even paid for the licensing rights.

Some of the architecture, like buildings, shops, restaurants, and the lookout tower, still reflect the original idea for the park. The developers dropped the licensing and changed the name to Calaway Park before the opening. 

Underground C-Train stations

Back in the day, Calgary was planning to build a massive underground tunnel system for the C-Train. They even went so far as to build a train station beneath City Hall.

The project was never completed, and there have been no talks of when or if it will resume, but the hidden station still sits below downtown. 

Calgary can get HOT

While Calgary’s weather can be unpredictable, one thing is certain: we can experience intense heat.

Calgary’s hottest day ever recorded falls on Aug. 10, 2018, when temperatures soared to a sweltering 36.7°C. That’s the kind of weather that makes you grateful for the Plus 15s!

And Calgary can get COLD

Calgary can get hot, but it can also experience extremely cold temperatures. The coldest it’s ever been in our city was -45°C on Feb. 4, 1893.

That’s only 18°C from the coldest temperature ever recorded in Canada, which was in Snag, Yukon, at -63°C on Feb. 3, 1947.

Sandstone City

In 1866, Calgary was hit by a devastating fire that destroyed around 18 buildings in the heart of the city. To prevent another disaster, the city began rebuilding with sandstone, due to it being a more fire-resistant material.

This shift transformed Calgary’s architectural style, with many commercial and residential buildings being made out of sandstone. Calgary then adopted the nickname “Sandstone City.” You can still find many of the buildings on Stephen Avenue and around the city.

Home of ginger beef

The Silver Inn Restaurant, now closed, was the birthplace of the Canadian Chinese dish ginger beef.

In the 1970s, Chef George Wong aimed to introduce Chinese flavours to Western Canada, so he created the sweet, spicy, and crunchy snack that remains a staple in Chinese restaurants around Canada today.

The height of the Calgary Tower

When the Calgary Tower, originally known as The Husky Tower, was being constructed, developers claimed it would be 187 metres tall to discourage other cities from building taller towers.

This was a lie. The tower actually stood at 190.8 metres tall. When a 190-metre tower was constructed in San Antonio, Texas, Calgary revealed the true height of the tower and reclaimed its spot as the tallest tower in North America at the time.

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