Calgarians are sharing the things that surprised them about the city
Calgary has many neat things and a few curiosities, and some residents have been taking to the r/Calgary channel to share the things that surprised them the most about the city. The thread garnered considerable attention, with Calgarians sharing their opinions.
From fish hatcheries to dog parks, here’s what locals are saying surprised them the most about Calgary.
The fish hatchery
At the top of the thread is the Bow Habitat Station & Sam Livingston Fish Hatchery.
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One user said, “Loved going there as a kid, should go again, it’s been a while. They also have a trout pond out front that I believe you can fish in.”
Other users commented on how they forgot about the fish hatchery and some didn’t even know it existed.
The food scene
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Local restaurants also made an appearance in the conversation. One Redditor wrote, “An unbelievable amount of amazing restaurants (be it take-out or sit-down). I’m originally from Vancouver and think Calgary has a much better food scene. For example, the White Elephant for Thai or the Cluck N Cleaver for take-out (but can sit down) chicken.”
Other fans of the local food scene were quick to agree, “YES, no one ever mentions the White Elephant!!!!!”
Calgary’s many sports teams
One user noted the abundance of professional sports teams that call Calgary home.
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“Sports teams! Calgary Flames (NHL – professional) Calgary Wranglers (AHL – professional) Calgary Stampeders (CFL – professional) Calgary Roughnecks (NLL – professional) Cavalry FC (CPL – professional) Calgary Surge (New team!) (CEBL – professional).”
Calgary’s green space
One Redditor mentioned how they moved from Hamilton, Ont., to Calgary without visiting and were surprised by Calgary’s outdoor elements.
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“…when I think about what’s pleasantly surprised me the most, it’s the amount of parks/green space in different parts of the city. To name a few, we have Nose Hill Park, North Glenmore Park, Fish Creek Provincial Park, Edworthy Park, the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary.”
Other users agreed and shared their thoughts, “Biggest deciding factor when I bought my condo- it’s less than a minute walk to the river path and Prince’s Island.”
Another said, “Totally agree!”
Dog parks
Calgary’s dog parks got plenty of love in the thread, “My understanding is we have more dog parks than any city in Canada,” one user boasted.
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Others chimed in with even more fun facts, “I’ve even heard we have the most number of off-leash areas (not all dog parks though) in North America! There’s so much green space in Calgary, it’s great,” someone replied.
Safety City
For some users, discovering Safety City, a miniature town built to teach kids about road safety, was a surprise.
“Didn’t grow up here, so I was surprised to find out we have Safety City, a facility to teach young people about road safety.”
Many users were quick to point out just how long it’s been around, “And it’s been around forever! I went there in the mid 80s as a kid!” and “Core memory from elementary school unlocked. Totally forgot about this place.”
Global connections
Even the airport came up in the thread, “It’s a global hub for a growing airline. We have more direct flights than most cities our size,” one user pointed out.
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“You could say it’s really taking off!” another user joked.
What are some things that surprise you the most about Calgary? Let us know in the comments.