EDMONTON (dpa) – “Welcome to Edmonton – City of Champions” says the large signpost on the main road into the city.
This is not just a proud reference to the sporting prowess of their Edmonton Oilers, the ice-hockey team that has often brought home the national championship trophy in the last 20 years.Edmonton, provincial capital of the Alberta, is also a champion for shoppers, with the largest shopping mall in the world. And this summer more champions will congregate in Edmonton when it hosts the light athletics world championships from August 3-12.The Oilers are no longer champions, but this has not diminished the civic pride and self-confidence of the 700,000 inhabitants of Edmonton. They know their city has a lot more to offer than ice hockey and shopping.At first sight Edmonton is a typical large city with downtown office skyscrapers and large residential areas around it. Like many north American cities, it was built in a grid system with numbered avenues running from west to east and streets from north to south. The centre of the city is at the crossing between 101st Street and 101st Avenue, although it is named Jasper Avenue at this point.But take a closer look at Canada’s most northerly large city, and you will find it has a lot of special features. The North Saskatchewan River that flows through the city has created a 7,400- hectare natural city park. As well as jogging paths and walk ways, the river valley has a golf course, the home baseball stadium of the Edmonton Trappers, and the Kinsmen Sports Centre with a swimming baths.On the southern edge of the inner city, high over the river valley, is the domed provincial parliament building. From here you can look down on the Strathcona district, where the university is situated. This was once an independent town and, although it has long been part of Edmonton, it has maintained its own special character. The character of this area surrounding 81st Avenue, here named Whyte Avenue, is typified by old villas, cobbled footpaths, old-fashioned street lamps, cafes and small shops. Every August it holds a fringe amateur and street festival that attracts large numbers of visitors.East of old Strathcona is an area unofficially called “Little Berlin” because it is home to many German immigrants. There are German butchers and bakeries and many people speak German here. After Ukrainians and British, Germans are the third largest immigrant population. But in recent years the Chinese population has grown enormously and the city now has a typical Chinatown on the eastern rim of the city with a classic Chinese city gate.The light athletics world championships will be held in the Commonwealth Stadium with space for 60,000 spectators. It is the first Canadian city to host such an event.Hardly any visitor to Edmonton misses a trip to the West Edmonton Mall. The 800 shops supply just about everything anyone could want. But the mall, covering on nearly 500,000 square metres, is more than just a shopping centre. It also has cinemas, a hotel, swimming pool with wave machine, casino, a leisure park with carousels and a rollercoaster, an original-size reproduction of Christopher Columbus’ boat “Santa Maria”, and a skating rink that the Edmonton Oilers among others use as a training ground.For a glimpse into the history of Edmonton, which was founded in the late 18th century as a fur trading post, visit Fort Edmonton Park. Reconstructed houses here offer an insight into how the local people lived in different periods of history, from the earliest settlers onwards.Edmonton is also a good base for exploring Canada’s wide open nature. Some 50 kilometres (31 miles) east of the city is Elk Island National Park, Canada’s oldest wild animal reserve that is home to deer and bison herds as well as elks. Three hours drive to the west of Edmonton you reach the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and Jasper National Park.
