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Holy
Cow! Someone's painted the town!
Talk about saluting your
pastoral roots - the latest craze in downtown
Calgary is a massive painting contest with the goal
of raising money for a worthy cause. Everywhere you
go on Stephen Avenue mall, from Mewata Armories to
City Hall, you'll encounter a herd of crazy cattle
painted in a variety of splashy colors, with wild
and wooly themes. Talk about catchy names- we'll
give you some samples soon. Our editors ran out of
film --and time- on our last trip, but we can't
wait to get back for more.
 Royal
Canadian Pacific Relives
a Romantic Era
One of
the highlights of this summer's return to Calgary
and Alberta Foothills Country, was the opportunity
to visit a grand new 'Railtour' product being
introduced by Canadian Pacific Railway, adjacent to
the elegantly refurbished Palliser Hotel. Here we
were given a private tour through the museum
facilities and the various railcars that have been
beautifully restored to carry tourists and
corporate parties on the 'trip of a lifetime,'
through the blue Canadian Rockies. While there will
be a variety of rail tours leaving from Calgary,
the most popular tour heads west through the
Kicking Horse Pass, then swings south at Golden,
following the Columbia River to the Cranbrook-
Kimberly area in BC's East Kootenays. At the town
of Elko, the train heads south via the Crowsnest
Pass to Lethbridge. Continued.
Calgary
Area Attractions: Banff Park's Castles and
Caves
Imagine
spending twelve festive days of Christmas in a
fairyland castle! Truly unforgettable, when it's
the
Banff Springs Hotel.
During many memorable stays, l me goose
pimples.
Upper
Hot Springs:
After skiing Mount Norquay, hiking Sundance Canyon,
or fishing Lake Minnewanka, Sulphur Mountain's
Upper Hot Springs is a Banff ritual -- hot plunge,
icy shower, steam bath, blanket-wrap and massage.
Loose as a noodle and ready to devour an ox -- is
how one usually feels after that routine. A gondola
nearby will whisk you to the summit for a sweeping
view of the valley. Sundance Canyon Trail leads to
The Cave and Basin National Historic Site, where
like honeymooners for generations past, we gazed
through a telescope at surrounding peaks. Clad in
Rundle-stone, like most Banff buildings, this site
contains displays, a theater, and tours into the
misty grotto, with its emerald pools, and warm
sulfur water dripping down the cavern walls.
Priceless Indian relics at nearby Luxton Museum are
well worth seeing.
Teahouse
of Lake Louise:
If
you really want to seize the moment, rent a canoe,
or pedal your way to Bow Falls, Tunnel Mountain, or
101 equally delightful places. Heading north west
from Banff, one can cruise the Trans Canada via
Sunshine Village to Lake Louise in a breeze. For a
change of pace, however, take the old road (Hwy 1A)
along the north bank of the Bow River via Johnston
Canyon, with its ink pots and nature walks. Chateau
Lake Louise is a jewel in an exquisite crown. Talk
of beauty and serenity! -- when one's creative
spark needs rekindling, the Chateau is my choice.
You can paddle a canoe in a scene right out of
Hiawatha, or take the alpine trail to a Tea House
for granola cakes and wild berry tea. The azure
lake far below gets even smaller, as you climb the
corkscrew path. Breathe deeply folks -- it gets to
be a challenge near the top. Guess who was left
standing still by a German couple in their mid
80s?
Foothills
City closes corporate headquarters
gap
Calgary
is still running second, but closing ground on
Toronto in the running for the title of top
corporate head-office location in Canada. The city
had 92 head offices at last count, compared with
118 for Toronto. The tally does not include CP
Rail, which has moved to Calgary from
Montreal.
According
to Calgary's Mayor, "They are an indication that
the national business community is aware of and
appreciates Calgary's numerous advantages." Cities
were ranked on the basis of a list of Canada's top
750 companies, according to annual revenues.
Calgary showed the most dramatic rise in head
offices. Of the 92 head-office companies in
Calgary, 65 are in the energy business.
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