Westways Guesthouse

Calgary, Heart of the New West^TM

Calgary is a vibrant and growing city that offers the best of all worlds - a cosmopolitan city of nearly one million with outstanding outdoor adventure and pristine wilderness only an hour away in the Canadian Rockies.

Nearly 5 million visitors each year find a wealth of cultural attractions, diverse restaurants and award-winning cuisine, parks and pathways, specialty shops and trendy nightspots in Calgary. Our wide, blue sky and moderate climate beckons year-round outdoor enthusiasts to golf, hike, fish, mountain bike, ski or dog-sled.

Our parks offer some of the finest natural areas in North America. Our shopping is a paradise - we are the only province in Canada with no provincial sales tax. Our dynamic arts scene will indulge your passion for culture. Our western heritage and legendary hospitality will make you feel welcome. Main festival is the Calgary Stampede, a ten day event in July attracting over a million visitors.

The two major gay events are the IGRA sanction Canadian Rockies International Rodeo held over the weekend nearest to Canada Day [1st July]. Over four thousand visitors attend the gay rodeo. Over the Easter weekend, many teams from all over Canada and the U.S.A. Western states compete in sports like bowling, curling and Babington for the Apollo Cup.

Though Calgary down town is home to second largest concentration of head offices, most of the gay bars and clubs are located in an area called the beltline. This is between 1st and 14th SW and 9th and 17th Ave SW. The 17th Ave has most of the gay stores and also 4th Street in the Mission area adjoining the beltline. The annual pride parade is held downtown along 8th Ave SW also know as Steven Avenue. Below are links to the various tourist attractions and venues. The gay bars and clubs may be found on the section “Around Gay Calgary”

Events:

The Calgary Stampede

General information about the Greatest Outdoor Show

Sites and Museums:

Heritage Park

Canada’s largest historical village park with steam railway trains, stern wheel paddle boat.

The Calgary Tower

Panoramic views and revolving dining room, one of the first Towers of its kind, the Calgary Tower offers the best view in Calgary and is a must-see on any tourist's itinerary and now with a glass floor.

The Glenbow Museum

Western Canada’s largest museum though with a western theme it has many artifacts from around the world.

Calgary Arts Central

OVER 50 ARTIST STUDIOS, GALLERIES, SHOPS AND CAFES

Cantos Music Foundation Collection

Tour through the Cantos Music Collection, your journey into our musical history. With over 200 instruments on display, the Collection spans the evolution of music from 246 B.C. to present day. The piano that Sir Elton John used to compose his first songs.

Telus world of Science Centre

The TELUS World of Science experience is designed for curious families. We have some of the best exhibits and films in North America located in three main exhibit areas.

www.firefightersmuseum.org
Calgary's Fire Fighting Museum

Aerospace Museum/

A living history documenting aviation in Canada.

www.museumoftheregiments.ca

One of North America's largest military Museums

The naval museum of Alberta

Detailing the Canadian Navy History

Calgary Zoo
An international renowned zoo with Prehistoric Park

Fort Calgary
An Interpretive Centre of the Original Fort Calgary

Canada Olympic Park

Year round sporting activity park including the Bob Sleigh, skiing, mountain biking also the home of the Olympic Hall of Fame.

Spruce Meadows
International Venue for Horse Jumping Shows with the world’s richest prize money.

www.calawaypark.com/

Western Canada‘s largest outdoor family Amusement Park

Shaw Millennium Park

The World’s Biggest Free Outdoor Skate Park

Calgary Telus Convention Centre

Calgary Tourism:

www.tourismcalgary.com
Calgary's official tourist information web site

www.calgary.ca

The city of Calgary website for parks, Calgary Transit with maps and time tables, the pathways system with maps also local government administration.

Downtown Calgary

For information on shopping, attractions, events in the downtown area

www.where.ca/calgary

Another great source for information

Calgary Local Weather

Calgary's local weather reports

www.calgaryattractions.com
Guide to Calgary attractions and discount coupons.

The Calgary Herald
Local Newspaper

Calgary Tour Operators:

The following are Calgary tour operators providing tours of Calgary and day trips to Banff and Lake Louise, Drumheller and the Dinosaur Museum, the native interpretive centre at Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump. Most use minivans and need a minimum of 4 passengers though they do refer to each other if they do not have enough passengers. Prices vary from $80 to over a $100 per person depending on the tour. Ideal for single travelers and you do see a lot more than driving a car.

Legendary Tours

I have had great reports from this Calgary tour operator.

Hammerhead Scenic Tours

Another recommended Calgary tour operator

Calgary Tours

They are able to offer guided tours in Mandarin, Taiwanese, Cantonese, Japanese and of course English.

Rocky Mountain Pedicabs

Bicycle Rickshaws

The Calgary Performing Arts:

Calgary has a wide and diverse selection of live theatre and entertainment venues from the Calgary Opera to the Jubilations Comedy Dinner Theatre. The Epcore Performing Arts Centre is the second largest centre in Canada and along and just of 9th Avenue down town, there are around 14 live theatres.

Calgary Opera

Alberta Ballet

Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra

The Epcore Centre for the Performing Arts

Containing the Jack Singer Concert Hall, Max Bell Theatre, Martha Cohen Theatre, Big Secret Theatre and the Engineered Air Theatre

Calgary Jubilee Auditorium

Alberta Theatre Projects

Theatre Calgary

One Yellow Rabbit Performance Theatre

Pump House Theatre

Theatre Junction at The Grand

Vertigo Theatre

Stage West Theatre Restaurant

Jubilations Dinner Theatre

www.Loose Moose Theatre

The Downright Theatre Company

Fairytales International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival

Sports:

Calgary Flames

NHL ice hockey team

Calgary Stampeders Football Club

Canadian Football Club

Calgary Hitman Hockey Club

Member of the Western Hockey League

Calgary Roughnecks

Calgary's professional lacrosse team

Further Education:

The University of Calgary

The Southern Alberta Institute of Technology

Mount Royal College

CALGARY'S SURROUNDING AREA LINKS:

Tourism:

Travel Alberta

Alberta's Official Tourist Information Web Site

Discover Alberta
An excellent alternative Alberta tourist information site

National Parks of Canada, Alberta

The Federal Government Parks in Alberta including Banff and Jasper

Where.ca/Canadian Rockies

A great site for information

Canadian Rockies

Live Shot of Banff

Anderson Vacations

Tours/charters, step-on guide service, convention/conference tours, senior holiday excursions and fully independent traveler (F.I.T.) programs.

Alberta Attractions:

Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump

One of the world's oldest, largest and best preserved buffalo jump's known to exist -- Head-Smashed-In. Designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981

Bar U Ranch

Bar U Ranch commemorates the history and importance of ranching in Canada.

Frank Slide Interpretive Centre

Canada's deadliest rockslide, coal mining, settlement and early days in the Crowsnest Pass.

Remington Carriage Museum

North America's largest collection of horse-drawn vehicles.

Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology

World-renowned museum of palaeontology focusing on Alberta's fossil heritage. One of the world's largest displays of complete dinosaur skeletons.

Rosebud Theatre

An excellent theatre located about 90 min drive east and north of Calgary. Set in a small prairie hamlet of Rosebud close to Drumheller.

The Canadian Badlands Passion Play

Set in a natural amphitheatre not far from Drumheller, the scripture-based script and music, realistic set and costumes, quality performances and remarkable similarity of the site to the Holy Land all add to the experience.

Accommodations:

www.explorealberta.com

The official website of all approved accommodations in Alberta

Gay and Lesbian travel and information links:

Gay Canada:

www.gaycanada.com

An excellent site for listings of Canadian gay clubs, bars, Canada gay accommodation & organizations throughout gay Canada

www.gayguidetoronto.com

An excellent site for listings for gay Toronto

www.gaycalgary.com

An excellent site for listings for gay Calgary

www.thepinkpages.org