Edmonton, AB: Some Interesting Facts

Here at Edmonton Limo, we believe that Canada is full of many beautiful places and cities to see. Some of them are so full of character and history that they may surprise you!

Edmonton, the capital city of the province of Alberta, is one such city. If you have never thought about spending a vacation there, you might want to reconsider. Or, if you are headed that way, you might want to educate yourself about the city and all it has to offer before heading up. 

To that end, we wanted to share some interesting facts about Edmonton, AB to encourage those who have disregarded it thus far, and help those who are planning a visit. 

The Most Populous Northernmost City

Edmonton is the most northernmost city in North America that has a population of over 1 million people in its metropolitan area. 

The city shares the same latitude with Dublin (Ireland), Manchester (UK), Hamburg (Germany) and Magnitogorsk (Russia). In North America, most cities that far north definitely have smaller populations. 

It’s Huge

Though not one of the most populated, Edmonton is one of the largest cities in North America when you measure its geographical foot print. 

Canada’s Festival City

Edmonton has been dubbed “Canada’s Festival City” for its over 40 annual festivals that run all throughout the year. It hosts festivals truly all year long, even during the winter months.  

The most famous of its festivals are its Street Performers, Folk, and Fringe Theatre festivals. All year long you can find a wide variety of food, music, art, holiday, and very niche-specific festivals to attend, so no matter when you visit, you should be able to find one to check out. 

It’s Where Wayne Gretzky Got His NHL Start

Even if you’re not a hockey fan, you have almost definitely heard of Wayne Gretzky, the player considered to be the world’s best hockey player (now retired). Well, he got his NHL start on the Edmonton Oilers team. 

During his first full season with the team in 1979, he scored an incredible 51 goals and made 86 assists, an astonishing record for any player, much less a rooky. That season, he received the Hart Memorial Trophy, awarded to the NHL’s most valuable player of the year. It had never before been given to a first-year player. 

Biggest Mall in North America Calls it Home

The West Edmonton Mall is the largest mall in the entire North American continent, taking up almost 50 city blocks. It was actually the world’s largest mall until 2004. It still holds 10th place for world’s largest mall, with over 800 shops, a water park, amusement park, penguin habitat, mini-golf, ice skating, a casino, movie theaters and more. 

You could quite literally get lost in this mall and spend days exploring it from end to end. 

The “Gateway to the North”

Edmonton likes to do everything big, and has earned the name “Gateway to the North” because it acts as a staging point into northern Alberta for large-scale oil and diamond mining operations.

Edmonton is full of surprises, way more than we have time to list here. Learn more for yourself and plan your next vacation to this incredibly city way up north. 

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