Edmonton spans the valley of the North Saskatchewan River and sits in the center of Alberta province, of which it is the capital. Established as a series of Hudson’s Bay Company trading posts in the 1790s, this city is now the focus of Canada’s thriving oil industry.

Edmonton’s downtown area is centered on Jasper Avenue and Sir Winston Churchill Square, where modern high-rises sit among shops and restaurants. The gigantic West Edmonton Mall  contains over 800 stores, an amusement and water park, over 100 restaurants, a bowling center, an ice rink, and 27 movie theaters. In contrast is one of Alberta’s oldest buildings, the delightful Alberta Legislature, opened in 1913. Overlooking the river, on the site of the old Fort Edmonton, the building has beautiful landscaped grounds.

Southwest of downtown, Fort Edmonton Park re-creates the original Hudson’s Bay Company fort with reconstructions of street areas in 1885 and 1920. Here visitors can experience past times, wandering around original shops and businesses, as well as taking rides on a horse-drawn wagon, steam train, or street car.

West of downtown is the Royal Alberta Museum with natural history displays; to the northwest is the Telus World of Science, which boasts an IMAX theatre, Observatory, and Star Theatre.