Here’s just a taste of what makes our Region stand out!
From fascinating facts to unique features, our Region offers a wealth of memorable experiences and opportunities. We’ve curated a growing list of these highlights, perfect for enhancing your promotional materials, and have organized the content into various topics, to make the information easier to find.
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Feature Fun Facts
Most Populated Northernmost Region in North America
The Edmonton Metro Region is the northernmost metropolitan area in North America to have a population of over one million…but we’re still more than 4,000 km (2,500 mi) from the North Pole!
With Growth Comes Greater Diversity
In 2021, more than 31% of the Region’s population identified as a visible minority and 36.1% of the population spoke two or more languages.
One of Canada’s youngest Regions
As of 2021, with a median age of 37.6 our Region has the 2nd lowest average age in Canada.
First to Operate Regular Drone Deliveries
The Edmonton International Airport was the first in Canada to begin regularly scheduled commercial drone delivery operations.
Autonomous Vehicles & 10-Gig Innovations
Beaumont hosted the first of kind in Western Canada pilot project with electric autonomous vehicles and is completing work to become one of North America’s first 10 Gigabit cities with the highest speed fibre-optic broadband internet infrastructure available commercially in the world.
Home to 1/3 of the Canadian Army’s Fighting Power
- Formerly known as and commonly referred to as CFB Edmonton is a Canadian Forces base located in Sturgeon County and occupies 2,550 hectares of land.
- As of 2022, there are approximately 5,800 Regular Force soldiers, 5,300 Reserve Force soldiers, 3,000 Canadian Rangers and 1,000 DND Civilians employed under 3 Cdn Div command.
Source: CFB Edmonton Statistics 2019
World’s Highest Streetcar Bridge
At 755m long and 49m high, the High Level bridge in the City of Edmonton is the world’s highest streetcar river crossing, with seasonal operations May to October.
The Oldest Building in Alberta is Located Here
The Father Lacombe Church in the City of St. Albert, built in 1861, is believed to be the oldest building still standing in Alberta.
Vibrant Economic Landscape
A Thriving Economy
The Region offers a diverse range of industries, from agriculture and energy to healthcare and technology, providing abundant job opportunities for residents.
5th Largest Economy in Canada at $109 Billion GDP
The Region works to identify opportunities, build on our strengths, and continue moving forward together, to foster smart growth.
A Business Friendly Environment
- Office space in the Region’s core is more affordable and talent costs are about 30% less than in other major Canadian centres.
- In 2022, the Region was home to 94.7% small and medium-sized businesses.
Highest Labour Participation Rate of any Major Metro Region in Canada
The Region is expecting another 500K jobs within the next 20 years and we will have the talent to fill those positions
Attractive Cost of Living
The cost of living in the Region is relatively affordable compared to other major Canadian cities.
Canada’s Energy Powerhouse
Oil Resources
- The closest major urban centre to the Athabasca oil sands – the world’s third-largest oil deposits, with 13% of total global reserves.
- Home to three oil refineries, which together produce 22% of the country’s petroleum products.
Canada’s largest hydrocarbon processing hub
- Alberta’s Industrial Heartland (AIH) serves as a hub for the chemical, petrochemical, oil, and gas industries.
- Over 40 companies operate within AIH, producing essential products such as fuels, fertilizers, power, and petrochemicals for both provincial and global consumers.
Kickstarting the Region’s Low Carbon Future
- With some of the best renewable resources in the country, wind, solar, bioenergy, and geothermal.
- Home to Canada’s first and largest hydrogen hub, an alliance of government, Indigenous, academic and economic development leaders.
Solar Powering
- The Edmonton EXPO Centre now hosts Canada’s largest rooftop solar array, a large piece of a $98-million puzzle to improve the centre’s carbon footprint.
- The Edmonton International Airport 627-acre, 120-megawatt solar farm is the world’s largest at an airport, able to power equivalent of more than 27,000 homes
Site of Alberta’s First Major Oil Discovery
In 1947, a rich deposit of oil was found at Leduc No. 1 that changed the course of Alberta history.
Strong Education & Research System
Robust Education System
- The Region has more than 130,000 post-secondary students.
- Eight post-secondary institutions provide access to diverse learning and research opportunities, including partnerships with industry.
- University of Alberta in Edmonton ranks 7th in the world in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings.
- NAIT has been recognized as one of Canada’s top technical training and applied research colleges.
World-Leading Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Machine Learning (ML) Research
- The Region is ranked 3rd globally in AI research.
- Home to the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (Amii), one of Canada’s three preeminent centres of artificial intelligence and machine learning.
- The University of Alberta’s Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning research is ranked 2nd in North America and 5th in the world.
Cutting Edge Health and Life Sciences Breakthroughs
284 life science companies in the Region working at the forefront of research in diabetes, virology, and precision health, and we have world class facilities to prove it.
Most Popular Online Course in Canada
The Indigenous Canada MOOC from the Faculty of Native Studies, with more than 580,000 students enrolled since 2017.
Nature’s Calling
Ample Opportunities for Outdoor Recreation & Adventure
- Part of a larger watershed, the North Saskatchewan and Sturgeon rivers are great for paddling, boating, fishing, and more.
- Home to beautiful parks and trails, and smaller lakes.
- The largest urban parkland in North America, our signature river valley is 22 times larger than New York’s Central Park and has over 150 km of trails from Devon to Fort Saskatchewan.
Unique Local Ecosystems
- The Beaver Hills Biosphere in Strathcona County is 1 of only 2 UNESCO-designated biospheres in Alberta.
- The Wagner Natural Area near Spruce Grove is a wetland that provides the perfect habitat to grow one of the highest concentrations of Alberta’s 24 orchid species, including lady’s slipper and the rare bog adder’s mouth.
Long & Sunny Days
- Daylight in our Region lasts from 7.25 hours to 17 hours at the peak of winter and summer, respectively.
- We’re a strong sun spot with 321 sunny days or 2,299 hours of sun per year.
We Have Urban Coyotes
Playing a natural and beneficial role in the Region as scavengers helping to manage rodent and small mammal populations.
Source: Edmonton Urban Coyotes
Agriculture & Food
Our Black Gold is the Soil
Our prime agriculture lands generate 40% more revenue per acre than elsewhere in the province.
Food Security Now & Into the Future
With 1.7M acres, representing 30% of Alberta’s prime agricultural lands, we’re one of the few places in the world that produces more food than it consumes.
Strong food and beverage processing Industry
Our Region is home to 25% of Alberta’s food and beverage processing industry, with more than 4,655 farm operators.
Culture of Urban & Community Farming
- Our Region’s municipalities have been operating community garden programs and urban farms on private and public land since the mid-1990s.
- Edmonton’s Kingsway Mall’s rooftop has been transformed into an urban farm, with harvests donated to Edmonton’s Food Bank.
Abundant Farmers’ Markets
including the St. Albert Farmers’ Market, the largest outdoor farmers’ market in Canada with over 275 vendors, food trucks, buskers offering a unique shopping experience for locals and visitors alike.
Food Empires
Many favourite chain restaurants and mall kiosks got their start in the Region: Boston Pizza (1964), Sorrentino’s (1979), Earls (1982), Wok Box (2004), Famoso (2007), Booster Juice (1999).
Canada’s Largest Worm Farm
With four facilities in the Region, Annelida Organics use more than 80M worms to turn waste into sought-after premium soil enrichment products.
Moving People, Goods, and Services
Convergence of Trade Corridors
We’re aspiring to become the largest land port in Western Canada, where air, rail, pipelines, and roadways converge to boost the Region’s potential as a logistics hub.
Growing Active Transportation Networks
- We have more than 150 km of trails for walking, cycling, and other modes of active transportation.
- The Region is leading the way on micro-mobility, showing that there’s this huge demand for shared e-bikes and shared e-scooters.
Expanded Regional Transit Access
- Several municipalities across the Region are collaborating on transit with an Arc card that enables access to buses and LRT on participating regional transit systems.
- The Edmonton Light Rail Transit (LRT) has 29 stations on three lines and 37.4 km (23.2 mi) of track; it is one of the busiest light rail transit systems in North America, with over 1.5M monthly riders (2023).
1 Ring Road
- A tribute to the regional leaders who came together to push for this project starting in the 1960s, the 78 km Anthony Henday Drive was first completed in 2017.
- Serves as a portion of the CANAMEX Corridor that links Canada to the United States and Mexico.
Faster Daily Commuting
The Region’s residents benefit from average commute times of 25.34 minutes one-way, which is more than 2 minutes faster than in 2016.
Soaring to New Heights
- Edmonton International Airport (YEG) is the 5th largest airport by passenger volume and a major entry point for cargo.
- YEG is North America’s northernmost major airport, located at the intersection of existing polar air routes.
Pipelines
- An extensive pipeline system more than 373,000 km in length, which ships most feedstocks, natural gas and hydrocarbon products.
- Hardisty is the meeting point for many major pipelines, giving it strategic importance to the North American oil and gas industry: Alberta Clipper pipeline, part of Enbridge’s Mainline system, for delivery to eastern destinations in Canada; or TC Energy’s Keystone pipeline for delivery to Illinois and Texas; or Enbridge’s Express pipeline for delivery to the U.S. Rocky Mountains.
Riding the Rails
- We’re home to 16 rail intermodal and storage facilities that provide the capacity to move commodities across Canada and throughout North America.
- Both CN and CP play crucial roles in the Region’s rail and intermodal services, connecting the Region to broader networks and facilitating the movement of goods.
Tourism, Arts & Sports
Strong Visitor Economy
Over 6 million visitors to the Region annually, spending nearly $2 billion in our economy.
Major Tourist Attractions
- With 80 acres to explore, the University of Alberta Botanic Garden, located near Devon, is Alberta’s largest botanical garden.
- The largest planetarium of its kind in Canada at the Telus World of Science.
- Instagrammable walls of murals and graffiti, including a concentration of over 40 public murals in Stony Plain, and a similar number as part of Legal’s Mural Walk in Sturgeon County.
Premiere Performing Arts Venues
Including the Arden Theater in St. Albert, Festival Place in Sherwood Park, the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, and the Francis Winspear Centre for Music, which is the home of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra.
Sporting Hub
- The Region is home to two renowned sports franchises, the 13-time Grey Cup-winning Edmonton Elks of the Canadian Football League and the five-time Stanley Cup-winning Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League.
- With a seating capacity of 56,400, the Commonwealth Stadium is Canada’s largest open-air, multipurpose stadium, home to the Edmonton Elks (CFL).
- Rogers Place is home to the Edmonton Oilers, and the arena features state of the art technology including the largest high definition screen in the NHL.
Dynamic Culture of Festivals
From rodeos to jazz festivals, the Region offers many diverse events, festivals, and celebrations throughout the year, including the world-famous Fringe Festival, the longest-running and largest theatre festival in North America.
Heritage & Culture
Fastest Growing Urban Indigenous Population
- The Indigenous population in the Region has more than doubled since 1996.
- The Region saw the highest increase of Indigenous people in the country since 2016.
- School boards in the Region are growing their First Nations, Métis, and Inuit education programming, including through the Awasis (Cree) Program and the amiskwaciy Academy, and Nehiyaw Pimatisiwin Cree Language and Cultural Program.
Rich Linguistic & Cultural Communities
- Built in 1938 in Edmonton, the Al-Rashid Mosque was the first mosque built in Canada.
- We’re also home to two of Alberta’s four officially designated bilingual (English/French) municipalities: the City of Beaumont and the Town of Legal. Edmonton also has a French Quarter Business Improvement Area.
- The English-Chinese (Mandarin) Bilingual Program with Edmonton Public Schools has since been described as “the best Chinese language program outside of China” and is unique in North America because it offers a complete continuum of studies from K-12, and it is accomplished all during regular school hours.
Largest Multicultural Festival in the World
Every August, the Edmonton Heritage Festival attracts more than 300,000 visitors who come to enjoy the best cuisine, entertainment, interpretive materials, and crafts from more than 60 countries.
Insightful Historical Sites & Facilities
- Open-air historical sites including the Fort Heritage Precinct in Fort Saskatchewan, River Lots 23 + 24 in St. Albert, and Fort Edmonton, the largest living history museum in Canada, which includes the interactive Indigenous Peoples Experience.
- The Royal Alberta Museum (RAM), located in downtown Edmonton’s Arts District, is the largest museum in western Canada and one of the top museums in Canada.