Edmonton is the capital of the province of Alberta. Edmonton, also known as the City of Champions is on the North Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province. This area offers some of the most fertile farmland on the prairies. It is the second largest city in Alberta after Calgary, with a population of 730,372.

Edmonton has become one of Canada's major educational centres, with more than 60,000 full time postsecondary students spread over several institutions and campuses (total enrolment among the schools is as high as 170,000, which includes students enrolled in multiple institutions).

The University of Alberta, whose main campus is situated on the south side of Edmonton's river valley, serves about 35,000 students in more than 200 undergraduate programs and 170 graduate programs.

West Edmonton Mall, which holds over 800 stores and services, including an indoor water park, amusement park, and skating rink, is the largest shopping mall in North America and the fourth largest in the world. The Edmonton Oilers occasionally practiced at the Ice Palace skating rink inside the West Edmonton Mall during the 1980s and 1990s. This drew huge crowds during the Wayne Gretzky years in the 1980s. The Oilers' contract for using the rink, however, has since expired. The rink is used for various hockey and other sporting tournaments, including a facility for the Annual Edmonton Corporate Challenge.

Edmonton plays host to several large festivals each year, hence its local nickname, "The Festival City." The Edmonton International Fringe Festival, which takes place in mid-August, is the largest fringe theatre festival in North America and second only to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival worldwide.

Edmonton's main summer festival is Capital EX (formerly Klondike Days). Klondike Days was originally an annual fair and exhibition that eventually adopted a gold rush theme. In early 2006, it was decided that the festival would be renamed "The Capital City Exhibition". Activities include chuckwagon races, carnival rides and fairways, music, trade shows, and daily fireworks.

For more information on the City of Edmonton please visit the following link:

City of Edmonton – www.edmonton.ca