Calgary (Western Republic)

Calgary is the capital city of the Western Republic, with a population of about 1,728,500, making it the second most populous city in the Western Republic. It is located in the state of Alberta.

European Settlement
Before the arrival of the Europeans, the Calgary area was inhabited by Blackfoot Confederacy. This site became a post for the British Western Mounted Police (now the Western Police Department), and the town of Fort Brisebois (changed its name to Fort Calgary in 1876) was created in 1875 to protect the Western plains from whisky traders and to protect the fur trade. Fort Calgary became a town in 1884, and became "The City of Calgary" in 1894.

Calgary was chosen as the capital of the newly formed Western Republic on November 6, 1902.

Oil Boom
Oil was first discovered in Alberta in 1902, the year the Western Republic was founded. but did not prove to be an important industry until 1947. The cities economy grew during the Arab Oil Embargo of 1973. The cities population boomed after that, going from about 403,000 in 1971 to 675,000 in 1989, and then grew to 1,020,000 in the same amount of time. Calgary became the largest city of the former Dominion of Alberta. Skyscrapers were built, and Calgary had truly become a major city.

Skyline
Calgary has a skyline of many skyscrapers. As of 2018, the tallest tower in Calgary is Brookfield Place, with a height of 247m (810ft). The Bow Tower is right after Brookfield, with a height of 236m (774ft). coming in second. The Calgary Tower, WBC Sky, Bankers Hall, Eighth Avenue Place, Suncor Energy Centre, Husky Tower, and the Nexen building are some other iconic towers in Calgary.

Suburbs
Calgary has two suburbs; Cochrane and Airdrie. Airdrie is to the north of Calgary, and Cochrane is to the northwest of Calgary. Cochrane has a population of 123,549, and Airdrie has a population of 170,140.

Stampede
Calgary is famous for its Stampede. The Calgary Stamede is known as The Greatest Outdoor Show On Earth, as it is one of the world’s largest rodeos. The Calgary Stampede happens annually, and has taken place for ten days every July since 1912. The Stampede attracts over a million people per year.

Mappervision
In November 2017, Calgary hosted Mappervision Song Contest XXVII, after winning the previous edition with "The Spectre" by Alan Walker. The WestAir Centre was chosen as the host venue over the Scotiabank Saddledome, because the Saddledome was 34 years old at the time.

Sports
Calgary loves sports. Calgarians have the biggest fanbase for the Calgary Flames, their ice hockey team in the Western Major Hockey Association (WMHA). They also love their football team, the Calgary Stampeders.

WestAir Centre
In the summer of 2017, a new hockey arena called the WestAir Centre opened on the western side of Downtown Calgary. The WestAir Centre would become the largest hockey arena in the world, with a total capacity of 24,000, and it would replace the aging Scotiabank Saddledome. The WestAir Centre's size and modern design would make it known for being great for events, such as Mappervision Song Contest XXVII.

The WestAir Centre is the home of the Calgary Flames hockey team.

The WestAir Centre’s record capacity was 27,328, during game 7 of the 2017 Summit Series game between the Western Republic and the Chicago Republic.

Western National Stadium
The Western National Stadium is the home stadium for the Calgary Stampeders football team, as well as the main stadium for the Western Republic National Football Team. It's lower bowl has a capacity of about 60,000 people, and an upper bowl capacity of 50,000 people, making a total capacity of 110,000 people. The Western National Stadium can host major events such as the Super Bowls for the WFL, Calgary Stampeders, WHMA Outdoor Winter Classics, international soccer games, and the Olympics. It's capacity makes it the largest stadium in the Western Republic.

The Western National Stadium’s record capacity was 121,739, during the 2019 Western Super Bowl.

Scotiabank Saddledome
The Scotiabank Saddledome was the former arena for the Calgary Flames hockey team from 1983-2017. It has undergone renovations from April-October 2017, to become more modern. The renovations make it look practically brand new. The Saddledome is currently the home of the Calgary Mustangs of the Western Basketball Association. It has a capacity of about 19,600 people.

Calgary Skydome
The Calgary Skydome is a brand new baseball stadium located next to the WestAir Centre. With a capacity of 46,000, and is expandable to 50,000 people. the Calgary Skydome is the fifth largest baseball stadium in the Western Republic. The Calgary Skydome is home to the Calgary Vipers of the Western Baseball League.

McMahon Stadium
Located close to Western National Stadium, McMahon Stadium was the former home of the Calgary Stampeders. Opened in 1960, McMahon Stadium has a capacity of 35,000 people and is expandable to 46,000 people. Since the Stampeders relocated to the Western National Stadium, McMahon Stadium has been renovated to host soccer and College Football. McMahon Stadium is home to the Calgary Dinos college football team, as well as the Cavalry FC of the Western Premier League.

Business
Calgary is recognized as the leader of the oil and gas industry of the Western Republic, as well as an area of economic expansion. Companies such as BP Western Republic, Western Natural Resources Limited, Cenovus Energy, Encana, Imperial Oil, Suncor Energy, Shell Western Republic, Husky Energy, TransWestern, and Nexen are the large oil and gas producers that can call Calgary their home. Calgary is part of the Calgary-Edmonton corridor, one of the fastest growing regions in the Western Republic.

Calgary is also the home to the headquarters of the Western Broadcasting Corporation.

Transportation
Calgary is also considered a leader in the transportation industry in the Western Republic.

Air Travel
Calgary has one major airport, Calgary International Airport, which is the third busiest airport in the Western Republic, right behind Seattle-Tacoma, and is the main hub for the flag carrier of the Western Republic, WestAir.