Quick Facts About Edmonton Alberta Canada

Some things you probably never knew about Edmonton, Alberta:

• The name "Edmonton" is a Latinized version of a Saxon word meaning "Happy Hamlet,” and was used to honour the home of HBC governor James Winter Lake who was from Edmonton, England.
  
  

• The city's population stands at 782,439 people as of April 2009; while Edmonton’s metropolitan population is more than a million people.
  
  

• Edmonton is the gateway to a land of majestic mountains, pristine lakes, historic rivers and northern adventures and northern industries of oil, gas, lumber and mining. Edmonton is located on the TransCanada Yellowhead Highway, a route that offers the easiest and most scenic drive across western Canada.
  
  
• The city of Edmonton began as a North West Company fur trading post in 1795.
  
  
• During the Klondike Gold Rush of 1897 prospectors and adventures travelled by rail to Edmonton and then began the long overland journey to the Yukon. Edmonton became the last supply centre on route.
  
  
• Edmonton is Alberta’s capital city. The Legislature is an iconic building of grand architecture where people flock to wade in or skate on the outdoor ponds.
  
  
• Edmonton’s Waste Management Centre of Excellence has one of the world’s highest standards in recycling, composting and minimizing landfill. The Clover Bar facility diverts 60per cent of its solid waste, the highest diversion rate across Canada.
  
  
• Edmonton won the 2009 Corporate Knights Sustainable Cities Ranking for the large city category.
  
  There's more at the EEDC