Canadian Prairies

When my family first moved to Dallas years ago, we became friends with another family who had moved from Alberta, Canada. They have a book about the Canadian Prairies which I was really fascinated with, which is the inspiration for this post.

Major cities in the region are: Edmonton, Alberta; Calgary, Alberta; Regina, Saskatchewan; Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and Winnipeg, Manitoba. Oil and natural gas resources and abundant underground water has led the Praries and Plains region of North America to be one of the strongest economies of late. Cities like Edmonton and Calgary are booming all the way down to Oklahoma City and Dallas in America.

The Canadian Prairies are a part of the larger Great Plains, a region almost 2,000 miles north/south extending all the way south to Texas. In fact, by some definitions, it extends even into Mexico. Though many assume grasslands are void of much life, they are full of it. Earlier Europeans made this mistake when they called the region: 'The Great American Desert'.

The Great Plains are a relatively recent landscape. It wasn't until about 10,000 years ago the Canadian Prarie became mostly treeless grassland after the last glacial retreat. The area is mostly flat but can be rolling as well. It gets very cold during the winter and warm--though unlike the southern plains--usually not extremely hot.


Created by NormanEinstein July 18, 2005.


Fields of Canola and Flax on the Saskatchewan Prairie. Photo: Saffron Blaze .


Saskatchewan River. Photo: Leighton Tebay, 28 September 2004(2004-09-28) Lei


Canada-Saskatchewan Production Studios circa 2010. Photo: Masalai.

Ox cart train on Red River Trails, Unknown date. Photo: Whitney's Gallery


A farm in the rural municipality of Sifton. Circa 2006 Photo: Northwest


Chinook arch over the city of Calgary, Alberta, Canada . Photo: Qyd, March 2007(2007-03) User:
User


An autumn afternoon at a farm north of Highway 37, west of St. Albert, Alberta, Canada. 1 November 2008. Photo: WinterE229 WinterforceMedia


Familiar sight clear down thousands of miles to Oklahoma and Texas.

Warner elevator row berta3 January 2010 Photo: Hero122.,

I love this photograph. Calgary circa 1969. Photo by Will Henderson of Calgary 69. 


Calgary is the largest city in the Canadian Praries. It is repeatedly listed among the most liveable cities in the world. This picture is as seen from Crescent Heights bluff during sunset. Photo: Calgarypano


A watercourse in Hawrelak Park, Edmonton, Alberta. Canada. 2008.05.10. Photo: WinterforceMedia WinterE229 .