Looking for a good time? Go no further than Edmonton, a place called “The Festival City.” Edmonton hosts festivals the entire year, cultural events, educational events, and it’s supported by the government. Edmonton has 800,000 people in its city proper making it the fifth largest city in Canada.
On this day October 8th, in 1904, Edmonton is incorporated as a city. Edmonton was first settled during the late 18th century by the Hudson Bay Company for fur trading. Edmonton’s first governor named it after his hometown in England.
At the time of its incorporation, Edmonton had 8,350 people. But in 1885 the Canadian Pacific Railway came to Edmonton, revolutionizing its economy by allowing for trade with places that could never before be reached. Commerce is still a big part of the city. Its West Edmonton Mall, spanning 6 million square feet, is the largest mall in North America, and from 1981 to 2004, it was the largest in the world.