Venue & Travel

Climate

Calgary has more hours of sunshine than any other major city in Canada, making it a great destination any time of year. Be prepared for changes in temperature as weather in Calgary can vary day to day and season to season, and even hour to hour.

Mild westerly winds called “chinooks” bring warm temperatures to Calgary, raising winter temperatures by as much as 15°C in just a few hours.

• Average October temperature: 5.2ºC / 41.4ºF
• October average high: 11.7ºC / 53.1ºF
• October average low: -1.4ºC / 29.5ºF

Expect rain about 7 days out of 31 in October.

Time Zone

Calgary is in the Mountain time zone of North America, 6 hours behind Greenwich Mean Time during the summer (Eastern Daylight, EDT) and 7 hours during the winter (Eastern Standard, EST). Daylight Savings Time is observed from the second Sunday in March till the first Sunday in November.

Emergency

You may dial 9-1-1 at any time. The service is free from a pay phone. Operators are in contact with emergency firefighter, police and ambulance services at all times. It is always a good idea to buy medical travel insurance in advance.

Calgary Poison Control Centre: 1-800-332-1414

Health Link: 811

In case of a non-urgent problem, you may dial this number to reach a health professional easily.

Driving in Calgary

Calgary uses the metric system, so speeds are indicated in kilometres (100 km/h = 62 mph) and gas is sold in litres (3 3/4 litres = 1 US gallon).

Cell Phone

Use of a hand-held cell phone that does not have a “hands-free” function is prohibited while driving.

For more information, visit: Albert Driving and Transportation

Language

Calgary is a multicultural city with residents from diverse backgrounds, with most of the population speaking English.

Smoking

The Tobacco Reduction Act took effect in 2005 and prohibits smoking in all public establishments, including bars and restaurants. For more information, visit: Calgary.ca FAQs