Commissionaires Southern Alberta
Phone: 403.244.4664
1107 53rd Ave N.E.
Fax: 403.228.0623
Calgary, AB T2E 6X9
www.cccsab.ca
JOHN E.FLETCHER, CD
Chairman, Board of Governors
STEVE GAGNON
Chief Executive Officer
Dear Companion:
We hope you are planning to join us at this year’s AMOD. We have a unique program
designed for you, incorporating some self-guided tours and several structured outings. The
AMOD social events will highlight our Western, cowboy heritage as well as showcase the
modern culture of the city. Calgary is a great starting point for a summer vacation, with a
newly expanded international airport and the rocky mountains only a stone’s throw away. Or it
is a destination unto itself, with attractions for all ages and interests. We have provided some
information on the city and an overview of the program we have planned for you, to entice you
to begin planning your trip early. We look forward to welcoming you in June in Calgary!
NBMC COMPANION PROGRAM (MONDAY-THURSDAY)
The NBMC Companion program will be self-guided. You will be free to create your own
Calgary experience, making use of pre-arranged admissions passes, following routed maps to
places of interest, or utilizing provided transportation passes to venture out of downtown.
To help you get acquainted with each other and the city, a welcome event will be hosted at
Devonian Gardens – an indoor urban park and central meeting place in the downtown CORE
Shopping Centre – where you will be welcomed to Calgary, given a tour package and briefed
about the layout of downtown and places of interest highlighted in the tour package. We will
provide a casual continental-to-go breakfast that you may take and find a spot to enjoy the
garden or head out to a local attraction.
AMOD COMPANIONS PROGRAM (THURSDAY-SUNDAY)
The AMOD companion program will feature more structured activities but encourage some
self-guided programming, too.
On Thursday, after a free day to explore Calgary, we will welcome you with a brief networking
reception where you will receive a tour package and briefing about the layout of downtown
Calgary and places of interest highlighted in the tour package. Then you are invited to the
AMOD Host Chair Reception and division dinners.
Friday’s outing will begin with a guided walking tour through a historic area of Calgary that
ends at a historic restaurant for lunch. After lunch you may opt to return to the hotel for a free
afternoon, utilizing your self-guided tour package or stay in the trendy area and browse the
upscale boutique shops while enjoying the area’s character. In the evening, the Host Division
Event will take place at Heritage Park, Canada’s largest living history museum and feature
networking and an elegant heritage dinner.
Saturday’s outing will be a bus trip to Cross Iron Mills, one of the largest malls in Calgary
featuring many outlet shops as well as movie theatres and restaurants. This outing follows a
pancake breakfast with companions. The breakfast will be a truly Calgary experience hosted
by the Calgary Stampede Promotions Committee, and jeans and boots are encouraged! We’ll
have you back to the hotel in time to prepare for the evening’s Gala.
Proudly Employing Veterans Since 1937
An ISO 9001:2008 Registered Company
Commissionaires Southern Alberta
Phone: 403.244.4664
1107 53rd Ave N.E.
Fax: 403.228.0623
Calgary, AB T2E 6X9
www.cccsab.ca
JOHN E.FLETCHER, CD
Chairman, Board of Governors
STEVE GAGNON
Chief Executive Officer
JOIN US IN CALGARY!
Calgary attracts nearly four million visitors every year and was rated the most livable city in
Canada and one of the top five in the world. It has attractions for all ages, a good economy, a
pleasant climate and it is known for being clean and safe.
There are a great variety of high quality restaurants and shopping outlets – both independent
boutiques and national/international chains. Many of these are concentrated in trendy and
walk-able neighbourhoods in or near downtown. According to the Calgary Downtown
Association (2012), there are over 1000 stores and more than five indoor shopping centres
downtown. Many are concentrated on Stephen Avenue and other trendy, walk-able areas like
Kensington, Uptown 17th, Mission and Inglewood. Outside downtown, Calgary offers more
shopping centres including a large outlet mall and one of the ten largest malls in Canada.
Don’t forget that Alberta has no provincial sales tax.
The city and surrounding destinations are easily accessible and getting around the city is fairly
easy with good roadways, public transit and cabs. The Calgary International Airport, the 3rd
largest in Canada, serves over 12 million passengers per year, with more than 200 flights per
week. There are direct connections to some 50 destinations and one-stop connections to
most major cities around the world. Calgary is located on both the Trans-Canada highway,
running East to West across Canada, and the CANAMEX Highway, running North to South
from Canada to Mexico. The town of Banff is approximately two hours from downtown
Calgary by car or bus.
You will find downtown Calgary an inviting place to explore with 12 public parks or spaces,
more than 100 public art displays and sculptures, ten cinema screens in three theatres that
offer different genres, and over 50 historic spots. You will also find cultural offerings with
performing arts companies, including Canada’s third largest ballet company, 12 theatres and
several art galleries. Downtown Calgary is pedestrian friendly. It features the world’s largest
elevated, climate-controlled walkway system; the Plus 15 system is a 16 Km network
connecting over 100 buildings and bridging 59 roadways (Calgary Downtown Association,
2012). One of the central roads, 8th Avenue or Stephen Avenue, is a pedestrian-only mall
during the day. And you can ride the C-train in the downtown core, the free-fare zone at no
charge.
If you want to get out of downtown, there are historical attractions like Heritage Park and Fort
Calgary; educational and cultural attractions like the Glenbow and Aero Space museums; and
nature-related attractions like the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary. For sports, there are climbing
centres; the Olympic oval; Canada Olympic Park; and some 700 Km of river-side pathways.
There are 23 public golf courses in Calgary. To experience the natural beauty of western
Canada you will find several nearby options like Banff National Park, Kananaskis Provincial
Park, Writing on Stone National Historic Site and Drumheller.
Proudly Employing Veterans Since 1937
An ISO 9001:2008 Registered Company