About Southern Alberta

About Our Region

Palliser Regional Schools is a group of schools located in the heart of southern Alberta in Western Canada. Our schools are located in the City of Calgary and several smaller communities between Calgary and Lethbridge. Both cities are home to excellent university and college programs, multicultural communities, and serve as hubs of business to smaller communities in the Palliser Region.

Calgary has a population 1.14 million and is a 90-minute flight from Vancouver, British Columbia, or a 4-hour flight from Toronto, Ontario. Lethbridge is approximately 2 hours from Calgary and home to approximately 90,000 people. Each of these cities provides a unique urban experience for students. Between these two population centres are many smaller rural towns that include Hutterite colonies and Low German speaking Mennonite communities.

Experience the Beauty of Southern Alberta

The province of Alberta is a world-class tourism destination, attracting more than 35 million visits a year. The Southern Alberta region is known for its friendly people, beautiful scenery and an amazing variety of recreational opportunities. Driving west on the Trans Canada Highway, the rolling prairie landscape leads through the foothills and into the majestic Rocky Mountain range which attracts visitors from around the world. Southern Alberta boasts many national and provincial parks, and each offers students new and varied opportunities to experience Canada’s natural beauty.

The vistas of Waterton Lakes National Park, just a 90 minute drive from Lethbridge, and the world-famous Banff National Park just 90 minutes from Calgary, provide endless opportunities for photographers, naturalists and recreation enthusiasts. The Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, about 90 minutes from Lethbridge, has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995 for its distinctive climate and geography, and the abundance and diversity of flora and fauna.

Recreation and Culture

Southern Alberta is also home to a rich Aboriginal culture where regional and international students can learn more about First Nation history and traditions. Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, a hunting site for Aboriginals for nearly 6,000 years, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981. Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park, also a sacred site to southern Alberta's Blackfoot people, reveals ancient paintings and carvings on stunning sandstone cliffs. Both sites are within a two-hour drive of Lethbridge.

Some of the richest dinosaur fossil sites have been found in Alberta’s Badlands. Follow the fossil trail and visit the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology near the town of Drumheller, or the Dinosaur Provincial Park near the City of Brooks.

Recreational activities also abound, with skiing, hiking and other mountain activities just a few hours away. For sports enthusiasts, Canada's most popular sport is HOCKEY and Calgary is home to the National Hockey League's Calgary Flames. It also has a professional football team, the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League.

There's lots of opportunity in southern Alberta to ice skate indoors or outdoors in winter, as well as excellent skiing facilities that make the most of the scenic Rocky Mountains. Fishing, biking and camping are also popular pursuits when the warmer weather arrives. There are many parks for fun activities such as tossing around a football, playing catch or kicking around a soccer ball. Southern Alberta is also home to many public golf courses for beginners or expert golfers.

Southern Alberta also hosts a myriad of arts and performing arts opportunities, with concerts, art exhibits and live theatre performances. Students can learn about the history of Canada and the Palliser Region through museums found in Calgary, Lethbridge and most of the towns in between.