Calgary , a city in Alberta, Canada, lies where the prairies end and the foothills begin. As such, it is the eastern gateway to the Rocky Mountains and an important centre of trade and tourism for the western prairies. It is your most likely point of access for Banff and Jasper, and a worthwhile destination in its own right. With a population of about 1.1 million, Calgary is also the hub of the country's fifth largest metropolitan area and the largest between Vancouver and Toronto.