Edmonton, Canada: Where Winter Is a Lifestyle and the Mall Has Submarines

Welcome to Edmonton, Alberta, one of the northernmost major cities in North America that you've probably been to exactly once, for a connecting flight. It's a place of staggering contradictions. It's the provincial capital, it's absurdly friendly, and it's home to a hockey team that has perfected the art of getting your hopes up.

Grab a parka. Yes, even in September.

Where Exactly Is Edmonton, and Why Is It So Big?

First, the basics. According to the 2021 census, the City of Edmonton had a population of 1,010,899 residents, compared to 4,262,635 for all of Alberta. The metro area is bigger still: the Edmonton census metropolitan area had 1,418,118 people, making it the fifth-largest CMA in Canada. And the city keeps growing.

So hundreds of thousands of people looked at this place and thought, "Yes, I'd like to be here in January." Respect.

The city sits on the North Saskatchewan River, and its metro region is 9,416 square kilometres of mostly flat Prairie. It also anchors the northern end of the Calgary–Edmonton Corridor, about 290 km north of its smug, sunnier rival Calgary. Edmontonians will tell you they don't think about Calgary. They think about Calgary constantly.

The Oilers: A Love Story With Restraining Orders

You cannot write about Edmonton without addressing the Edmonton Oilers, the team that turns an entire city into a support group. Edmonton has Connor McDavid, arguably the best player on the planet, and yet every spring the fanbase experiences the same cycle of hope, belief, and heartbreak. Chris Pronger demanded a trade right after the 2006 Cup Final run, which is the most Oilers way to say goodbye.

The optimism never dies, though. As I write this in October 2025, the Oilers are off to a hot start. Evan Bouchard had two goals and an assist to become the second defenseman in NHL history with at least six goals through the first four games of a season, and McDavid had nine points through three games. Naturally, the injury list is already long. There's also a familiar coach in town: the Oilers have played their first four games under Kris Knoblauch. If that doesn't make you nervous, you haven't been an Oilers fan long enough.

Rating the experience: pure joy, followed by pure agony, followed by an immediate ticket renewal.

West Edmonton Mall: The Eighth Wonder of the World (Allegedly)

Every city has a landmark. Paris has the Eiffel Tower. Rome has the Colosseum. Edmonton has a mall that once had submarines.

West Edmonton Mall, known to locals simply as "WEM," was once marketed as the Eighth Wonder of the World, and honestly, when it's -35 outside, it kind of earns the title. Under one roof you'll find a waterpark, an indoor amusement park, an ice rink, and enough shops to bankrupt a small nation. It's a climate-controlled escape pod for people who've made peace with the fact that outdoors is optional from November to April.

Locals say "WEM" with the affection normally reserved for a beloved relative. It's adorable. It's also a cry for help.

Eat Your Way Through Winter: Donairs, Green Onion Cakes, and Perogies

Edmonton's culinary identity is a holy trinity of "something warm to eat while you wait for the bus": green onion cakes, donairs, and perogies. The donair shops are everywhere, which is less a food scene and more a hostage situation with garlic sauce. But it's a delicious hostage situation, and you'll need the calories.

Edmonton also has a thriving festival culture, a serious river valley, and a creative streak that belies its "Deadmonton" nickname. Locals use that name ironically. Everyone else uses it unironically. This is the most Edmonton thing possible: loudly bashing the city while fiercely defending it from outsiders.

Weather: Almost Winter, Winter, Still Winter, and Construction

Edmonton's four seasons are Almost Winter, Winter, Still Winter, and Construction. Locals proudly call -25 "a bit crisp" and keep an ice scraper in the car in June, because denial is a survival skill. The result is six months of winter followed by six weeks of potholes, which is a fair trade if you ask nobody who owns a car.

Don't let that scare you off. Summer in Edmonton is glorious, with endless daylight, patios everywhere, and a city that emerges from hibernation like it just won the lottery. Visit between June and August, bring a jacket anyway, and you'll fall for this stubborn, cold, lovable city.

Think we were too nice? See the full roast on RoastMyTown.com.