UCalgary Fun Facts

1. The University of Calgary has five different campuses! The Main Campus, Downtown Campus, Foothills Campus and Spy Hill Campus are all in Calgary, and we have a campus in Qatar providing education in Nursing.
2. The Administration building is the oldest building on campus and was completed in 1960. The Admin building is home to the Atrium, a peaceful green space on campus that provides an escape from the cold in the winter and is a popular study spot.
3. The Olympic Oval, constructed for the 1988 Winter Olympics, is the fast ice surface in the world! When we’re not hosting the Olympics, the Oval provides a world-class training facility for UCalgary coaches and athletes.
4. Our campus features two distinct large rocks that have been around almost as long as the university. They’ve been a longstanding symbol of free expression for students through thousands of coats of paint! Learn more about them in this short clip.
5. MacEwan Hall used to include bowling lanes, an arcade and a pool hall! Today, the large open space is used for events, conferences and concerts, and has featured some big names over the years, including Post Malone and Carly Rae Jepson!
6. U of C’s monthly magazine The Gauntlet has been around since 1960. It was first published as a weekly newspaper before its transition to the monthly magazine and is free to all students.
7. The University of Calgary has a multitude of unique off-campus facilities to enhance student learning, including the Rothney Astrophysical Observatory, two Ecological Research Stations in Kananaskis and the Bamfield Marine Science Centre on the west coast of Vancouver Island! Learn more here.
8. UCalgary’s Taylor Family Digital Library is the most technologically advanced library in North America. The building combines a library, art gallery, archives, rare collections and a student success centre.
9. The UCalgary campus has its own radio station, CJSW 90.9FM, hosted out of MacEwan Hall. CJSW offers many volunteering opportunities for students and even train volunteers to be on-air programmers!
10. The University of Calgary has some notable alumni, including former Prime Minister Steven Harper—who stayed in first-year residence Rundle Hall!—and the founder of Lululemon, Chip Wilson.

If you’re hungry for more UCalgary facts, check out our Future Students page!