Edmonton Edjumikates

[Reggie Dunlop]

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/edmonton/st...-educates.html

Anyone hear about this?

Apparently Edmonton figures they have to lay out $450,000 to clear up misconceptions about their city. Wow. Whole bunch of apologists they are.

Calgary?

Slogan seems to be "Hey. We're Calgary. Now Hiring."

Interesting.

[Kerplunk]

Edmonton is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to convince Canadians there's more to the city than a giant shopping mall, the Oilers and the Great One.

I can't really think of anything up there that I'd spend time and money on. Even these "attractions" are iffy...

Maybe they should think of upping the amount for the campaign.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by The CBC

The commercials are the latest in a series of promotions tried by the city this year, including a contest in which random Canadians won a trip to Edmonton.

Shouldn't that be: "a contest in which random Canadians refused to accept a free trip to Edmonton"?

[Flash Walken]

the money would be better served in hiring barbers for mandatory mullet cuts.

[I-Hate-Hulse]

Larf. I took that "quiz" on the Edmonton Educates website. Let's see what they tried to "ed"jumacate me on:

• obligatory "we have lots of festivals" comment - check. A fair comment, but given the commonality between some of the festivals, is it that much of a draw?
• we have the largest composting facility in North America! - uhhhh check.
• Who hosted the Heritage Classic? - Living in the Past! Check.
• Obligatory Oilers Cups vs Flames Cups comment - See my sig. Check.
• 80 Billion in development dollars - So now you're riding Ft Mac's coattails now huh? Psst - you're not Ft Mac. There's direct flights there now, they don't have to go through you. Didn't get that Conoco refinery did you?

I fail to see how this $450,000 campaign would attact people to Edmonton in any way, shape or form. Not sure if it read my location settings or cookies though. Pretty big waste of taxpayer's money, but that's not unusual for Edmonton. (or Calgary)

It seems that they're quite anxious to shake this bastid stepchild image they have. The Times of London used a "Brains and the Brawn" comment to describe the white collar nature of Calgary / Edmonton, and Edmonton predictably took great offence to it, pointing out it's philharmonic and other cultural and high life elements.

Thing is - why deny it and pretend to be something you're not? It's blue collar, be proud of it - instead of pretending to be this cultural, head office, and cosmopolitan oasis. You are what you are, run with it.

[WesternCanadaKing]

How embarrassing.

[Resolute 14]

Really, Edmonton is a one day town.

Drive up, go to the mall, snap a picture of the leg, take a walk in the river valley, go home.

Some of the festivals are nice, but when they arent happening, Edmonton is merely Winnipeg with a few more people. Not that there is much wrong with that though. I like Winnipeg.

[Sylvanfan]

Well it's my experience that everyone who came to Edmonton from another town or city came for a job or money. No one I know of takes a pay cut to move to Edmonton. But there are some great work oppurtunities for people up here, and if you can put up with it for a couple of years it can help you advance yourself quite nicely. But unless people lived or grew up here, chances are they're less than excited about being here. My old employer claimed that his biggest challenge was that he couldn't get decent workers to come to the city and stay here.

My brother and his wife seem like they won't leave Kelowna under any circumstance. As a result she doesn't have a great paying job, he has to go away to camp for 20 days a month to make a living, and they don't own their own home. If they were to come to an area like Edmonton for a couple years they could probably both get good paying jobs, spend more time together and be able to get into a house. Two years from now they'd likely have enough work experience, and equity built into their home that they could move back to Kelowna and get decent paying jobs and buy a good place there. Whereas if they just stay there that may not happen.

[Smyth94]

Originally Posted by Snakeeye

Really, Edmonton is a one day town.

Drive up, go to the mall, snap a picture of the leg, take a walk in the river valley, go home.

Some of the festivals are nice, but when they arent happening, Edmonton is merely Winnipeg with a few more people. Not that there is much wrong with that though. I like Winnipeg.

The festivals are really nice. Heritage, Fringe, Taste of Edmonton, International film festival, Street performers, etc. Definitely the best ones in Alberta.

What is Calgary? A two day town? Both of the cities are dead in the winter, and are no where near the levels of cities like Vancouver, Seattle, Toronto, Montreal, etc.

Calgary is just a hub to the Rockies. Nothing more, nothing less.

[Smyth94]

Originally Posted by I-Hate-Hulse

• obligatory "we have lots of festivals" comment - check. A fair comment, but given the commonality between some of the festivals, is it that much of a draw?

Sure it is. Attend one of the above mentioned and see for yourself.

Originally Posted by I-Hate-Hulse

• Who hosted the Heritage Classic? - Living in the Past! Check.

Calgary's city sign: Host city of the 1988 winter Olympics. uhhhhh check.

Originally Posted by I-Hate-Hulse

I fail to see how this $450,000 campaign would attact people to Edmonton in any way, shape or form. Not sure if it read my location settings or cookies though. Pretty big waste of taxpayer's money, but that's not unusual for Edmonton. (or Calgary)

Or a campaign like this can change stereotpyical assertions like the ones you make.

Originally Posted by I-Hate-Hulse

instead of pretending to be this cultural, head office, and cosmopolitan oasis. You are what you are, run with it.

Because is does have lots of culture. It is a booming city (just look at the development in the south end). Where on earth did they mention head offices, and how is having a head office in a city make it any more better?

[Igottago]

Ive seen a few TV ads for this out here in Vancouver. Pretty funny stuff. But I think Calgary has had to change (and is probably still clearing up) a few of its own misconceptions as well. I think its just part of the growth of the city.

But in the end, I take Calgary over edmonton any day of the week.

[fanforever1986]

Originally Posted by Smyth94

[/LIST]Sure it is. Attend one of the above mentioned and see for yourself.[/LIST]Calgary's city sign: Host city of the 1988 winter Olympics. uhhhhh check.



Or a campaign like this can change stereotpyical assertions like the ones you make.




Because is does have lots of culture. It is a booming city (just look at the development in the south end). Where on earth did they mention head offices, and how is having a head office in a city make it any more better?

Actually it's "heart of the new west". Man i bet edmonton wishes they'd grabbed that one before us.

[Bend it like Bourgeois]

Originally Posted by Smyth94

Where on earth did they mention head offices, and how is having a head office in a city make it any more better?

[Looger]

standard city budgeting...

we've got a few bucks to blow, to whom do we owe favours?

[Temporary_User]

haha, those commercials are like the "stupid americans" ones.
"How many festivals does edmonton have"
"at least two"


If you look @ the results 82% knew the capitol of Alberta was Edmonton, 14% thought Calgary. 1% thought reginia...

Was this a survey taken on edmontoneducates.com though? I think that could skew the results.

[Jake]

Originally Posted by Smyth94

The festivals are really nice. Heritage, Fringe, Taste of Edmonton, International film festival, Street performers, etc. Definitely the best ones in Alberta.

What is Calgary? A two day town? Both of the cities are dead in the winter, and are no where near the levels of cities like Vancouver, Seattle, Toronto, Montreal, etc.

Calgary is just a hub to the Rockies. Nothing more, nothing less.

Is Edmonton under the impression those festivals are only there?

Taste of Edmonton.... every big city has one of those. I think Calgary's was in July.

Fringe Festival... onces again Calgary, Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg and Ottawa all have that.

Steet Performers? Come on.

You also said we're just a hub to the rockies... and then say we're dead in the winter. Thats confusing. You are right about Edmonton though.

btw... the Olympics and the Heritage Classic are on slightly different levels.

[Smyth94]

Originally Posted by Jake

Is Edmonton under the impression those festivals are only there?

No, but they are the best ones in Alberta. Even my Calgary friends come every year for the fringe and heritage days (the world's largest of it's kind).

Originally Posted by Jake

Fringe Festival... onces again Calgary, Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg and Ottawa all have that.

Quality matters.

Originally Posted by Jake

You also said we're just a hub to the rockies... and then say we're dead in the winter. Thats confusing. You are right about Edmonton though.

How's that confusing? Calgary (& Edmonton) are both dead in the winter. It's not as if tourists are flocking into Calgary from October - April. Calgary is nothing but a gateway to the rockies. Edmonton has WEM, but neither city is a big player.


I don't see the big deal of Edmonton adveritising their city strengths.

This thread just reeks inferiority complex.

[Reggie Dunlop]

Calgary is better.

[Smyth94]

Originally Posted by Reggie Dunlop

Calgary is better.

Okay it's settled. Anything else sparky?

Why don't you go watch the Flames game? Run along, dog, run along

[Reggie Dunlop]

Originally Posted by Smyth94

Okay it's settled. Anything else sparky?

No. I pretty much summed it up succinctly.