Edmonton Sun Musings on the EDM/CGY wars.

[Tron_fdc]

3) As much as I don't mind the odd country song, it's nice living in a city where you don't have to be able to line dance, two-step or chew tobacco to fit in.

So you prefer having to drive a lifted F-350, sporting Oakley Razorblades and a jean jacket to be "one of the boys"? So how's that leather coat you won for being the "Safest driller on the rig" treating you?

4) We are also lucky in Edmonton that our city's symbol is not a hokey white Stetson.

Yeah, it's a big, oil spewing, phallic looking oil derrick. That's much better.

5) It's a distinct advantage living in a place where you don't have to shout "Yahoo" all the time. Nor do you have to act like one in order to fit in in Edmonton.

See #3. In Edmonton you have to hang out at the local drag strip, grow a goatee and drink Coors Light. Going out behind the "p*ssers" to "twist one up" is a must as well.

8) We enjoy North America's largest stretch of urban parkland, including 225 km of bike trails. Calgarians have their postage-stamp-sized Prince's Island Park.

Urban Parkland? Id that what you call that swamp with the brown water flowing through it? Can't you catch Sturgeon in there?? WHERE'S MY ROPE SWING? LET'S GO SWIMMIN AND FISHIN!!!

11) Calgary has its world-famous exhibition and Stampede. Edmonton's never-ending festivals (35 or so) make Cowtown's annual hoedown pale by comparison.

One World class exhibition vs a bunch of obscure, never heard of street festivals that are the equivalent to to having 35 Lilac festivals? You're right, I'd prefer a year round Perogie festival too.....

hahaha

I love the Edm-Cgy rivalry.

[arsenal]

Originally posted by Tron_fdc@Dec 21 2004, 02:28 PM
I'd prefer a year round Perogie festival too.....

mmmmmmm....... perogie's *droool*

[Lanny_MacDonald]

Here are 20 good reasons why E-town beats Cowtown hands down:

1) Calgarians go totally crazy when their hockey team merely appears in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Edmontonians have had better reasons to be truly excited. We've had five reasons - as in five Stanley Cup wins.

When was the last time Edmonton won one of those cups? Wasn't the mullet still in style then? Oh wait, that explains why the mullet is still in fashion up in Edmonton. More living in the past.

2) Every summer in Calgary I spent endless hours cleaning dirt out of my eyes. There were always airborne particles flying around from the annoying, incessant wind.

Edmonton doesn't get any wind??? Yeah, no winds blow across the baldass prairie. Nice try.

3) As much as I don't mind the odd country song, it's nice living in a city where you don't have to be able to line dance, two-step or chew tobacco to fit in.

No, but you do have to grow a mullet, have several teeth knocked out, like the look of plaid, feel comfortable in mukaluks, wear muskoil or Deep Woods Off as your cologne and date your own sister to fit in.

4) We are also lucky in Edmonton that our city's symbol is not a hokey white Stetson.

What is e-town's civic symbol anyways? It sure sucks having a recognizable symbol that people actually like to take home with them after a visit and has some significance to the history of the city.

5) It's a distinct advantage living in a place where you don't have to shout "Yahoo" all the time. Nor do you have to act like one in order to fit in in Edmonton.

No, but you do have to get used to the locals in e-town coming up to you and saying "say, you got a 'perty' mouth" all the time. Its a good thing that Edmonton has the "river valley" so they come by that Deliverance feel of the city honestly.

6) Calgary has a university named after a city. We have a bigger, more prestigious one named after the whole province.

Yeah, its because they named it they knew "The University of Edmonton" would not sell to well and would be destractor on a resume.

7) We have more streets named after the best player to ever lace up a pair of skates.

Really? I must have missed Mario Lemieux avenue, street, way, circle, cresent, road and hiway when I was in e-twon.

8) We enjoy North America's largest stretch of urban parkland, including 225 km of bike trails. Calgarians have their postage-stamp-sized Prince's Island Park.

Well, the guy doesn't do his homework. Calgary has over 300 miles of bike paths and also sports several urban parkland tracts that put his claim in question. Both the Bow and Elbow rivers have large sections set aside for parkland. When you take Nosehill, Fish Creek, Glenmore park and resevor, Bowness Park and the Optomist stretches, I would say that Calgary has Edmonton trounced. But hey, we only have postage stamp sized Prince's Island to call a park.

9) Living in Edmonton means there is less chance you will ever have to choke down a prairie oyster - and pretend to enjoy it.

No, but you are more likely to take your cousin's oyster where he pleases because you enjoy it.

10) It's true Calgary has way more freeways that are superior to ours. The bad news is they're so clogged with traffic it's actually a fair bit easier to drive in Edmonton.

Its because most Edmontonians haven't figured out that the sidewalks are no place for a car.

11) Calgary has its world-famous exhibition and Stampede. Edmonton's never-ending festivals (35 or so) make Cowtown's annual hoedown pale by comparison.

35 festivals and together they don't draw as many people or are anywhere near as famous as the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede. Don't worry, I hear 'dyke Days is generating interest from San Francisco, for all the wrong reasons.

12) Calgarians have the Chinook shopping centre. Edmontonians, however, enjoy West Edmonton Mall, the world's largest entertainment and retail complex.

The world's most run down and out of date shopping center. If that's the best thing your city has going for it you should maybe keep it to yourself. I mean, just how many Tip Top tailors do you need to see in one mall?

13 ) Calgary is home to McDougall Centre - a type of satellite seat of government. We have the real thing, the Alberta Legislature.

And that's the way we like it thank you.

14) Sure, Calgary is closer to the Rockies. The bad news is Banff is so overrun with foreign tourists, Cowtowners can seldom enjoy the mountains because hotel rooms are too pricey - if they're available at all.

News flash numbnuts. Its a day trip to Banff for Calgarians. We live 45 minutes away from the Rockies. You can visit the Rockies, do what you want, sleep in your own bed and it doesn't cost you anything but gas and a park pass. How do you like that seven hour round trip from Edmonton to Jasper? Do you get to do a lot of skiing during that time?

15) You can still get a very good house in Edmonton for an average of $40,000-$50,000 less than you'd pay in Calgary. And you won't have to travel 20 km to get from your house to work, as you do in Cowtown.

That's because no one wants to live in Edmonton. Real estate prices are a reflection of people's desire to live some place.

16) Chinooks break up Calgary's cold winters, but our southern neighbour is actually colder than us in some ways. Edmonton has 28 more frost-free days than does Calgary. Great news for gardeners!

Yeah, but Edmonton is frozen from November through April. Calgary gets those warm winds that allow the natives to walk around in shorts during January. The only warm winds that blow around Edmonton is from those legislature buildings they are so proud of.

17) Edmonton has 70 local and area golf courses. It's easier to get on a course than it is in Calgary and far less costly, too.

And most of them are cut with four legged mowers. There's golf, and then there's golf. You get what you pay for.

18) It can cost $275 a month to park in downtown Cowtown, nearly twice as expensive as E-town.

Again, supply and demand. There's lots of supply in Edomton because there is no demand.

19) Edmonton has three entertainment districts with dozens of bars and clubs: Whyte Avenue, West Edmonton Mall and the downtown. Cowtown has but one true entertainment district: 17 Avenue.

Sorry, I was too busy getting ripped on Stephen Avenue and at Eau Claire to find my way down to the "entertainment" district.

20) Edmonton has trees - lots of them, including one of the world's largest collections of elms. Cowtown has little more than a ragtag collection of saplings.

A collection of trees? Yeah, Calgary has none of those. I guess this clown never drove Memorial drive (a tree planted for each Canadian killed in WWI IIRC)? All you have to do is fly over both cities during the summer to see that both are pretty well wooded. Edmonton does get a bit of a nod for being more wooded though, as the majority of the locals are potential soft wood exports, between the ears.

[Bertuzzied]

Wow must be a slow day at work for all that typing. But thanx for defending Calgary Lanny! hehehe

[FlamesAllTheWay]

Originally posted by I-Hate-Hulse@Dec 21 2004, 01:32 PM
1) Calgarians go totally crazy when their hockey team merely appears in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Edmontonians have had better reasons to be truly excited. We've had five reasons - as in five Stanley Cup wins."

5 Cups are all well and good but what about the fact our team has managed to win more playoff rounds in a single season than Edmonton has since 1992? This despite the fact that up until last season, our team pretty much hadn't made the playoffs since around 1992. Speaks wonders about the team's success in the recent years...

[Pagal4321]

I think this list reallly ticked Lanny off.....
Some numerous funny takes from Lanny though (see #9)....

[snowdude]

My Arguments

[JiriHrdina]

I don't mind an article like this - hey its all in good fun. But I'm shocked about the factual inaccuracies in the article. E.g. the bike path point. Calgary has the largest system of bike paths in all of Canada, and one of the most extensive systems in all of North America.
If you're going to spew forth this crap than at least have the journalistic integrity to check your facts. Twit.

[Thunderball]

Originally posted by snowdude@Dec 21 2004, 03:57 PM
My Arguments

Good read... much more accurate than one published by a "professional"

Seriously, I really like Edmonton... it just isn't as good as Calgary, never was and never will be. Its still a nice place.

[GreaseIsTheWord]

...

[GreaseIsTheWord]

Over a century ago, when Fort Edmonton sat across Strathcona on the high banks of the North Saskatchewan River, the Gold Rush drew thousands of people looking to get rich quick - into Edmonton which was the last stop before the long trip to Dawson City.

[Bertuzzied]

Originally posted by GreaseIsTheWord@Dec 22 2004, 12:44 AM
We have a complex?

And who has a huge gripe with what our media says? Could it be all you banjo-picking inbreds? Do you have a problem with our paved roads or do you have a problem with the fact that our citizenry have all teeth?

And everytime a Shelbyvillian remarks on the number of "mulletheads" in Edmonton I have to laugh hysterically - I've seen more Stetson-wearing, mullet-sporting, deformed freaks of incest in Calgary than I've ever thought possible! Mississippi comes to mind and it's a staggering understatement. That pathetic excuse for a rodeo is more than adequate proof.

Gosh, Flamers fans sure are ugly! I went to flamesgirls.com and was barraded with shocking images of "ladies" (overweight whores) proudly showing off their permed mullets - I suppose Calgary women could be attractive in certain areas of Texas, but guess what? It's almost 2005 and Bonanza was cancelled ages ago!

The rest of Canada knows that Alberta has a stereotype of right-leaning hicks, but in Calgary its on a whole other level.

Go back to trying to sell your sh*t city off by proclaiming Banff is only hours away - God knows theres no reason why anyone would actually want to venture into the city limits.

hahahaha couldn't afford an apartment in Dover? No matter Calgary welcomes you anyways. If you have any problems with incest in Calgary you would have to talk to our resident expert AlbertGQ.

[GreaseIsTheWord]

One last thing - our musings on the Edm/Cgy rivalry is just that, a rivalry. Obviously you all are high-strung and overtly concerned with "Who's better?", we're not. But as long as Calgarians have that little-brother complex, I'll be happy.

[Deelow]

Originally posted by JiriHrdina@Dec 21 2004, 11:08 PM
I don't mind an article like this - hey its all in good fun. But I'm shocked about the factual inaccuracies in the article. E.g. the bike path point. Calgary has the largest system of bike paths in all of Canada, and one of the most extensive systems in all of North America.
If you're going to spew forth this crap than at least have the journalistic integrity to check your facts. Twit.

Remember this is Sun Media we are dealing with here. Never let facts get in the way of your point.

[pope04]

Funny that articles like this come out in Edmonton....we Calgarians mostly consider Edmonton to be what it truly is: Irrelevant.

[browna]

Well done Lanny...

If I may add some of my own, without getting drawn into what was obviously (hopefully) a tounge in cheek peice.

2) The "wind" in Calgary.
Wiping dust out of your eyes is better then staring into the skies all summer nervously hoping that another twister doesn't rumble through tornado alley like it did in '87.

4) The Stetson
Edmonton's civic symbol (we'll pretend its not the mall) is the City of Champions sign outside town on Calgary Trail...I mean Inferioirty Complex Trail....I mean Gateway Avenue. It took over a millions $'s instudies in the last couple year for the city up there to figure that one out finally.

5) Distinct advantage about not having to yell yahoo.
Yeah, but you have to yell obscenities when you want to go to or from the airport, and it costs 30$ to get into the south part of town. Or pay the extra $100 for a flight to go anywhere outside of Western Canada, and have to end up stopping in Calgary anyways. Or you can yell yahoo up to try and attract attention to you if your at the municipal airport, so that those ex-cons that work on the rigs up in the NWT don't jump you.
6) University
What a compelling argument. And NAIT is better than SAIT because N comes before S in the alphabet. (it really does, go check out a dictionary)
11)Stampede
I guess buddy got shot down with the opposite sex when he was visiting during Stampede....but, got some looks from some of the "alternative" buskers in that dark back alley on Whyte.

14) Banff
Don't hate us because we can take day trips with 2> hours of driving time, and don't have to use tie downs on the Grand Marquis for the luggage to make a trip from Edmonton to make the Rockies worth it

16)Frost free days
The writer is right. Butchart Gardens is beautiful up there. Whoops, thats Victoria. Edmontons grass is just as brown as Calgary's come February. Calgarians can venture outside in a chinook to see this, while those in Edmonton watch the news to see the grass.

18-19) Downtown/Entertainment
It can also cost $175 to park downtown. and, unlike Edmonton, there's more to downtown (such as well paying, dencent jobs) than the Eaton centre foodcourt and the Old Spaghetti Factory. Whyte Ave has more broken windows on a regular Saturday night then Calgary had on 17th in the majority of the playoffs.

[soulchoice]

Man I love these types of threads. Here is my take on some of it.

First with regards to Edmonton and Calgary(I live here). Both cities have nothing to brag about with respect to the mullets, cowboys, etc. As we all know Edm has more people sporting mullets and hockey jerseys than I have ever seen. Calgary on the other hand has the stigma of having people run around in Lammles or western wear, which is equally embarrassing. I guess the difference is that although one will see pure 80's attire in Edmonton on a regular basis, you rarely see(thank god) people in Western attire here, other than Stampede(though i still would never don the clothes).

With regards to nightlife, how about this, both cities have very little when it comes to nightlife and districts. Whyte avenue mind you is a little more enticing than anything here though. I have to agree with Draftwatcher in that you can't compare Chinook or other malls to West Ed, with respect to nightlife, because that old mall does have a few spots at least to go to. We as the city of Calgary still have a ways to go in order to boast having a lively downtown(partly because of city hall and the fact a low percentage of people live in the core, compared to other vibrant cities). Eau Claire is dead, 17th is pretty good(not many clubs though, but we still do have 1st. SW) and Stephen avenue is never busy either, so lets not use that for comparison.

As far as festivals, well you Edmonton people can boast having festivals, but as others have mentioned, half of them most people would care less about. But, I do have to give you credit for your arts and culture compared to Calgary. The Fringe festival is pretty cool though. As far as Calgary, yes the Stampede is a much larger festival, but in reality is nothing to brag about either. Known worldwide yes, but mostly for other people whom enjoy hicklike activities or seniors from around the world touring Canada. The midway is exactly the same as any other Conklin show, so no advantage there.

As far as the redneck thing goes, there are far too many in this province, let alone Calgary or Edmonton alone. So no advantage there. My gosh, look at this whole debate about gay marriages for example, what a waste. People, mind your own business, don't worry about what others do in there chosen life, concentrate on your own. You would think we live in the 40's half the time.

I really enjoy hearing the homerism that people in both cities have with respect to this I am better clash. I live in Calgary, thus like it much better than Edmonton, but in reality have no real opinion or care for which city CLAIMS to be better. I am here in Calgary for one simple reason, career and economics. Would I rather be somewhere else, damn rights I would, somewhere warm and a little more vibrant for my personal tastes, but thats life. Calgary is good for me, for now.

[stamps]

Originally posted by soulchoice@Dec 22 2004, 06:42 AM
I really enjoy hearing the homerism that people in both cities have with respect to this I am better clash. I live in Calgary, thus like it much better than Edmonton, but in reality have no real opinion or care for which city CLAIMS to be better. I am here in Calgary for one simple reason, career and economics. Would I rather be somewhere else, damn rights I would, somewhere warm and a little more vibrant for my personal tastes, but thats life. Calgary is good for me, for now.

Soulchump... I'm sorry Calgary is'nt Ghetto enough for your liking... but.....you and your opinion are irrelevent, (just like the rest of this country is to Alberta), in this matter brother... this is a family feud and you are not part of it... now back to the business at hand.... I think that our city's success is really rubbing Edmontonians the wrong way, I say just get over yourselves, maybe you could change the name of Klondyke Days to Stampede Days and grow some mountains next to your city, that might make yourselves feel better...