Edmonton Edjumikates

[Smyth94]

Originally Posted by Fuzzy McGillicuddy

If you think that some festival du jour defines a city then knock yourself out. What's culture? I don't have any shortage of entertainment options in Cowtown.

..and I don't have any shortage of entertainment options in Edmonton. Your point?

[Smyth94]

Originally Posted by Reggie Dunlop

LOL. Prattling on about a bunch of bake sales, sing-a-longs and freak shows are you?

You can have your deep, cultural fufillment you experience waiting a hour for a stanky port-a-john at an outdoor festival. Or be enthralled by some fruitcake on stage juggling dildoes and whining about his dad thank you very much.

Do you have social issues? Join a club or something, make a friend or two

[Lanny_MacDonald]

Originally Posted by Smyth94

..and I don't have any shortage of entertainment options in Edmonton. Your point?

Yes, but mullet watching, while an important cultural event in Edmonton, is not considered "entertainment" anywhere else. Take that from the Edmonton "social calendar" and you're limited in your options.

[metallicat]

If it weren't for my career goals in this city alone, and my family and friends, I probably wouldn't live here. I likely wouldn't live in Calgary either though. I have only been to a few major cities in North America, and I've never travelled outside of our continent, but I have a feeling that if I did, I'd never want to return to Alberta, and specifically Edmonton.

I like this city, and contrary to what people on here say, there IS a lot to do, but this definetely wouldn't be my first choice in terms of where I'd want to live.

[The_Dude]

I think we both suck overall. The moneys here, I'm just talking about overall atmosphere.

People will enjoy EDM/CGY on Vacation, but that's if they don't stay over a week. They will be bored.

[Phanuthier]

Originally Posted by Smyth94

..and I don't have any shortage of entertainment options in Edmonton. Your point?

The question isn't how enteretained YOU are, its how to bring people into the city?

The image of the city is really bad. Living here actually isn't as bad as everyone thinks, but if you got that image of the city that you need to spend $435,000.00 to overcome misconceptions, you know you have a problem.

This is going to turn into another waste of money like when they tried to spend $2 mill to change the title of the city, but couldn't come up with one.

[Phanuthier]

Originally Posted by Smyth94

Not an event, but WEM draws the most tourists in this province.
Edmonton was the number one tourist city in Alberta according to statscan.Obviously those festivals helped

If they were the No 1 tourist city, I guess they wouldn't need this "Edmonton Educates" right?

[Smyth94]

Originally Posted by Phanuthier

The question isn't how enteretained YOU are, its how to bring people into the city?

Since when is Calgary bringing in people to the city? Other than the Stampede in Calgary (Edmonton - Mall, some festivals), how does it bring people in the city? Oh wait, it's the closest airport to Banff.

From a tourists perspective, who is really coming to Edm/Cgy and spending a week there?

Calgary has nothing up on Edmonton. It's a fact.

Originally Posted by Phanuthier

The image of the city is really bad. Living here actually isn't as bad as everyone thinks, but if you got that image of the city that you need to spend $435,000.00 to overcome misconceptions, you know you have a problem.

As someone mentioned, Vancouver aired similar ads. Point?

[Smyth94]

Originally Posted by Phanuthier

If they were the No 1 tourist city, I guess they wouldn't need this "Edmonton Educates" right?

Well, you can check the stats for yourself.

Edmonton Educates is likely more geared for the Eastern provinces.

[Phanuthier]

Originally Posted by Smyth94

Since when is Calgary bringing in people to the city? Other than the Stampede in Calgary (Edmonton - Mall, some festivals), how does it bring people in the city?

Jobs

Originally Posted by Smyth94

Calgary has nothing up on Edmonton. It's a fact.

Well, Calgary is only the offices for the field workers at Edmonton's refinary's.

It's also where gradutates from Edmonton go to get jobs. Just look at where your Oiler posters are from.

[Phanuthier]

Originally Posted by Smyth94

Well, you can check the stats for yourself.

Edmonton Educates is likely more geared for the Eastern provinces.

Ok, so Edmonton has no trouble bringing in people from Westlock and Camrose. Can't argue with you there.

[Smyth94]

Originally Posted by Phanuthier

Ok, so Edmonton has no trouble bringing in people from Westlock and Camrose. Can't argue with you there.

Find some stats and post them.

Edmonton and the metro area has been increasing in population by nearly 20,000/year. They're obviously coming from somewhere.

[Smyth94]

Originally Posted by Phanuthier

Jobs


Well, Calgary is only the offices for the field workers at Edmonton's refinary's.

It's also where gradutates from Edmonton go to get jobs. Just look at where your Oiler posters are from.

We were talking about from a tourists perspective (not that there aren't decent jobs in Edmonton...just not as much)

Funny, you mentioned you liked Edmonton more than Calgary because of the "rude, self-centered, arrogant" attitudes of people in Calgary ever since the boom.

Love to play different personalities on different boards?

[Kev]

Originally Posted by Smyth94

Edmonton and the metro area has been increasing in population by nearly 20,000/year. They're obviously coming from somewhere.

Duh, Oiler players' illegitimate children.

[Jake]

Originally Posted by Smyth94

I mentioned they are the best in the province. That's a fact.

Meh. Numerous festivals make a difference in MY life. I experience these events, enjoy them. How does having a corporate head office make a difference in your life? More rude/disrespectful/self-centered people? Bragging rights on an internet message board?

Reggie summed up jack. Different people, different opinions.

I love how you decide not to quote my whole post. I guess you havn't been to all of them.

Have fun at all of those festivals then. They sure do make your city.

I'll just enjoy the mountains, our warmer weather, our money and the Saddledome (10x better than rectal place) and 17th Ave.

And I guess you'll enjoy your festivals (which we have too), wasting $450,000 telling people 'we're not as bad as everything things we are!' and a wanna be 17th Ave.

You're right, different people different opinions.

[Reggie Dunlop]

Economic opportunity is the number one factor in population migration (with the possible exception of Ethnic Cleansing).

Being a government town, Edmonton's got whole whack of underemployed bureaucrats who can jump loopholes for public sector funding of clown shows and arts 'n' crafts fairs.

"Edmonton Educates," with its remedial-school chalkboard fonts and simplistic trivia is more likely to attract toddlers than serious investors. Are you allowed to chew gum in this Edmonton Schoolroom? It's more detention than recess time.

It's a public expense boondoggle designed to make Edmontonians look like excuse-makers, the exact opposite of its intentions.

[Kaon]

Originally Posted by Smyth94

Find some stats and post them.

Edmonton and the metro area has been increasing in population by nearly 20,000/year. They're obviously coming from somewhere.

This is partly true. Statscan does list the number of visits to be greater to the Edmonton area then Calgary, at least up to 2004. I took a Tourism class a few years back and I remember going over this when a guy came from Tourism Calgary to talk to us. The number of visits is a hard number to interpret. I don't have stats to back these up, as I'm going from memory, so I'm sure you'll call it all likes, but these are the differences I remember.

- Edmonton has more visits per year then Calgary
- A greater majority of visits to Edmonton are for day trips/overnight trips than to Calgary - I attribute this to the mall effect, but you can say whatever you want.
- Calgary gets more business tourism then Edmonton (conventions, and this would be before the boom)

In the case of either city the average stay is not long outside of a few events a year in each city.

Either way I think that this campaign is a waste of money. Edmonton Tourism has always been more agressive then Calgary though. Unfortunately for them if their citizens were as gung-ho about the stuff as the Tourism Edmonton it would probably leave a better taste in peoples mouths.

Who cares if 18% of Canadians don't know Edmonton is the capital of Alberta? They likely wouldn't have visited the province anyways, let alone Edmonton even if they are educated about the size of the composte heap.

[Sylvanfan]

Originally Posted by Smyth94

Find some stats and post them.

Edmonton and the metro area has been increasing in population by nearly 20,000/year. They're obviously coming from somewhere.

Yeah they're coming from Saskatchewan, and Eastern Canada, and They are all doing so reluctantly, hoping that the economy at home turns around so they can go back.

[Phanuthier]

Originally Posted by Smyth94

Funny, you mentioned you liked Edmonton more than Calgary because of the "rude, self-centered, arrogant" attitudes of people in Calgary ever since the boom.

Love to play different personalities on different boards?

Huh? What does that have to do with the thread?



Grasping for straws... yes, I do find Edmonton atttitudes to generally be better then Calgary's... except when it comes to ones (ie. you) who try and justify Edmonton's existance to Calgary's. I even said the image of this city isn't as bad as everyone thinks.

Living in this city, people come here for 3 reasons,

1. The trades pay WELL right now... to work on the rigs pay well.

2. School. An Oiler fan (Dom?) on CP said it best, people go to UofA for the school, then when they graduate, Calgary for the jobs. (For me, I don't plan on staying in Alberta anyways)

3. Out of towners needing to pick up groceries - or "tourists"

[Resolute 14]

Its always sad when an Edmontonian with an inferiority complex coupled with a massive chip on his shoulder comes here trying to convince both us, and himself, of Edmonton's superiority.

It also makes me wonder why he is sitting in his mother's basement surfing the internet when there is supposedly so much to do in Edmonton?