congrats to calgary:
Amazon officials confirmed Monday they're investing $4.3 billion in a cloud computing hub in Calgary.
edmontonjournal.com
You know what I feel when looking at this post?
Emptiness, really. I actually want to congratulate Calgary for managing to do that as well. It isn't like we had a chance of getting it anyway with how little we get our foot in the door with investment and diversification. From our perspective Edmonton's foot isn't even there while Calgary's is always kicking the door in when it comes to getting private (and even public) investment. It's funny, really, how much everyone says they "love Edmonton" and how it's "full of potential", yet it appears as though the city government and already established companies consistently turn a blind eye to opportunities to (seriously) promote our city for all its lovely attributes and potential and make Edmonton the most introverted big city in Canada. It isn't even just those at the top.
All of us who reside here, whether we like to shout it out 24/7 or hide it as best as possible, have an inferiority complex about our city. There, I said it. I know that as much as I genuinely like living here, deep down I feel disappointed and even jealous/angry at many things that we're lacking in or failing to achieve, whether it be a diversified economy, densifying our inner city, stopping sprawl, supporting people in need of housing/addictions care, etc.. No matter what, you must agree that it's uncanny to be in downtown, the middle of everything for a region of over 1.4 million people, and see almost nobody in sight. Those you do see often barely getting by in their lives.
So I ask every Edmontonian (myself included): What perfect vision
should we
really have for our city? Are we always going play the role of the little brother trying to emulate the bigger one's success with a mediocre motivation to do so? Are we going to try harder in the hope of eventually being able to look the other in the eye one day? Or do we throw all our previous notions into the wind, breaking conventions in a family of linear paths and going our own way, the world being attracted by our unique style and confidence on its stage?
The choice is ours to think about on a nice walk in our lovely river valley.