IanO
Superstar
It's not a knock, it is a comparison and the sooner that Edmonton(Ians) recognize that it is ok to be compared to other markets, especially Calgary, to underpin how much work Edmonton has to do, the better.
It's not a knock, it is a comparison and the sooner that Edmonton(Ians) recognize that it is ok to be compared to other markets, especially Calgary, to underpin how much work Edmonton has to do, the better.
I really don't agree with the above. On every metric Edmonton is a very commercial, business-oriented city, including GDP, private sector job growth in professional services, tech, AI, housing starts, industrial absorption, road infrastructure, industrial heartland, retail mecca. Etc. The problem is interesting because it is one almost entirely of perception and self image. And marketing.
Was in Jasper a little back. At the Fairmont I was talking to a server who was working in Jasper for the summer as she was from out in Ontario. She explained how jealous she was of us Edmontonians being so close to the mountains we could come out for day trips.Fix Edmonton's marketing and you fix 90% of the issue... at that point the remaining 10% will easily follow.
Complete agreement with you here on this one! I've done conversations with some people outside of Alberta and I hammer that point home.Was in Jasper a little back. At the Fairmont I was talking to a server who was working in Jasper for the summer as she was from out in Ontario. She explained how jealous she was of us Edmontonian being so close to the mountains we could come out for day trips.
This notion that Edmonton isnt close to the mountains or isnt as close as Calgary to the mountains is BS perpetuated by....Calgary sucking its own hose. You spread the word more and better that Edmonton is also close to the mountains and that you can visit and do day trips and hike and kayak and ski and golf if that is what your heart desires AND it is more affordable then there it is.
But we are allergic to those types of uses of a megaphone.
It's insane how little known Edmonton is and it's something that we can fix. I had conversations recently in Vancouver with servers, a new friend in an airport and a lot of them just don't know anything about Edmonton besidesFix Edmonton's marketing and you fix 90% of the issue... at that point the remaining 10% will easily follow.
Yeah I will say with the amount of insane media coverage Alberta and Calgary have been getting lately, its been crickets in Edmonton. And I've said this before - I'm perfectly happy with the market remaining "healthy" but not out of control here. It allows middle class folks like myself with a realistic shot of owning a place that isn't an absolute dump.
I think what this does highlight though is that Calgary is a much more attractive option for people moving to Alberta, despite the looming housing crisis that's starting to grip Calgary and the widening affordability gap developing between the two cities. And for all the naysayers that might take offence to this, at the end of the day for most people coming to Alberta, Calgary is just a much more attractive option than Edmonton at the moment. A huge part of that is lifestyle and perception related. I've met several people that came to Edmonton for work related purposes and as soon as they got a chance, they bolted to Calgary due to having a better "city life" and proximity to the mountains. I'll also be honest, as someone who loves a healthy balance between city life and the outdoors, Edmonton is inferior to both Vancouver and Calgary in its offerings.
In a lot of ways, Edmonton is a "fallback" option for many and not the primary destination or end goal for new grads, young families or people very career oriented. I wish that would change.
This is my experience and the experience of a lot of people I personally know. Coming from Montreal 23 years ago and I am still here in Edmonton.Perhaps a fallback option, I don't know, but these stats clearly show when people do move here, they stay the longest of any Canadian city even though your personal experience is that people "bolt" Edmonton for Calgary as soon as they get the chance.
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Edmonton needs to tell this story more and create a narrative around it.