We should be proud. Instead we are touchy

[IanO]

Staples: We should be proud. Instead we are touchy

The number of people who leave this city is a sore spot with Edmontonians, but it shouldn’t be

BY DAVID STAPLES, EDMONTONJOURNAL.COM MAY 3, 2012


Traffic heads into Edmonton on the city's east side.
Photograph by: John Lucas , edmontonjournal.com
EDMONTON - Edmonton is a magnet. Thousands of newcomers arrive each year.

Key stat: the province has had 39,000 more people move here than leave each year for the past five years.

We’re not like other parts of Canada, where there’s a huge drain of people. Folks from across Canada and around the world are voting with their feet. They are voting for Edmonton.

We should be proud. Instead, we are touchy.

In fact, if you want to get a rise out of an Edmontonian of a certain age and background (over 35 and been here for a few decades), just ask them one question: Why do so many people want to leave Edmonton?

The number of people who have left or want to leave is a sore spot. I’m certainly disappointed every time I hear one of my neighbours or colleagues is moving on. The notion that Edmonton isn’t good enough makes me cranky. I’m tired of hearing about how the weather is better in Vancouver, or you just can’t advance in your career in Edmonton compared with Toronto or Calgary or wherever.

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/shoul...067/story.html

[moahunter]

I think I must have read about a dozen different articles all saying the same thing like this, its actually sorta depressing reading people always talking about how Edmonton isn't proud enough, should booster itself more, has an inferiority complex (e.g. Calgary is trying to take everything off us), etc.

The coments on how changing the population is, seem a bit odd to me. My impression is Edmonton is way more settled than a lot of places, with people staying longer and planting more roots, especially compared to Cowtown.

Oh well, easy thing to write about when nothing else to write about I guess.

[EveB]

I admit Cowtown has lots of things going for it. I lived there for fifteen years before moving here. But there are reasons I moved here, some of them to do with the things that Cowtown has going for it. I wanted a more settled environment that is somewhat padded from the extreme highs and lows of the Calgary economy.

I'm happy to be here. If I were a different person, I'd be happier in Calgary or Vancouver or Toronto. However, I'm me and I'm happier here.

Eve

[Komrade]

The only thing that will change that is Edmontonians. Be proud of where you live. Dont allow others to call down your city.

When someone says, Edmonton sucks - challenge them. Find out why they think this. Prove to them it doesnt.

When someone says, Nothing to do in Edmonton - challenge them.

Ectect.

We need more people like the boards of C2E, boosters, letting people know they love their city.

Ask anyone in Vancouver what they think of Vancouver, 9 times outta 10 its positive!

[GreenSPACE]

We all know Edmonton doesn't suck. But we are complacent sometimes and that gets me.

I have friends that have moved away (Vancouver, Calgary, etc) and come back for better work and real estate prospects. Vancouver, Toronto are lifestyle cities, but I think our city is a very, very close second when you consider our amenities. I personally love the change in seasons and winter in general.

[Alex.L]

I think we're finally taking steps in the right direction as far as making sure there are things to do in the winter and finally making some progress on cleaning the city up a bit. We're not there yet, but we're moving in the right direction.

[howie]

Originally Posted by GreenSPACE

We all know Edmonton doesn't suck. But we are complacent sometimes and that gets me.

I don't know that it's "complacency". I think it's more contentment. When someone is content, I think they're less likely to trumpet the fact.

[EveB]

^^ This. There's a sentiment that I see expressed here that contentment is a bad thing. That we should strive to be like other places.

Me, I've done the opposite of contentment. It sucks.

Edmonton provides me with a good living, good places to live and things to do and places to do them. Of course, one keeps working to make things better, but if I wanted to live in other places, I would move.

I'm content here. It's a good thing.

Eve

[howie]

^ Ditto.

[KC]

Originally Posted by EveB

^^ This. There's a sentiment that I see expressed here that contentment is a bad thing. That we should strive to be like other places.

Me, I've done the opposite of contentment. It sucks.

Edmonton provides me with a good living, good places to live and things to do and places to do them. Of course, one keeps working to make things better, but if I wanted to live in other places, I would move.

I'm content here. It's a good thing.

Eve

No we should not strive to be like other places but we should strive to steal the best ideas from other places. We should strive to come up with better ideas than other places too, and not simply be boring defenders of the status quo by criticsizing to the point of quashing the attempts of those trying out new ideas.

We should also try to be careful about following the crowd. People, businesses, cities, governments are all subject to jumping on and off bandwagons. Doing so means you're not striving to be the best but rather just mediocre in the end.

Note my current signature... (I'll be changing it soon as it's not an original thought of mine but a stolen one.
__________________
"Originality is a thing we constantly clamour for, and constantly quarrel with." - Thomas Carlyle

.

[EveB]

OK, strive. What form does that take? I cannot personally build one of those glass-curtained skyscrapers that seem to be what constitutes the only acceptable form of building in this group. I can't even afford to buy into one of those places.

I'm not a power-that-be at the city council. I suppose I could write the Mayor and council pushing for more glass-curtained skyscrapers with lots of high end shopping beneath it. But I'm not going to. Not only can't I afford to live in them nor can I be bothered to shop in those stores, but most of the sorts of people I care about ... those people who keep the city and economy running ... can't afford them either.

So back to contentment. I wish there were more affordable housing for the middle people. People like me who are too rich to move into the subsidized housing that is going up (rightfully so and about time), and too poor to move into a glass-curtained skyscraper. But that is not on anyone's mind. Not here on this bulletin board and not on city council. So I elect to find the best housing I can afford in an existing building though many people here will decry my taste in architecture.

But I'm happy to live in a city where I can make enough money to think about moving to a place that I want to move (just wish the movers would call and give me a date). I have no interest in architecturally award-winning buildings. I've worked in some of them and the heating and cooling never works (even a couple that won awards for their HVAC) and they don't have enough plug-ins. Not entirely kidding. I worked in one such building in Saskatoon. There was one plug-in for twelve word processors, we strung extension cords all over. But the Mezzanine was Glorious!

I just want a building that lets me live a good life in a neighborhood I enjoy. The outside I don't really care about. As to the inside, I require decent finishings but I don't need cutting edge ones (which look way too shiny to me anyway). Also cutting edge design is most likely to look "dated" in ten year's time.

So yes, contentment. It's a good thing. I think that is a goal worth striving for. I want to live in a city where housing in desirable areas doesn't require a six figure salary. I think this can be it.

Eve

[Transplanted_Edm]

People are coming here for the strong economy. When conditions change (either the cost of living gets to high here, or conditions improve back where they'd rather be) they'll leave just as easily.

[RRH]

^ very true. I thikn people tolerate Edmonton more then feel like they planted roots here.

[The_Cat]

I think it's a real problem when people come to Edmonton for "easy money". Edmonton and Northern Alberta has a large industrial base, and wages are generally higher than many other sectors. Do these workers feel a sense of entitlement with higher wages? Do they view working in Edmonton/Northern Alberra as a short-term commitment?

[Mla]

Originally Posted by The_Cat

I think it's a real problem when people come to Edmonton for "easy money". Edmonton and Northern Alberta has a large industrial base, and wages are generally higher than many other sectors. Do these workers feel a sense of entitlement with higher wages? Do they view working in Edmonton/Northern Alberra as a short-term commitment?

IMO absolutely. Most people I speak to who come here from other places say, "I came from (insert region here) but Edmonton is where the money is." Nobody ever says, "I really wanted to live in Edmonton because of (weather, beauty, urban fabric, entertainment... Etc.)"

It seems like the ONLY positive thing any outsider has to say about Edmonton is the economy/ job market or how it is just an ok place to raise a family. It's really sad.

[Jeremy]

Originally Posted by The_Cat

I think it's a real problem when people come to Edmonton for "easy money". Edmonton and Northern Alberta has a large industrial base, and wages are generally higher than many other sectors. Do these workers feel a sense of entitlement with higher wages? Do they view working in Edmonton/Northern Alberra as a short-term commitment?

It's a question of priorities, what's more important to the people moving here -- that they can make a bucket full of money (to take back to where they really want to be), or that Edmonton affords them the opportunity to make a permanent home where the living, even when the economy cools, is still pretty good. Are they moving here for a job, or for a lifetime?

[Transplanted_Edm]

When people say: "It's a good place to raise a family", what they are really saying is: I have a stable job. Let's face it, probably the vast majority of Canadian towns/cities fit the description of being a good place to raise a family if you have a decent income.

[Mla]

Originally Posted by Transplanted_Edm

When people say: "It's a good place to raise a family", what they are really saying is: I have a stable job. Let's face it, probably the vast majority of Canadian towns/cities fit the description of being a good place to raise a family if you have a decent income.

Exactly my point. That mindset to me means, "meh... good enough." Which, IMO, is the mentality of most of the people coming to Edmonton from somewhere else.

[dasupalouie]

I think its just some people with the mentality of coming here and not saying its home because they don't plan on staying here permanently and just want to ride the job wave. I've talked to alot of new faces and most of them are from Eastern Canada. They all have long term plans to move back east, but for now they dont treat Edmonton as a home. The silly thing is they raise a family here and will likely end up staying anyways.