Ottawa jealous

[Jimbo]

It’s bad when you have to be jealous of Edmonton. It’s smaller than Ottawa, farther north, a duller government town and its best known cultural achievement is the West Edmonton Mall.

And yet, Edmonton is getting national attention for a creative redevelopment in the centre of the city, while in Ottawa, planning talk is pretty well limited to endless arguments over the height of condo towers.

...

[edmontonenthusiast]

While it is a nice ego stroke for Edmonton, I find it strange how the Citizen is championing a redevelopment (City Centre Airport Lands) that is such a large-scale and long-term redevelopment that the juicy details of it will likely change over time; perhaps for better, perhaps for worse.

Aside from light rail, the river valley, festivals, and a few other little things, Ottawa is ahead of us, urban-wise. Most of this stems from it being an older city and it having the great luck of being the national capital, so not necessarily modern innovations.

[mnugent]

"When a city like Ottawa has fallen behind Edmonton, it ought to be a wake-up call."

Airport aside, this just points out the brutal, mostly unjustified reputation that Edmonton has down east. Come on EDC, market the city better.

[Municipal Man of Mystery]

Sorry to say, but the fact is, for the most part, Edmonton doesn't have a good reputation anywhere in Canada. We could do a lot better here, and we're trying in a lot of aspects, but the reality is this city is a primarily industrial, blue collar town with a lot of social problems and transient workers who don't always give a **** about the place: they just want to make their quick bucks and move on to greener pastures.

[Caesar555]

No question Edmonton has a ways to go. Improvements are in the works, and seeing articles like this prove others are noticing. Great sign!

[ctzn-Ed]

You all seem so negative about our city, and as to why, i dont know... Aside from major cities around the world, edmonton stands very well. We cannot change into a city of your desirement overnight. Your tones give me the impression that you want the mc.drive through changes and things just dont work that way anywhere. They are both similar in population, but i take edmonton by far! There is nothing great about ottawa. I have relatives there that think that city is a hell hole compared to Ed. The same goes for Calgary- yes their downtown has has more offi es but big deal. All three of these cities are very similiar. I dont live in a city based on how many offi e towers we have downtown etc., but on the quality of life... On that stage, Edmonton shines quite well. I just came up from my Tribeca resident with New Yorker friends, and they are blown away with our city right now. They re telling me what a beautiful quainty city we have here. There are too much complaints on c2e and not enough of you wanting to do anything about it. Close your mouth and get on your feet folks; that is how changes are and will be made. As i mentioned on other forums in the past... Complaints can easily be done with eyes closed; changing it to a higher standard requires people who see how Edmonton could be better such you folks. Aside from Ian, how many of you are involved in any of Edmonton's committies to change our city? If the answer is zero, well, that's the problem.

[kcantor]

Originally Posted by ctzn-Ed

You all seem so negative about our city, and as to why, i dont know... Aside from major cities around the world, edmonton stands very well. We cannot change into a city of your desirement overnight. Your tones give me the impression that you want the mc.drive through changes and things just dont work that way anywhere. They are both similar in population, but i take edmonton by far! There is nothing great about ottawa. I have relatives there that think that city is a hell hole compared to Ed. The same goes for Calgary- yes their downtown has has more offi es but big deal. All three of these cities are very similiar. I dont live in a city based on how many offi e towers we have downtown etc., but on the quality of life... On that stage, Edmonton shines quite well. I just came up from my Tribeca resident with New Yorker friends, and they are blown away with our city right now. They re telling me what a beautiful quainty city we have here. There are too much complaints on c2e and not enough of you wanting to do anything about it. Close your mouth and get on your feet folks; that is how changes are and will be made. As i mentioned on other forums in the past... Complaints can easily be done with eyes closed; changing it to a higher standard requires people who see how Edmonton could be better such you folks. Aside from Ian, how many of you are involved in any of Edmonton's committies to change our city? If the answer is zero, well, that's the problem.

rest assured the answer is certainly not zero...

[Bill]

Originally Posted by ctzn-Ed

You all seem so negative about our city, and as to why, i dont know... Aside from major cities around the world, edmonton stands very well. We cannot change into a city of your desirement overnight. Your tones give me the impression that you want the mc.drive through changes and things just dont work that way anywhere. They are both similar in population, but i take edmonton by far! There is nothing great about ottawa. I have relatives there that think that city is a hell hole compared to Ed. The same goes for Calgary- yes their downtown has has more offi es but big deal. All three of these cities are very similiar. I dont live in a city based on how many offi e towers we have downtown etc., but on the quality of life... On that stage, Edmonton shines quite well. I just came up from my Tribeca resident with New Yorker friends, and they are blown away with our city right now. They re telling me what a beautiful quainty city we have here. There are too much complaints on c2e and not enough of you wanting to do anything about it. Close your mouth and get on your feet folks; that is how changes are and will be made. As i mentioned on other forums in the past... Complaints can easily be done with eyes closed; changing it to a higher standard requires people who see how Edmonton could be better such you folks. Aside from Ian, how many of you are involved in any of Edmonton's committies to change our city? If the answer is zero, well, that's the problem.

So true.

I can't believe the number of whiners in this city.

[BalancedOP]

Originally Posted by kcantor

rest assured the answer is certainly not zero...

Though I agree with most of this post, there are quite a number doing their part, just not a lot of posters on this forum. On line forums usually bring out the naysayers. I found the article typically Ontario media.

I have lived in a couple of other cities and spent considerable time in others working, Ottawa being one. I have found great things in every city, and if you look you will find the things you can criticise. If you look for the bad you will never see the truly wonderful in a city. Edmonton over the next few years is going to be exciting place to be. When you have people like Ian, Ken and a few others on here making a difference I can only see a bright future for this city.

[edmontonenthusiast]

Originally Posted by ctzn-Ed

You all seem so negative about our city, and as to why, i dont know... Aside from major cities around the world, edmonton stands very well. We cannot change into a city of your desirement overnight. Your tones give me the impression that you want the mc.drive through changes and things just dont work that way anywhere. They are both similar in population, but i take edmonton by far! There is nothing great about ottawa. I have relatives there that think that city is a hell hole compared to Ed. The same goes for Calgary- yes their downtown has has more offi es but big deal. All three of these cities are very similiar. I dont live in a city based on how many offi e towers we have downtown etc., but on the quality of life... On that stage, Edmonton shines quite well. I just came up from my Tribeca resident with New Yorker friends, and they are blown away with our city right now. They re telling me what a beautiful quainty city we have here. There are too much complaints on c2e and not enough of you wanting to do anything about it. Close your mouth and get on your feet folks; that is how changes are and will be made. As i mentioned on other forums in the past... Complaints can easily be done with eyes closed; changing it to a higher standard requires people who see how Edmonton could be better such you folks. Aside from Ian, how many of you are involved in any of Edmonton's committies to change our city? If the answer is zero, well, that's the problem.

If this was directed at my post as well, rest assured it wasn't my intention to be negative. Edmonton is a great city, and has many great modern innovations while Ottawa is more resting on it's laurels. Ottawa in the urban-sense (density, walkability, architecture, neighbourhoods, vibrancy) is ahead of Edmonton, but again, they have the unfair advantage of being a national capital and a few generations older than Edmonton. That's just reality, negative or not. For a city as young as Edmonton is that tore most of it's history down, it's a pretty damn good city. LRT is something we were/are quite innovative in, for example, and something I'm still surprised to see Ottawa lacks (though this is changing).

[AShetsen]

Whenever I've visited Ottawa, I've been struck by how similar the place looks and feels to Edmonton. It's neat to know that self-proclaimed urbanists in both cities seem to have the same insufficiency/inferiority complexes.

Cities are not consciously marketed, planned, or built. Ultimately they just are.

[sundance]

In the short term Ottawa's future will be determined partly by failure of Nortel, RIMs problems (they have offices in Kanata), plus downsizing the federal government. Edmonton's outlook is probably about the same as it is right now moderate growth for the near future.

[Jimbo]

^^ Don't agree regarding: "not consciously marketed, planned, or built", but I get the "they (Cities) just are" (what they are) perspective and sentiment.


People joke about Edmonton's weather a lot. The weather here can get bad. We're not San Diego.

But during summer it's, literally, cooler up here. A pleasant change from down south, or out east, where it's been unbearably hot I'm told.

Friends fresh off the plane from Brooklyn were struck by the "clean smell". Both friends travel a lot, and it was the first thing they mentioned, followed closely by "it's nice and cool here." Compared to many places, we're pretty green through the river valleys and into mature communities like Oliver and Westmount.

Our downtown's pretty active during Race Week, and there's lots to do. The shopping, I'm told, is great, and that's coming from a New Yorker.

Edmonton's got lots going for it culturally, but our weather and environment is too often seen only as a negative.

[ctzn-Ed]

My comment was not directed at any individial on C2E...

Ken your absolute correct as i failed to mentioned and give you credit for your involvement as well- my apologies

Totally true Jimbo as my 8 Yankee guest from Manhatten whom are currently here will concur to that...As well, they will continue to be awstruck when I introduce them to the Heritage days. They're all planning t
o return next year to experience the Fringe. These people are notyour average income earners, but somewhat affluent and influential crowds.

So, everyone on C2E, it is up to all off us to promote our city in the best manner we know how. Any positive attempts will be better than having a coniption on forums.

[halocore]

I may garner some hate, but I've never really cared too much for Ottawa. (And yes, I did live there for a good while.) If you strip out all the federal gov run cultural facilities and the sort of two nice parts of their downtown, it's always seemed to me like a really unprogressive, disjointed city.

For all the penny-pinching that has / still is going on here, and for all of Edmonton's other troubles, I always get the feeling like things are improving here. There always seems to be growth and development in the city, and the feeling like things are heading in the right direction. That's a feeling I never got from Ottawa. It always seemed like the city government and citizens were content to just let the feds run the place in their slow, aimless way.

[edmonton daily photo]

Originally Posted by ctzn-Ed

You all seem so negative about our city, and as to why, i dont know... Aside from major cities around the world, edmonton stands very well. We cannot change into a city of your desirement overnight. Your tones give me the impression that you want the mc.drive through changes and things just dont work that way anywhere. They are both similar in population, but i take edmonton by far! There is nothing great about ottawa. I have relatives there that think that city is a hell hole compared to Ed. The same goes for Calgary- yes their downtown has has more offi es but big deal. All three of these cities are very similiar. I dont live in a city based on how many offi e towers we have downtown etc., but on the quality of life... On that stage, Edmonton shines quite well. I just came up from my Tribeca resident with New Yorker friends, and they are blown away with our city right now. They re telling me what a beautiful quainty city we have here. There are too much complaints on c2e and not enough of you wanting to do anything about it. Close your mouth and get on your feet folks; that is how changes are and will be made. As i mentioned on other forums in the past... Complaints can easily be done with eyes closed; changing it to a higher standard requires people who see how Edmonton could be better such you folks. Aside from Ian, how many of you are involved in any of Edmonton's committies to change our city? If the answer is zero, well, that's the problem.

I'm an active participant in a few things

[edmonton daily photo]

Originally Posted by ctzn-Ed

My comment was not directed at any individial on C2E...

Ken your absolute correct as i failed to mentioned and give you credit for your involvement as well- my apologies

Totally true Jimbo as my 8 Yankee guest from Manhatten whom are currently here will concur to that...As well, they will continue to be awstruck when I introduce them to the Heritage days. They're all planning t
o return next year to experience the Fringe. These people are notyour average income earners, but somewhat affluent and influential crowds.

So, everyone on C2E, it is up to all off us to promote our city in the best manner we know how. Any positive attempts will be better than having a coniption on forums.

You failed to mention a lot of people! There are many people who post here doing a lot of things.

[ctzn-Ed]

^ Im fully cognizant that some are partaking interest in our city; it's not hard to do process of elimination and understand who is active. However, you can't dismissed the negative connotations on this site. Comments in the past- through the forums -has mentioned about how first impression is vital. Negative comments is also a first impression... Im not suggesting we cannot express displeasures at sub-par products but equally, solutions. That will show a more civilized community that Edmonton is. Im not part of any committee due to time constraint with duo employment, but i contributeby being an ambassador to our city; bringing (ok forced lol) friends and acquaintences to our city, so hopefully, they will invest...

[ctzn-Ed]

Also, for those who do partake, i thank you and don't take my view personally ! My statement was for the mass.