Mayor encourages everyone to help raise Edmonton's profile
Thursday August 10, 2006
Mayor Stephen Mandel
In my role as Mayor I have spent my time in many Canadian cities representing Edmonton. It is always great to see people’s perceptions change about Edmonton when they learn more about our city - whether it’s our great arts and culture scene, our leading edge technology and health care research, the beautiful River Valley or just our really good people.
Yet promoting Edmonton is more than a one-person job. If we want our city to continue to grow and be vibrant, we need to attract people here to work, to visit, to live and to invest. With so much competition for people’s attention these days, we have to help them understand that Edmonton is here and thriving.
With events like the Grand Prix, Capital Ex and the Folk Fest - over 33 festivals each year - we have many reasons for people to visit. With the fastest growing GDP in 2005, there are many reasons to invest here. Our river valley park, 22 times larger than Central Park in New York, is testimony of an excellent quality of life here. We are actively working to promote Edmonton across Canada and internationally because we believe in what we have to offer.
Beyond organized efforts, one of the best ways for us to help people understand more about Edmonton is to promote it personally. Word of mouth is a powerful convincer. Telling colleagues, family and friends about Edmonton and your experiences here will continue the work that our efforts start.
The one thing that continues to amaze me about Edmontonians is our loyalty to our City. No matter where I go, there is an Edmontonian ex-pat excited to reconnect. To all of you connected to this network- thank you for your dedication to Edmonton and for staying connected.
Please feel free to always be in touch with your ideas for how we can continue to raise Edmonton’s profile nationally.
Column ID#: 14
**Opinions expressed by guest columnists do not necessarily reflect the views of Connect2Edmonton members, partners or sponsors.**
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