This is a 'letter to the editor' that I submitted to the Winnipeg Free Press some time ago. I was recently informed that it is too long for publication and was requested to revise it down. I decided that I'd lose too much of my message if I did that, so I'm posting it here. Read, comment, add your two cents.
I fully intend to send a copy of this to all city councilors, and whomever our new provincial government is.
Thanks.
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So We Bought a Team; Now Its Time to Sell Our City
Back in 2006, my Wife spent a summer in Lithuania on a student exchange program. When they heard where she was from, people would almost instinctively say to her, usually with a smile, ‘Winnipeg Jets!’ Perhaps only intended as a friendly greeting, this automatic reference to Winnipeg’s then-departed NHL team was an acknowledgment of Winnipeg’s International Identity.
Fast forward to October 2011. Now the Winnipeg Jets are back, the NHL season is upon us, and the Blue Bombers are seeing remarkable support in the stands. City pride is at an all-time sports high; but are sports all that we have to be proud about?
Over the next couple years, Winnipeg will be adding several exciting new major attractions, shopping opportunities, sports facilities, and international transportation facilities. First, we will see the opening of the new James Armstrong Richardson International Airport in October 2011, providing a clean, sleek, and fresh welcome to visitors to our city. 2012 will see the completion of the new, modern stadium at the University of Manitoba, which will serve the community as a new facility for the Blue Bombers, and for University athletes. Later in 2012, we’ll see the grand opening IKEA, probably the most anticipated store opening in Manitoba in some time. In 2013 we will welcome the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, the first national museum to be constructed outside of Ottawa. Later in 2013, we will see the results of major renovations and expansions at Assiniboine Park and Zoo come to fruition. A key component of the zoo redevelopment is the Journey to Churchill exhibit, which is destined to be a world-class tourist attraction.
2013 should also be the year that we start to see projects funded by private investment nearing completion. New boutique hotels on Portage Avenue and Waterfront drive will be under construction. The historical exchange district should be healthier and more vibrant with restoration and conversion projects continuing, and new condo infill projects should continue to emerge. The vibrancy and livability of these neighbourhoods will be backstopped by an influx of young blood; students who study at the now expanded campuses of the University of Winnipeg, Red River College, some of whom will live in new student housing under construction nearby.
We have much to be proud of, but many of us still adamantly believe our winters are too long and cold. Why should we be ashamed of our winters? I personally believe that our winters should be looked at as an attribute ripe for development, not a liability. I strongly believe that the city needs to build a new marketing strategy around Winnipeg as a winter destination, using the return of the NHL as both a means and a reason for doing so. Why? For one, winnipeg already has the moniker of ‘Winterpeg Manisnowba.’ As silly as that sounds (or perhaps angering for some), keep in mind that people associate Winnipeg with ‘snow’, ‘ice’, and ‘long winters’.
So does that mean misery times three? No. I propose that we instead market our abundance of cross-country skiing opportunities, snowmobiling, outdoor skating opportunities, winter festivals, ice sculptures, and above all, hockey. For example, imagine expanding Festivale de Voyageur to host an annual outdoor charity hockey / curling tournament. More so, imagine the hype and international television exposure when Winnipeg hosts its first outdoor NHL game at a brand new stadium at the University of Manitoba, the Winnipeg Jets wearing their historical counterparts’ first jersey, with a sold-out crowd cheering them on.
This is also an opportunity for the city to aggressively market itself as a destination for new businesses. CentrePort Canada is an inland port initiative, supported by all three levels of government and now under construction. This development is anchored by the new Winnipeg Airport Terminal, which will also have expanded air cargo handling capacity. Further to this, a new duty-free economic zone is being established within this port to encourage new manufacturing businesses to come to the city. Companies will be able to import raw materials, assemble products and them export them internationally, duty free, via the inland port. Transportation companies, many of which are based out of Winnipeg, can only benefit from these new freight opportunities. Was Winnipeg not originally established as a centre of commerce, trade, manufacturing and transportation?
The ‘Return of the Jets’ honeymoon is only going to last so long, and people from other places are only going to pay attention to our good fortune for so long. Having said that, NHL Television exposure is a huge marketing opportunity for the city of Winnipeg, and its time to get a marketing strategy rolling now. I therefore implore the City of Winnipeg, the City Council, the Province of Manitoba, and businesses around the city to take full advantage of this extremely rare and fortuitous opportunity. Winnipeg has just reclaimed a key part of its international identity and is teeming with pride. Why not go further, and reclaim our former glory as the ‘Gateway to the West’ and ‘Chicago of the North’?
Go Jets Go!
Threaded Mode