Why are Edmontonians such good hosts?
Welcoming the world to big events somehow has gotten into our blood
Scott McKeen
The Edmonton Journal
Monday, May 04, 2009
What if Edmonton really is the city of champions?
Hold on. Don't roll your eyes just yet. I often cringe, too, at our civic slogan. It sounds so counterfeit, so boastful. Edmonton, at its heart, is neither fake nor egotistical.
If anything, this city is characterized by humility bordering on insecurity, especially when compared to bigger Canadian cities and their skylines to envy, or their vistas of mountains, oceans or great lakes.
Yet if you drill down far enough, you find intangibles in Edmonton of which other cities can only dream. We're not talking skyscrapers, head offices or ocean views. We're talking people.
Edmonton is bidding for the 2015 Summer Universiade. Here's hoping the decision-makers understand intangibles. Because you, the people of Edmonton, give this city its champion credentials. You read that right -- you are worth boasting about.
Remember 2001, when Edmonton hosted the World Championships in Athletics? In this part of the world, track and field is a school participation sport.
But over 10 days, 400,000 people attended the championships and showed the world -- and the snooty Brit media -- that little-old-Edmonton could outperform cities in Europe at hosting their beloved event.
Then came 2002 and the Under-19 Women's World Cup of Soccer. Organizers sold an amazing 40,000 passes to the tournament. At the final game, close to 50,000 people filled Commonwealth Stadium.
That's right, 50,000 people for junior-level women's soccer with nary a celebrity athlete to be found on the field.
Those are but two examples. We could add a score of other events -- wildly successful curling and figure skating championships, international soccer friendlies, Grey Cups, Commonwealth Games, World Masters Games, the 1983 Universiade.
Rick LeLacheur, CEO of the Edmonton Eskimos, was involved in organizing many of Edmonton's major events, beginning with the 1978 Commonwealth Games. As LeLacheur points out, organizers never had to beg to sell tickets, or get volunteers.
In fact, they've been put in the difficult position of turning volunteers away. LeLacheur and other Edmonton officials are often cornered by delegates from other countries wanting to know how they do it.
How do they do it? A better question might be: Why do Edmontonians support major events in numbers that makes other cities envious?
LeLacheur concedes he doesn't know for sure. Not that he's surprised by the spirit here. Just that it's difficult to identify the root causes.
"Maybe it's a cold-weather thing," said Mayor Stephen Mandel, taking a stab. "Edmontonians are hardy people with a great work ethic."
Perhaps. But do hardy and hard-working people spend their hard-earned cash on track meets?
I've lived here most of my life. In my 20-plus years of journalism I've interviewed thousands of Edmontonians and talked to many of them about our civic culture and people.
Humbly, I submit few theories of my own on why Edmonton is the host with the most.
- The Isolation Theory. This theory holds that Edmonton, a long-distance drive from other cities -- not to mention, oceans and mountains -- has learned to rely on itself for its entertainment. Thus, all the festivals, local theatre and rich sporting history. We know how to organize things because we've done a lot of it for ourselves.
- The Humility Theory. You might also call this the Chip On the Shoulder Theory. Edmontonians are so tired of being ignored or put down by other Canadian cities that when we put on a national or international event we bloody well prove we can do it better.
- The Good First Impression Theory. According to this theory, the volunteers and spectators at the 1978 Commonwealth Games were so taken with the experience that supporting big events is part of our cultural DNA.
- The Small Town in the Big City Theory. This theory suggests Edmonton remains rooted in small- town values; its people, deeply connected to the community and each other. So, they naturally support the town's big shindig, be that a Grey Cup, Brier or soccer game.
- The Everything I Learned, I Learned In Community League Meetings Theory. Edmonton was the first city in Canada to organize itself into neighbourhood associations, or community leagues, back in 1917. Community leagues foster a sense of community spirit. They run on volunteers, from board members to casino workers to team coaches. For many of us, community leagues taught us the value of volunteer effort and the spirit of working for a greater good.
Admittedly, I can't prove any of these theories. I can't read people's minds. I didn't do any polling. I'm working backwards from the effect and trying to guess the cause.
Maybe Edmonton is so successful at hosting big events because that's just how we perceive this city and ourselves. Maybe perception becomes reality.
We've all heard the slogan a thousand times. Maybe we really are the City of Champions.
Hey, I didn't even roll my eyes just now.
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edmontonjournal.com
For previous stories in the World Class series and your chance to share your memories of Universiade '83, go to edmontonjournal.com/universiade
© The Edmonton Journal 2009
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