YEG - Edmonton Int Airport

[Coldrsx]

I was always under the impression, from various reports, that we were more diversified. That said, the other comments reign true. Business travel is no comparison and with Banff at their doorstep...

[Hardhatdan]

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

I was always under the impression, from various reports, that we were more diversified. That said, the other comments reign true. Business travel is no comparison and with Banff at their doorstep...

Unfortunately so are aspects of how many U of A, GMAC, NAIT Business/Technology grads head south for work at the O&G, banking or engineering houses.
Sadly as well, the only good thing many of these people have to say about Edmonton after awhile is "Go Oilers, Go Esks".

E-town still can't get over the hump of bad image and a key aspect of that to me is there just isn't enough jobs here that "DREAMS ARE MADE OF". I'm not talking personal income, respect in an industry or personal achievement. Nope, I'm talking 39th floor cubicle or small office for BIG NAME FIRM IN SHINY NEW BUILDING DOWNTOWN, DRINKING AT TRENDY XYZ AFTER WORK FOR 9$ A PINT. It seems alot of people would rather have the latter, ie bragging rights instead of true personal gains. While I personally don't buy into it, I can definitly see the allure of it...especially to young 20-30 something crowd.

[Coldrsx]

^yup... we need to create a much better/sexier image of this city and create more unique, interesting, and wicked places to go for those type of things.

[Hardhatdan]

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

^yup... we need to create a much better/sexier image of this city and create more unique, interesting, and wicked places to go for those type of things.

I think that sums it up better than anything, Edmonton has no sex appeal.

As a general populous, I think we've given up trying to have any...actually as a general populous I'd say Edmonton actually pushes away the thought of having any. We are the puritan sister of the Cities of Alberta. Quiet, bashful, always doing the right thing and always failing to get noticed.

[Rocket252]

We have to promote our city while not sounding needy or preachy.

A smart campaign that is cool and sexy with the younger crowd

[Coldrsx]

^oh we get noticed...

[Hardhatdan]

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

^oh we get noticed...

Mostly for the wrong reasons.

At this point I don't believe there is any campaign that will work.

The only thing I can see the City doing is allocated public funds to major transformational projects. Alot has been done along those lines in the past couple years and I hope this continues to accelerate.
Actions will convince people, words and billboards seem meaningless.

To address attracting businesses is much harder...do people lead the businesses or the do the businesses lead the people, human capital is more mobile than ever. What can make a major head office land in Edmonton, unfortunately at this point, unless its organically grown, it seems the answer to that is: nothing.

[Rocket252]

Head offices are like lemmings - they tend to follow each other.

^ I agree - major infrastructure like the arena, RAM make us more appealing and should be advertised in a positive manner

[MalcolmTucker]

Replied to over in the main Edmonton thread

[s211]

Originally Posted by Hardhatdan

Mostly for the wrong reasons.

At this point I don't believe there is any campaign that will work.

Wasn't there mention elsewhere that some airports will initially subsidize an airline to service its location? Has YEG tried that?

[bikegypsy]

A few years ago my mother-in-law (at the time) was approached by the owners of a slick new Italian restaurant in Montreal. They wanted one of her receipies. Let me tell you, her food was just amazing. This woman had immigrated from her native Calabria 4 decades ago. She spent most of her life at home taking care of kids and... cooking. Years go by as she develops receipies... making her own sauces, wines and even pastries. And one day these guies show up with money in their pockets, wanting to buy this receipy which she called "jump in your mouth" (translated from italian). Basically, this food so great that it just begged to jump in your mouth.

I follow the YEG-YYC topic once in a while and am surprised to see the energy invested in this debate. But to tell you the truth I believe this is like beating a dead horse. I think that most people don't take notice to what drives the numbers at an airport such as YYC.... Calgary does have more head offices than Edmonton and it does get a fair amount of traffic due to Banff... But mostly it's a hub. A fair amount of the numbers generated at that airport come from people who don't leave the airport. The only way YEG could reach the same numbers would be by also becoming a hub. This, from a business standpoint would be counter productive and inefficient. Airlines will never opt for that path since the concept of a midwestern Canadian hub is already being covered by YYC. If it ain't broken...

As for the "needy" comments from a post somewhere on this thread, YEG has past that point and is beginning to look like the ex-lover who just won't go away.

Start looking inwards. In order to boost the bohemian quotient of the city, people in Edmonton should spend more energy in building and creating the elements which make a city interesting. A busy airport doesn't mean a fun place to visit or live in.... Taller buildings don't automatically make street life more diverse and vibrant. But little uniquely styled shops do... And your mom's cooking does... It comes down to personality I guess. In comparison to Calgary, Edmonton has always appeared to me as being more creative and more artistic... it should capitalise on that. The CAL-EDM situation is very similar to ones in TO-MTL as well as Sydney-Melbourne. Which of these cities are clean-shaven and shinny and which ones are scruffier and appeal to people without even trying?

BTW, my mother-in-law said no.

[CMD UW]

Originally Posted by bikegypsy

Start looking inwards. In order to boost the bohemian quotient of the city, people in Edmonton should spend more energy in building and creating the elements which make a city interesting. A busy airport doesn't mean a fun place to visit or live in.... Taller buildings don't automatically make street life more diverse and vibrant. But little uniquely styled shops do... And your mom's cooking does... It comes down to personality I guess. In comparison to Calgary, Edmonton has always appeared to me as being more creative and more artistic... it should capitalise on that. The CAL-EDM situation is very similar to ones in TO-MTL as well as Sydney-Melbourne. Which of these cities are clean-shaven and shinny and which ones are scruffier and appeal to people without even trying?

BTW, my mother-in-law said no.

Exactly. Take a look at Austin for example. It is the capital of Texas with a large public sector workforce that has become one of the top cities in the US that continues to attract a variety of people from entrepreneurs to artists. Part of this has to do with its diverse economy that includes a strong technology sector and vibrant arts and culture. The University of Texas plays a huge role in this as well. Overall, Austin is a very liberal-minded city in one of the most conservative states in the US.

Edmonton shares many of these attributes and I think it can follow this template. A great city is not about international airport passenger stats or 50-storey skyscrapers.

[naidoo]

^Bravo.

Every once in a while we come back to this old debate (Edmonton vs. Calgary/Canada), but CMD and bikegypsy have it right on target.

Edmonton has been going in the right direction over the past 5 years, and IMO just needs to keep doing what it's doing. Eventually, tides change nonlinearly. Maintain the left-of-centre counterculture, the orange blob in the sea of blue, whatever you want to call it. The key is not that the centre and heart of the city is liberal/left (though IMO the most creative, dynamic and funnest places tend to be so), but that it's starkly different from the surroundings. Embrace that, and the techies, then eventually the foodies, will come too.

[Airboy]

Just an update from yesterdays visit to YEG.

No movement on the hotel site.

The Tower is coming along, the exterior wall panels are starting to be constructed. The viewing area under the tower will have spectacular view.
The new Jetways are on site and starting to be installed on the east addition.

I was quite amazed at how close the new flight centres are being built to the runway at the east end.

Alamo National Discount car rental facilities are moving along quite fast.

[hilman]

FlyEIA tweeted a pic of the new tower with an Antonov taking off yesterday:

http://twitpic.com/54vkws

[Airboy]

That beast must of come in and out pretty quickly. It wasn't there in the morning when I left.

[tuffyy]

Yep it was on a fuel stop.

Routed Keflavik-Edmonton-Moffet airfield.

[Bigtime]

What a neat coincidence that both YYC and YEG had a 124 come through yesterday. Ours routed KIAH-YYC-PANC-Petropavlovsk.

[Airboy]

From Yesterday and the start of my 18 hr 4400 km day

[LO 044]

Originally Posted by Airboy

The viewing area under the tower will have spectacular view.

What viewing area? Did i miss something? AND MORE IMPORTANTLY is this a viewing area for people after they pass through security? If that's the case then YEG's epic fail continues with an observation area.