A world-class city is a city that knows itself well - a place with character that embraces its true identity. Before Edmonton may become a destination of choice, it must first embrace its true identity - its brutal, cold identity.
Edmonton is a winter city that has not yet come to terms with the fact that it is cold for most of the year. It is a great festival city that entertains and caters to citizens all summer, and then seems to close up shop after the Canadian Finals Rodeos in November; until reopening for May long weekend.
Residents are accustomed to living ordinarily through the spring, summer and autumn months, and then essentially hibernating for a portion of the winter. After work, on particularly cold days, citizens often stay home - leaving eerily quiet streets and businesses.
Why are we hiding indoors instead of celebrating our identity and embracing the long season?
It seems many communities in northern latitudes are living in denial of their cold climate - many are in fact designed in much the same way that warm-climate cities are designed.
In winterized cities, the impact is clear - specifically in improving winter livability, retaining population, increasing tourism and strengthening the economy during what had been a traditional down time. The concept has helped cities see the opportunities that winter offers, and helped many residents acknowledge that winter can be an enjoyable time of year, and that migration from November to May is not always necessary.
Creating a winterized city takes careful city planning with accommodating architecture and a kindred spirit amongst the population. But it can be initiated with an idea as small as a winter festival.
With the recent closing of BrightNights, a 900-light winter display that ran 45 days every year, Edmontonians are left without their largest winter booster. Due to costs, the Chamber of Commerce had to discontinue their 11-year tradition, leaving an even more substantial need for winter festivities.
The city does have several winter festivities throughout the year - from the enchanting Candy Cane Lane, to a new winter project - the Winter Light festival. While some of these events are Edmonton favourites, they are not enough to compete with other winter city festivities. Building upon current festivals might be a solution in creating a winter city - most could use more government funding.
A big winter festival would be appropriate, if not mandatory for a winter city that is known as "Canada's Festival City." It may be a first step in helping to fill the desolate Edmonton winter streets and add much-needed warmth in the cold months. More importantly, it may help in creating a true identity as a world-class city.
The concept has worked for Ottawa, Gatineau and Quebec City - cities that celebrate their identity through winter festivals, such as Winterlude and the Quebec Winter Carnival. Both annual winter festivals not only engage residents, they also engage visitors and are the most important tourist draws in the areas, attracting millions of visitors each year. These cities have not only embraced their identity, but have also created appealing cold-winter destinations.
With a vast river valley and large downtown core, Edmonton has ideal areas and great potential for such a festival - a considerable first step in developing a winterized community. A city with a strong identity offers a better quality of life for residents and a more engaging destination for visitors. It's time for Edmonton to embrace its nature.
Comments
As someone else on twitter pointed out, we have the Winter Light festival...which this article could have advertised.
try winterlight dot ca to start your research for a follow-up piece.
Hello - Your rationale for winter festivals is on target, but you missed the mark entirely when it came to identifying the winter festivities already taking place! In addition to the winter festivals in Edmonton that have been around for years and doing well - Silver Skate, Ice on Whyte and more recently Deep Freeze - Winter Light is a successful new city initiative that in 2009 produced a whole series of winter celebrations for Edmonton. This year we are gearing up again for Winter Light 2010, and we will be creating 8 special winter events from January - March. We work closely with the 3 existing festivals, and with community events throughout the Edmonton region. I think it can be safely said that "Edmonton Festival City" is indeed 'live all year'. We'd be pleased to connect you with some of the festival artists for follow up stories. Meanwhile, see winterlight.ca for more details.
I think the rationale is correct - yes Edmonton does have winter festivals all year, but they're not at the size they should be to compete with the large winter festivals around Canada. I've never even heard of the festivals mentionned in the above comments... We need to step it up a notch!
On twitter you posted:
@mastermaq thanks for your feedback! You are right about Winter Light Festival, but I feel that it is not large enough - at least not yet
The complete lack of mention of the Winter Light Festival in your article is a glaring error. It surely looks like you skipped doing any research. And now in retrospect you say that the festival, that you don't even mention, isn't big enough?
Ahem.
In a time when newspapers are fighting for their existence, you're giving journalism a bad name.
Just admit it - you didn't do your research!
Acutally, this is a great article. Winter Light Festival doesn't even need to be mentionned - ask any Edmontonian what it is and they'll tell you they've never heard of it. "KC" is just another Edmontonian that is fine with what the city offers - but there's so much more in developping a big city, as Jennifer states.
That the author of this article completely misses the initial efforts of the Winter Light festival is my point.
No one is saying that the winter festival situation is perfect - far from it. That that Winter Light has only existed for a year is surprising. That would have been a good point for such an article.
Anselmo didn't research enough to find out there IS a Winter Light festival. That lack of research is an embarrassment and the author should acknowledge the huge gap in not knowing about the existing festival.
"Ask any Edmontonian"? Come on - people know. Agreed, it isn't widely known yet. Probably compariable to the Edmonton Fringe Festival in its early years - just getting started.
If ccnichols is satisfied with an article that doesn't bother with the facts, well, that's sad. Edmontonians deserve better than a so called journalist venting but not researching.
Jennifer Anselmo & the Examiner owe it to their readers to provide the facts and not just uniformed opinion.
Seek And Ye Shall Find...
As citizens of Edmonton, being informed is our responsibility. "No one knows" is no excuse. For those needing a hand with finding information - please try a new fangled thing - the internet.
A web search of 'Edmonton winter festivals' brings up lots links. The Examiner comments section doesn't allow URL's so you'll have to search on your own. The City of Edmonton website (festival calendar) has info on Winter Light & Silver Skate events. There are also news articles about festival events, & public funding for these festival events.
There is a lot of information available - people need to take responsibility for looking first.
For Ms. Anselmo, it is good to see that you have revised your article and included the Winter Light Festival.
The idea that Edmonton will benefit from improving our winter festivities is clearly something that Edmonton is supporting.
If people take the time to look, there are lots of wonderful surprises in Edmonton - year round
KC, why are you assuming the author didn't know about the festival? The fact is that the turn out number isn't as big as it should be, and it was probably not worth mentionning.
To: ccnichols
To write an article about winter festivals & not include the current winter festivals makes no sense (like your strangely over-protective comments - are you a relative or What?)
You switch from "no one knows" to (apparently) 'it doesn't matter' regarding Winter Light.
Ms. Ansalmo's point about expanding winter activities is well taken, & it is strengthened by exploring what Edmonton has & has not offered. Tax dollars have gone to support Winter Light, showing support for the very thing that Ansalmo says Edmonton needs more of.
That the author has added Winter Light to the article would be a massive indicator that mentioning the winter events are important. That she didn't know about the Winter Light seems clear from assorted twitter posts. It's good that there has been an exploration of the winter festival activities; hopefully more support for what many agree is important for Edmonton.
What is it that you seem intent on defending? A lack of research? Pathetic.
KC, I find it funny that you're still going on about this. Get over it already! Now you're just making stuff up - I just looked on the girl's twitter page and there is no mention of her "not knowing" and even if she didn't, who cares? Lighten up. Do you work for Winter Light Festival or something? If you do, I recommend quitting as it's not a very good event
People want Edmonton to have excellent events. It takes a lot of work, a lot of commitment and a lot of people paying attention. Especially citizens. Our community is what we make of it. Winter Light is just getting started.
The point is good information and community discussion. Too bad that's lost on you.
Thanks to the folks from Winter Light who have posted info. I have no affiliation with the event organizing. I'm an Edmontonian who is involved in the community, supports constructive efforts, and strives to share accurate information.
Try it - you might find something constructive.
For ssmith -- whatever. You didn't look too far if you didn't see the twitter between mastermaq & the author - where the author acknowledged his point (that the author had at first missed the Winter Light festival). There's no need to make anything up, tho you seem to be now. If it's so pointless what are you commenting on?
Again, it's about good community information and discussion. Try it.
To: ccnichols
To write an article about winter festivals & not include the current winter festivals makes no sense (like your strangely over-protective comments - are you a relative or What?)
You switch from "no one knows" to (apparently) 'it doesn't matter' regarding Winter Light.
Ms. Ansalmo's point about expanding winter activities is well taken, & it is strengthened by exploring what Edmonton has & has not offered. Tax dollars have gone to support Winter Light, showing support for the very thing that Ansalmo says Edmonton needs more of.
That the author has added Winter Light to the article would be a massive indicator that mentioning the winter events are important. That she didn't know about the Winter Light seems clear from assorted twitter posts. It's good that there has been an exploration of the winter festival activities; hopefully more support for what many agree is important for Edmonton.
What is it that you seem intent on defending? A lack of research? Pathetic.
Great article! The city needs to start thinking about things like this!
So, did Winterlight even happen this year? City council could take a few pointers from this article...
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