'I Heart' Turns FIVE!

As I Heart Edmonton turns five, we've hit a crossroads. Where do we go from here?

BY EMIL TIEDEMANN

FIVE years! That's crazy when I think about it. It was July 5, 2009 when I posted my first "hearticle" (yes, I just said "hearticle") for the Edmonton blog, titled "A Love Affair with Edmonton." 




"I don't know about you," I wrote, "but I'm getting pretty tired of people having nothing good to say about the city I've come to love." That's how this whole thing got started, me being fed up with the lack of love for my hometown, and the abundance of unwarranted criticism.

I knew that Edmonton had ALL kinds of things to see and do, but apparently there were plenty of folks who were unaware of our town's bustling arts and culture community, and the fact that we are one of the most sociable metros on the continent. So I made it my mission to discredit their taunts and attacks, and to prove that Edmonton is the best place to live in all of Canada!

Edmonton started off slow and quiet, but before long we made a name for ourselves in local social media circles, alongside some of the other bloggers that were on similar missions. We interviewed interesting and prominent locals, profiled some of the city's most talented artists, reviewed the places you may never have heard of otherwise, and did everything else we could to spread the word that Edmonton is full of amazing people, places, and possibilities!

And sure, we've had our rough patches, in which our content was slim to none, and there was even a time when I decided that Edmonton had run its course. But we're still here, 369 posts and 1,824 days later, and our future plans are looking up! WAY up!

I have thought long and hard about what the next step would be for Edmonton, and all roads pointed to calling it quits for good so that I could spend more time on our sister site, Gay Edmonton. But as the 5-year anniversary crawled closer and closer, I had somewhat of a change of heart.

Now, that doesn't mean that anything will be immediate, but there are definitely some exciting future plans for Edmonton, and I hope y'all can be patient with us, and give us some time to grow even bigger. I will keep you updated as much as possible, whether you care or not; but for now, let's just celebrate five awesome years of appreciating, showcasing, and "hearting" our hometown Edmonton.

Cheers!

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