101 Reasons Why I Heart Edmonton
It's essentially my everlasting love for Edmonton all wrapped up in 280 pages!
by emil tiedemann
HOW do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
If you've followed this blog over the years then you know just how much I heart my hometown Edmonton. It's no secret, I mean it's right there in the title! If you ask me how much I heart Edmonton, I would spread my arms apart like I'm hugging a giant tree and say, "THIS MUCH!"
It's not that I don't ever get a tad tired of our winter by the time March rolls around (or January, depending on the year), or that I don't get frustrated from time to time with the road construction, but I prefer to focus my attention on all of the many positive things I've come to love about Edmonton.
In fact, when I actually sat down and thought about all the ways I love thee, my head literally exploded with reasons! Okay, not literally, but you get what I'm getting at. That's when I thought it would be fun to come up with an entire book dedicated to all the reasons why I am so passionate about my hometown.
I could've expanded this project into a whole series, like the
Encyclopaedia Britannica, but realized that that would be excessive, no? So, I narrowed my love down to 101 reasons, which is far easier said than done by the way. From there, I began writing, designing, researching (a.k.a. Googling), and taking photos for 101 Reasons I Heart Edmonton, which took close to a year to compile and complete.
The finished product was a 280-page, 9"x12" glossy coffee table book chalked full of stunning photographs (including many by local photogs and artists), amazing local history and information, intriguing local facts, inspirational #yeg quotes, a foreword by Mayor Don Iveson, and even a poem written especially for this project by former Edmonton Youth Poet Laureate Charlotte Cranston. It also includes a print edition of 630 CHED & Santa's Anonymous' iconic 'And a Creature Was Stirring' Christmas tale (by the late Jerry Forbes)!
Because this book is so hyper-local and expensive to print, I knew finding a publisher would be exhausting if not impossible, which is why I decided that I would need to self-publish this baby. Plus, it was the only way I could truly make it my own.
Unfortunately, the cheapest way I could find to have this book printed was via an online source that charged no less than $41.50 per copy, which basically means there's no chance of me making any sort of profit from this book. But, that's okay, because I really just want it out there to share my passion for Edmonton with others.
I believe that it's important for locals - anywhere, not just in Edmonton - to have a sort of adoration, appreciation, and affirmation about where they call home. When you have that, it spreads and everyone comes out a winner. Being happy about where you come from, being proud of your hometown, and finding the good in your roots is contagious in all the right ways. There's nothing more obnoxious than those idiots on social media who have nothing good to say about anything, especially when they don't realize just how lucky they are to be here.
With that said, I have decided to start an Indiegogo campaign to raise enough cash to actually print the book. If you would like to pre-order a physical copy for yourself, or simply donate to the production of 101 Reasons Why I Heart Edmonton, just click HERE! You can get your very own copy for just $40 (+$15 shipping), which is basically what you pay for coffee in any given week, soooooo....
I hope you will help me spread the word about Edmonton, and maybe discover a few things along the way! #yeglove
by emil tiedemann
HOW do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
If you've followed this blog over the years then you know just how much I heart my hometown Edmonton. It's no secret, I mean it's right there in the title! If you ask me how much I heart Edmonton, I would spread my arms apart like I'm hugging a giant tree and say, "THIS MUCH!"
 |
| Best Christmas gift ever!!! |
It's not that I don't ever get a tad tired of our winter by the time March rolls around (or January, depending on the year), or that I don't get frustrated from time to time with the road construction, but I prefer to focus my attention on all of the many positive things I've come to love about Edmonton.
In fact, when I actually sat down and thought about all the ways I love thee, my head literally exploded with reasons! Okay, not literally, but you get what I'm getting at. That's when I thought it would be fun to come up with an entire book dedicated to all the reasons why I am so passionate about my hometown.
 |
| Reason #34...'Winter Activities' |
I could've expanded this project into a whole series, like the
Encyclopaedia Britannica, but realized that that would be excessive, no? So, I narrowed my love down to 101 reasons, which is far easier said than done by the way. From there, I began writing, designing, researching (a.k.a. Googling), and taking photos for 101 Reasons I Heart Edmonton, which took close to a year to compile and complete.
The finished product was a 280-page, 9"x12" glossy coffee table book chalked full of stunning photographs (including many by local photogs and artists), amazing local history and information, intriguing local facts, inspirational #yeg quotes, a foreword by Mayor Don Iveson, and even a poem written especially for this project by former Edmonton Youth Poet Laureate Charlotte Cranston. It also includes a print edition of 630 CHED & Santa's Anonymous' iconic 'And a Creature Was Stirring' Christmas tale (by the late Jerry Forbes)!
 |
| Reason #66...'The 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness' |
Because this book is so hyper-local and expensive to print, I knew finding a publisher would be exhausting if not impossible, which is why I decided that I would need to self-publish this baby. Plus, it was the only way I could truly make it my own.
Unfortunately, the cheapest way I could find to have this book printed was via an online source that charged no less than $41.50 per copy, which basically means there's no chance of me making any sort of profit from this book. But, that's okay, because I really just want it out there to share my passion for Edmonton with others.
I believe that it's important for locals - anywhere, not just in Edmonton - to have a sort of adoration, appreciation, and affirmation about where they call home. When you have that, it spreads and everyone comes out a winner. Being happy about where you come from, being proud of your hometown, and finding the good in your roots is contagious in all the right ways. There's nothing more obnoxious than those idiots on social media who have nothing good to say about anything, especially when they don't realize just how lucky they are to be here.
 |
| Reason #32...'The Food' |
With that said, I have decided to start an Indiegogo campaign to raise enough cash to actually print the book. If you would like to pre-order a physical copy for yourself, or simply donate to the production of 101 Reasons Why I Heart Edmonton, just click HERE! You can get your very own copy for just $40 (+$15 shipping), which is basically what you pay for coffee in any given week, soooooo....
I hope you will help me spread the word about Edmonton, and maybe discover a few things along the way! #yeglove
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