Reason #101 of '101 Reasons Why I Heart Edmonton'
Our Bright Future
By Emil Tiedemann
There was a time not so long ago when Edmontonians probably felt like there wasn’t much to look forward to, in terms of new ideas and exciting concepts envisioned for our city. When designs for a new Art Gallery of Alberta started to come together, some folks were disillusioned and even downright angry, while others saw it as a turning point for Edmonton.
I saw it as a giant leap forward for downtown’s lucid landscape, an effort for something different in a town that could use something different - something ostentatious! That brilliantly bizarre structure changed our downtown for good, and perhaps incited what was to come.
Edmonton is changing and growing rapidly and progressively, though somehow retaining its sustainable spirit and that precious sense of small-town community. One of the best examples of this is the epic Blatchford Project on the old City Centre Airport land, where the City has already begun preparing the area for homes for up to 30,000 locals, right in the middle of the city.
Then there’s Ice District, an aspiring sports and entertainment complex that will invite millions of people downtown with its arena, casino, and outdoor plaza. The LRT expansion is another significant feature of our future, connecting neighbourhoods from all corners of this vast city like never before.
The upcoming Quarters and Brewery districts will amplify the whole vibe of downtown, while the new Royal Alberta Museum is expected to entice families and visitors to trek a region once desolate. West Edmonton Mall, already a staple of Edmonton’s appeal, even has extensive plans to expand and enhance the shopping experience, as does Londonderry Mall in the north, and City Centre downtown.
And of course, there are dozens of new office towers, condo developments, restaurants, pubs, cafes, hotels, shops, venues, and education facilities popping up all over town, though especially in the central areas. Even our beloved river valley has plans of its own, as developers have brought forth concepts for a canal, a funicular, and even a re-purposed idea for the old Rossdale Power Plant. Local visionaries have hefty notions for our underutilized North Saskatchewan that includes everything from an outdoor heated pool to river taxis!
But it’s not just these sort of tangible theories and ventures that are fueling Edmonton’s promising future - it’s also the people, and I’m not even referring to Connor McDavid! Edmonton is home to all sorts of vigorous entrepreneurs and transformative dreamers who don’t just talk the talk, but rather are changing the way we work, socialize, and live in a city evolving into its own potential...finally!
We should be proud of what we have here and of how far we’ve come; of how we’ve endured through the tough times and refused to submit to what others may think of us; and of the foundation we have laid for our future generations to come. #yegfuture
By Emil Tiedemann
There was a time not so long ago when Edmontonians probably felt like there wasn’t much to look forward to, in terms of new ideas and exciting concepts envisioned for our city. When designs for a new Art Gallery of Alberta started to come together, some folks were disillusioned and even downright angry, while others saw it as a turning point for Edmonton.
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| The Art Gallery of Alberta. |
I saw it as a giant leap forward for downtown’s lucid landscape, an effort for something different in a town that could use something different - something ostentatious! That brilliantly bizarre structure changed our downtown for good, and perhaps incited what was to come.
Edmonton is changing and growing rapidly and progressively, though somehow retaining its sustainable spirit and that precious sense of small-town community. One of the best examples of this is the epic Blatchford Project on the old City Centre Airport land, where the City has already begun preparing the area for homes for up to 30,000 locals, right in the middle of the city.
Then there’s Ice District, an aspiring sports and entertainment complex that will invite millions of people downtown with its arena, casino, and outdoor plaza. The LRT expansion is another significant feature of our future, connecting neighbourhoods from all corners of this vast city like never before.
 |
| What Ice District will become... |
The upcoming Quarters and Brewery districts will amplify the whole vibe of downtown, while the new Royal Alberta Museum is expected to entice families and visitors to trek a region once desolate. West Edmonton Mall, already a staple of Edmonton’s appeal, even has extensive plans to expand and enhance the shopping experience, as does Londonderry Mall in the north, and City Centre downtown.
And of course, there are dozens of new office towers, condo developments, restaurants, pubs, cafes, hotels, shops, venues, and education facilities popping up all over town, though especially in the central areas. Even our beloved river valley has plans of its own, as developers have brought forth concepts for a canal, a funicular, and even a re-purposed idea for the old Rossdale Power Plant. Local visionaries have hefty notions for our underutilized North Saskatchewan that includes everything from an outdoor heated pool to river taxis!
But it’s not just these sort of tangible theories and ventures that are fueling Edmonton’s promising future - it’s also the people, and I’m not even referring to Connor McDavid! Edmonton is home to all sorts of vigorous entrepreneurs and transformative dreamers who don’t just talk the talk, but rather are changing the way we work, socialize, and live in a city evolving into its own potential...finally!
 |
| The one, the only Connor McDavid. |
We should be proud of what we have here and of how far we’ve come; of how we’ve endured through the tough times and refused to submit to what others may think of us; and of the foundation we have laid for our future generations to come. #yegfuture
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