Goodbye Capital Region, hello Edmonton Metropolitan Region

[Sonic Death Monkey]

Welcome, neighbours, to the Edmonton Metropolitan Region
http://edmontonjournal.com/news/loca...politan-region

Goodbye, Capital Region. And good riddance.

For decades, we’ve been saddled with that absurdly generic name, a name that seemed designed, in a quasi-Orwellian manner, to erase our city’s name from the map. We were the anonymous city, which could not speak its name aloud, allegedly for fear of annoying our regional neighbours.

It was a ridiculous situation, one that savagely undercut our ability to market this place as a magnet for investment, as a tourist destination, as a new home for immigrants.

But no longer.

Late last week, by order-in-council, the province gave us our name back. It officially changed the name of the Capital Region Board to the Edmonton Metropolitan Region Board.

Which means we now live together in the Edmonton Metropolitan Region.

...the board invited an international “site selector” from a big New York commercial real estate firm for a visit. He told the mayors that when he searched “Capital Region”online, this area didn’t come up at all. There were just too many other “capital regions” around the world.

Malcolm Bruce, the board’s CEO, says that meeting marked a turning point. Regional mayors truly realized just how self-defeating the “Capital Region” marketing strategy was. And now, two years later, the “Capital Region” is gone.

Great news! However, everyone else need to follow suit - corporations, non-profits, media personalities and every day people.

[The_Cat]

I think it's time. The old Capital Region board wasn't well-known outside of Edmonton. There also wasn't much in the way of co-operation among the municipalities.

[howie]

In unity there is strength.

[Chmilz]

I think it's time. The old Capital Region board wasn't well-known outside of Edmonton. There also wasn't much in the way of co-operation among the municipalities.

But wait, Beaumont says it isn't a suburb of Edmonton! They're right... they barely qualify as a skin tag. The sooner all the surrounding leech communities realize we either win as a region or fail as a bunch of independent squabbling brats, the better.

[McBoo]

Happy for the name change - should have been that all along.

That said, the Edmonton Metro, nee Capital Board has actually functioned much better and collaboratively than many think. Communities near Calgary wish that city was as collaborative as Edmonton.

Now we have Edmonton and St. Albert working on merging their transit systems and St. Albert, Edmonton and Strathcona all working on a smart fare system that would work for all routes.

Truth is, if you were driving in from Saskatoon and knew nothing about Edmonton metro, when you hit Sherwood Park, you'd probably think you'd arrived in Edmonton.

[The_Cat]

Beaumont has transit service to Edmonton.

[jagators63]

I like the name change for the Edmonton area.

[Terry]

Edmonton was the Voldemort of this region for way to long. Glad clearer minds and maybe a little pride swallowing happened for this change to happen

Edmonton Metropolitan Region sounds great. It sounds united.

[Titanium48]

Whatever it is called, it is an extra level of government that wouldn't be necessary if the province had amalgamated the region into a single municipality decades ago.

[Sonic Death Monkey]

^ Ooh look, another dead horse for C2E to beat up on.

[Medwards]

It's not a dead horse, its still an issue.

Oh look, SDM telling people what/when/where to post. If anything is a dead horse, its you telling people things are dead horses! Frig off already Mr Lahey!

[McBoo]

Whatever it is called, it is an extra level of government that wouldn't be necessary if the province had amalgamated the region into a single municipality decades ago.

Didn't I hear the new MGA requires these growth boards to not just do bette5r, coordinated land-use planning, but also some revenue sharing?

I mean, maynot be what Edmonton could get having all refinary row for tax revenue - but a start.