History

This presentation, titled "History of Edmonton's Place Brand," was created by Edmonton River to trace the natural, cultural, and municipal history of Edmonton's identity and propose an authentic visual identity system that works as a place brand for the city.

Key Themes & Slide Breakdown

Glacial & Natural History:
Begins with the formation and abrupt draining of Glacial Lake Edmonton, which carved out the region's landscape. It also details the historic bison migration corridors across the river valley.

Indigenous Origins:
Highlights Edmonton’s original identity as amiskwacîwâskahikan and a pehonan (a traditional gathering and waiting place for trade, ceremony, and community among the Cree, Dene, Métis, Blackfoot, Saulteaux, and Nakota Sioux).

Early Settlement to Capital:
Covers the establishment of Fort Edmonton, Treaty 6, the 1883 settlement plan, and its designation as Alberta's capital in 1905.

River Valley Protection:
Notes landscape architect Frederick Todd’s 1907 vision urging the city to preserve its river valley as a parkland.

Evolving Civic Symbols:
Details the evolution of Edmonton's heraldry, coat of arms, corporate logos, and flags from 1949 through the 1990s and 2010s. It includes pop-culture riffs, artistic parodies, and community flag competitions.

The "Slogan & Campaign Rollercoaster":
Demonstrates a long history of short-lived, top-down branding initiatives that were often met with public pushback or eventual abandonment:

Failed/Short-Lived Campaigns:
"Official Host City for the Turn of the Century" (1987),
"Take a Fun City Alberta Break" (1991),
"It's Cooler Here" (2005),
Gateway pyramid sign project (2006).
City of Champions: Erected in 1987 following sports triumphs, removed in 2015, and repeatedly targeted by grass-root reinstatement campaigns and sign pranks.

Economic & Civic Initiatives:
Covers Make Something Edmonton (2013), Transforming Edmonton, regional marketing via Edmonton Global / YEG Metro, Meet Me Downtown / Marvin the Meatball (2023), and cancelled public projects like the Prairie Sky Gondola and the Walterdale Bridge artwork.

The Fragmented Present & Proposed Solution:
Top-Down Marks: Summarizes how decades of top-down logos and civic organizations sunset, rebranded, or vanished, leaving behind a fragmented visual identity.

2025–2026 Rebrand Mandate: Cites recent feedback from the City's Economic Action Plan and 2026 strategic direction (under Mayor Andrew Knack and City Manager Eddie Robar) calling for a unified, co-created place brand.

Edmonton River Proposal:
Offers the Edmonton River concept as an authentic, accessible, and adaptable place brand designed to be shared by all citizens, businesses, government, and nonprofit organizations.

Transcript

1. History of Edmonton’s Place Brand From the Edmonton River Team www.EdmontonRiver.com
2. Challenge: Edmonton is a gathering place shaped by many peoples, cultures, and stories. Residents hold diverse and sometimes conflicting views of the city, while most people worldwide know little about it. Can one place brand unite local pride while introducing Edmonton to the world? Approach: Create a visual identity system that is: 1. Authentic: rooted in the region's history and geography 2. Accessible: welcoming to all communities and peoples 3. Adaptable: for citizens, business, tourism, culture, government
3. https://elkpointhistory.ca/writers/billie-milholland/living-shed-albertas-north-saskatchewan-river-watershed
4. Indigenous Origin of Edmonton “Edmonton was born at Rossdale Flats as a gathering place for Indigenous peoples 8,000 to 10,000 years before Europeans came. It was a “pehonan”, or waiting place, that was a centre of trade, celebration, and ceremony. The flats are rich in history, stories, and spirit waiting to be brought into being.” Lewis Cardinal Senior Advisor Indigenous Knowledge and Wisdom Centre Edmonton is situated within Treaty 6 Territory and the Métis Homeland. We respectfully acknowledge the Treaty 6 First Nations including the nêhiyawak (Cree), Anishinaabe (Saulteaux), Niitsitapi (Blackfoot), Dene, and Nakota Sioux - and the Métis Nation whose ancestors have walked and gathered on this land (amiskwacîwâskahikan) since time immemorial. Spirit of Edmonton Reclaiming Monto, a Collective Vision Connecting the River and the People by Lewis Cardinal, Indigenous Peoples Arts and Culture Coalition Rendering of the kihciy askiy site from City of Edmonton, https://globalnews.ca/news/9160532/edmonton-kihciy-askiy-urban-indigenous-ceremonial-grounds/
5. The pehonan was a place where the people honoured and respected each other while waiting for trade, ceremony, and celebration. A place where a diversity of nations once gathered. The peace and harmony that brought tranquility here is why Edmonton is a place of gathering in friendship and trust. IKWC Video: https://youtu.be/5f1Q1yxf6qs
6. Old North Trail Treaty 6 is a living agreement based on peace, friendship, and mutual respect. for illustration, generated by ChatGPT
7. “Bison are absolutely foundational to who we are as Métis people.” Juanita Marois, CEO, Métis Crossing for illustration, generated by ChatGPT
8. Historic Site sign beside the Queen Elizabeth Highway Anthony Henday visits here in 1754 Henday sits to the right of the Blackfoot leader and Elder in a tipi in this First Nations-European contact diarama at the Royal Alberta Museum. Henday brought trade gifts and he and his Cree ‘companion’ and Attickasish are given a feast of buffalo tongues. https://canehdianstories.com/how-i-lost-my-head-to-history-the-story-of-anthony-henday/ Picture from Alberta Culture, Multiculturalism and Status of Women.
9. Fort Edmonton was first established in 1795, and was rebuilt here by the Hudson’s Bay Company, as painted by Paul Kane; it is was named after a London, England estate belonging to the company's Deputy Governor. https://artbooks.artcanada.com/paul-kane/key-works/fort-edmonton
10. Charcoal sketch of Fort Edmonton made around 1867 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Edmonton#/media/File:Edmonton_in_1867.jpg
11. 1871 Photo of the 5th Fort Edmonton, located where the Alberta Legislature Grounds stand today, as viewed from the south bank of the North Saskatchewan River Photo credit: Charles Horetzky Library Library and and Archives Archives Canada Canada (LAC) (LAC) (Item/Accession (Item/Accession Reference: Reference: e011183607 e011183607 // PA-009219). PA-009219).
12. Treaty 6 signing, 1876 “this handshake symbolizes the profound meaning of historic treaties. . . . The essence of the treaty was to create a nation together that will exist in perpetuity, for as long as the sun shines, the grass grows and the waters flow” - Michael Anderson, research director, Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak ^ Library and Archives Canada Provide by the Glenbow Museum: Treaty 6 with Saskatchewan Cree.Copy of PB-48-1. See also NA-606-1. Commissioners at Carlton. Drawn by M. Bastien.
13. Edmonton Coal Mining Industry Alberta was once Canada’s major producer of coal. Coal seams were exposed along the river and were first mined here by the Hudson’s Bay Company in the 1840s. Local operations in the 1880s expanded to ~ 30 mines. https://www.edmonton.ca/city_government/edmonton_archives/mining-in-beverly
14. Gold Prospectors Gold was found in the North Saskatchewan River near Fort Edmonton in 1859 by James Hector of the Palliser Expedition. News of the discovery spread quickly, and a stampede of gold prospectors soon arrived to seek riches from the riverbank. Early operations used gold pans or sluice boxes, followed by larger dredging operations. 1913 Provincial Archives Historic Photo A11695 1890 Provincial Archives Historic Photo 5280
15. First Map of Edmonton (1883) https://centennial.eas.ualberta.ca/media/55
16. Edmonton became a city in 1904; celebrates as Alberta’s capital in 1905 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Edmonton#/media/File:Edmonton_this_very_moment_is_the_capital_Alberta_-_a_province_in_reality_(HS85-10-16581).jpg
17. City of Edmonton Archives (https://cityarchives.edmonton.ca): EA-29-130 Railways Arrive Adapted from JP Day, Urban History Review, 1978 Edmonton’s link to the world by rail was heralded in 1905 with the Canadian Northern Railway Station. Sir William Mackenzie and Sir Donald Mann appealed to the government for money to build the Low Level Bridge to link Edmonton and Strathcona. Construction began in 1898 and the first train travelled across it in 1902. https://www.livabl.com/articles/news/photos-edmonton-100-years-ago https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:First_train_that_crossed_the_North_Saskatchewan,_20th_October,_1902_(HS85-10-14705).jpg
18. https://archive.org/details/PC012069 Edmonton and Strathcona: Two Towns Divided by a River Photograph of Jasper Avenue (1907), which was named for Jasper Hawes, a fur trader who operated the Jasper House trading post. On the east side of town this was called Main Street. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strathcona,_Alberta#/media/File:Main_Street,_Strathcona_1907.jpg Photo of Main Street of Strathcona, named after Lord Strathcona who was a Canadian Pacific Railway co-founder, Bank of Montreal president and principal shareholder of Hudson’s Bay Company.
19. Founding of the UofA City of Edmonton Archives EA-561-26. The first home of the University of Alberta (1908) off Whyte Ave is now known Queen Alexandra School. University of Alberta Archives, UAA-1969-012-238, Queen Alexandra School, 1908. Provincial Archives of Alberta photograph A8142 https://www.provincialarchives.alberta.ca/the-alberta-legislature-more-steel-stone-glass-1912-2012 St. Stephen's College depicted in 1913 University of Alberta: • established in 1906 as an act of the first legislative assembly of Alberta • began operations in 1908 out of Queen Alexandra School • the first building on campus in 1911 was a Methodist theological college and residence now known as St. Stephen's College
20. Edmonton: Capital of Alberta Alberta Legislature Building under construction in 1911, when completed in 1913, and seen from the riverbank. https://cityarchives.edmonton.ca/glimpse-of-the-saskatchewan-from-riverside-park-edmonton Provincial Archives of Alberta photograph A8142 https://www.provincialarchives.alberta.ca/the-alberta-legislature-more-steel-stone-glass-1912-2012 City of Edmonton Archives: EA-561-23 https://cityarchives.edmonton.ca
21. City of Edmonton Archives: EA-29-130 Adapted from JP Day, Urban History Review, 1978 Railways Building the High Level BridgeArrive (1912-1913) PAA #A2960, 1913 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:North_Saskatchewan_River_circa_1913.jpg Low Level Bridge, 1897-1900 https://cityarchives.edmonton.ca/north-saskatchewan-river-2
22. Grierson Hill Dump was used for Edmonton’s refuse for 46 years from 1894 https://www.edmonton.ca/city_government/edmonton_archives/living-at-the-grierson-dump
23. Edmonton’s First Mayor from 1892-1895 was Matthew McCauley Co-founded the Edmonton Board of Trade, which was the later formed the Chamber of Commerce Nicknamed "Edmonton's Father of Education" in honour of his efforts to found our education system Successfully lobbied for Edmonton’s streetcar system Director of the Edmonton Agricultural Association Founder of Edmonton’s Royal Curling Club Captain of a group of citizens who threw homes of people living on the river’s edge down the riverbank, for which he was found guilty and fined 40 dollars. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_McCauley_(politician)
24. Frederick Todd urged the City to Protect its River Valley in 1907 Frederick G Todd (1876-1948) Canada’s first landscape architect ‘Edmonton is “situated in the center of an extensive country rapidly grown in population and wealth, possessed of almost unlimited resources for manufacturing, and with a location admirably adapted not only for the building of a great city, but a city of great beauty and attractiveness...” “A crowded population, if they are to live in health and happiness, must have space for the enjoyment of that peaceful beauty of nature — which … is so wonderfully refreshing to the tired souls of city dweller; therefore most of the large cities have provided themselves with parks and large open spaces to be used as parks...’ https://www.csla-aapc.ca/society/frederick-gage-todd and Todd, F. G. (1910). Report on the Public Parks and Boulevard System for the City of Edmonton
25. Adapted from JP Day, Urban History Review, 1978 using ChatGPT
26. Edmonton is flooded in 1915 by a 45 ft North Saskatchewan River Surge PAA Item A5535 PAA Item A5531 PAA Item A14030, https://searchprovincialarchives.alberta.ca/north-saskatchewan-river-flood PAA Item A1995
27. Harwood Steele Extols the Gateway “Edmonton's future is bound up largely with the North, to which she is and has always been the gateway … Edmonton, the heart and capital of Alberta … supreme among mid-western rivals in historic interest, destined for the leading role in the upbuilding of the last and greatest empire … of the Canadian North…” Harwood Steele Captain, Canadian Infantry Journalist & Author https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Steele-7790 and https://archive.org/details/EDI_1922020801/page/n4/mode/1up
28. Edmonton: Gateway to the North https://albertaaviationmuseum.com 'Wop' May, Edmonton, ~1920-23
29. Edmonton: Oil Capital of Canada Leduc No. 1 Strike: discovered in 1947 operated until 1974 deemed a national historic site in 1986 for the impact it had on Canada’s oil industry Above: 1947. Source, Provincial Archives of Alberta, P1342 Right: http://www.vintageedmonton.com/2019/02/february-6-1947.html
30. The City with a Great Future Brochures used following the 1947 Leduc No.1 oil strike Left: Photo of downtown taken by RCAF flying over the North Saskatchewan River. Right: Tourist guide with photos of the river valley and Rocky Mountains. https://archive.org/details/P006841 https://archive.org/details/P011273/P011273
31. City Crest Competition The public was asked to submit designs in 1948 for a prize of $150 The winning design by R. B. Mackenzie was adopted in 1949. It depicts a river, sun, sheaf, winged wheel, fur trader with a Métis sash, and the goddess of wisdom, Athena.
32. Flag Designed by UofA Professor Norman Yates His design, given to the City as a Centennial gift, was adopted by the City in 1966 with river and sky colours reflected in the blue bars, with the City then adding “CITY OF EDMONTON”. Norman was “disappointed" and "devastated” 21 years later when the City changed his design without informing him, saying "I have a very, very low estimate of the design capabilities of the corporate communications department.” -Edmonton Journal 01/21/1987 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Edmonton
33. Flag Version used by the City from 1986 Yates said that the new flag is “a bad design,” its depiction of Athena, goddess of wisdom, resembles “a modern-day Bo Peep” that lacks dignity. Among the changes to the flag were a larger mace and banner atop the crest emblazoned with EDMONTON which Yates said only promotes a kind of provincialism that will not serve the city well. -Edmonton Journal 01/21/1987 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Edmonton
34. The City Trademarks a New Version in 1993 The City of Edmonton then protects yet another version that writes its name in Old English Blackletter font. Johannes Gutenberg used this font to print the Bible in the 1450s. https://ised-isde.canada.ca/cipo/trademark-search/0905989
35. The City was granted its Coat of Arms in 1994 Blue river and sky are reflected in the dress, sash and blazon Creators: Robert D. Watt Chief Herald of Canada Joan Bouwmeester Painter & Calligrapher https://www.gg.ca/en/heraldry/public-register/project/626
36. 113 Submissions for New Flag for Edmonton Maybe the magpie defines us: Creativity meets symbolism as support grows to redesign the city flag
37. City Council Passes Initiative for a New City Flag
38. Councillors then abort after public consultation Ryan McCourt’s flag design was presented by the Confederacy of Treaty 6 First Nations at Treaty Recognition Day at City Hall. Flag expert Ted Kaye’s critique: uses symbols with deep meaning, it’s still a bit busy, five colours is a lot Dustin Bajer designed a magpie flag and was not a fan of Ryan’s flag, saying • it’s too complicated, • very literal and not symbolic in the least, • uses too many colors https://doniveson.ca/2016/11/09/a-new-flag-for-edmonton/
39. Artist Raymond Biesinger’s Satirical Coat of Arms City's mantra “Industry, Integrity, Progress” is replaced by “ridiculous words” Fur trader’s head sits in Minerva's arm and is replaced with a Soviet flag to reflect City’s Redmonton nickname Flammable logo replaces the sun Wine bottle replaces Minerva’s book Skull replaces winged wheel Handgun replaces the sheaf https://www.vividprint.ca/raymond-biesinger-edmonton-civic-crest.html
40. Salgado Fenwick designed a new coat of arms using the: • magpie • hare • beaver • bison, • sturgeon • city skyline • High Level Bridge https://www.facebook.com/SalgadoFenwick/
41. City’s Corporate Logo from 1976 https://ised-isde.canada.ca/cipo/trademark-search/0905918 Trademarked with the ITC Serif Gothic font made famous in the Halloween horror film. A new identity was born: https://www.deadmontonhouse.com
42. The Boiler Room of Canada “If Canada were not a country, however fragmented, but instead a house, Vancouver would be the solariumcum-playroom… and Edmonton, the boiler room. There is hardly a tree to be seen downtown, nothing to delight the eye on Jasper Avenue. On thirty-below-zero nights, grim religious zealots loom on street corners, speaking in tongues, and intrepid hookers in mini-skirts rap on the windows of cars that have stopped for traffic . . . For all that, Edmontonians are a truly admirable lot. They have not only endured great hardships in the past but also continue to suffer an abominable climate as well as isolation from the cities of light.” Richler M (2002) Dispatches from the Sporting Life. Guilford, CT: The Globe Pequot Press.
43. Edmonchuk enters Popular Conciousness City nickname that blends Edmonton and the suffix chuk, a common ending in surnames of Ukrainians.
44. Edmonton Tourism’s logo in 1987: Official Host City for the Turn of the Century Edmonton Journal October 30, 1987 City’s new image misses the mark Edmonton Tourism has chosen a bizarre campaign that owes more to boosterism than to effective marketing. What we have is a rubber-stamp logo calling Edmonton the Official Host City for the Turn of the Century — whatever that means. It’s the sort of slogan that makes one cringe. Worse than the slogan is the logo, which offers all the charm of a customs stamp on a shipping crate. Rather than capture the vibrant essence of Edmonton’s rich cultural and physical heritage, it makes the city appear banal and dull. https://ised-isde.canada.ca/cipo/trademark-search/0903128
45. Edmonton’s 1991 campaign: Take a Fun City Alberta Break Edmonton Journal May 25, 1991 City offers deals for visitors DENNIS HRYCIUK Edmonton tourism officials announced a $375,000 campaign Friday aimed at luring visitors to the city for short holidays. Alberta lotteries will pay for half of the cost of the promotion, whose slogan is: “Take a Fun City Alberta Break” “This is the first of this kind of program in the country,” said Ron Symic, chairman of the tourism authority.
46. Edmonton Invites New Slogans Edmonton Journal BILL MAH April 24, 2003 Work, play and prosper? That phrase and four others are candidates for city's new slogan An exhaustive search costing about $200,000 to date has come up with five front-running candidates for Edmonton's new slogan. How do you want the world to see us? Pick your favourite: • Dream big. Live well. • Greater opportunity. • Smart and soul. • Work, play and prosper. • It's right here. • None of the above
47. Edmonton Tourism launches “It’s cooler here” PAUL MARCK Journal Business Writer Maybe the West Coast is cool. But Edmonton’s way cooler. Just ask. Edmonton — It’s Cooler Here, either rolling off the tongue like a popsicle, or like freezing your tongue to a metal pole in the middle of January. Just as temperatures plunge in the weather’s icy grip, Edmonton Tourism has a new campaign designed to attract more visitors here during the winter months. Its slogan: Edmonton — It’s Cooler Here. That battle cry will anchor the website www.edmonton.com/itscoolerhere
48. City Debates City Signage, Selects Winner in 2006 In March 2006, Council decided to hold a design competition for new City signs, and formed the Edmonton Design Committee to manage it. Of the eighteen submissions the jury unanimously selected a pyramid-based design from local architect Gene Dub. They called the design “surprising, even startling”, saying that it would “function both as a beacon and a gateway welcoming visitors with a symbol of a city that is poised, confident and energetic.” https://blog.mastermaq.ca/2015/04/11/welcome-to-edmonton-how-our-entrance-signs-came-to-be/
49. But Stops Process due to Public Outcry & Costs Soon after the two final designs were unveiled, citizens registered their dislike for both. Of 268 phone calls made to the City, only 2 were favorable. Then Journal columnist Todd Babiak wrote in May 2007, “the public reaction to the city’s design competition is emerging as my new least-favourite thing about Edmonton.” “In 10 years, we won’t remember the potholes of 2007. But giant pyramids on each end of the city could be there, still inspiring debate.” The estimated cost had ballooned from $900,000 to more than $2.5 million, and Council voted 6-5 against the proposal in July 2008, bringing the debate to a close… https://blog.mastermaq.ca/2015/04/11/welcome-to-edmonton-how-our-entrance-signs-came-to-be/
50. People express nostalgia for old welcoming sign for Edmonton: Your Friendly City facebook.com/oldcanada
51. Edmonton, Festival City The City trademarked this image in 1991 for promoting and developing the convention and tourism industry, and promoted Festival City on www.EdmontonStories.ca in 2003. https://ised-isde.canada.ca/cipo/trademark-search/0905190 http://www.edmontonstories.ca/question/edmonton-festivals
52. Klondike Days . Celebrating the Gold Rush . Edmonton’s oldest festival . Founded in 1879 as the Edmonton Exposition https://www.facebook.com/oldcanada/posts/edmontons-klondike-days-through-the-years/1029998995827763/
53. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/278423406343 https://www.reddit.com/r/Edmonton/comments/1m4ae54/does_kdays_still_make_posters_like_these_ones/
54. Klondike Days Rebranding Controversy 2006 2013
55. Future of KDays and Edmontonia Poster Display By Kelly Mellings Director, Pulp Studio Posters displayed at K-days 2026
56. th The Queen Celebrates Alberta’s 100 Anniversary http://www.edmontonstories.ca/ http://www.edmontonstories.ca/question/edmonton-festivals
57. Regal (Re)Naming of: Royal Alberta Museum (formerly Provincial Museum of Alberta) Princess Elizabeth Avenue (formerly Portage Avenue) Queen Elizabeth Planetarium
58. EDMONTON.com website is refreshed in 2007 e The logo mark includes a stylized with metallic gold finish that suggests regal authority.
59. EDMONTON.com exhibits 20th Century font in 2008 .com exhibits FRIENDS TV font in 2009
60. EDMONTON.com Site is Revamped in 2013 EEDC CEO Brad Ferguson launches IMPACT
61. IMPACT Meeting News in 2014 Brad Ferguson President & CEO, EEDC presenting at IMPACT https://blog.mastermaq.ca/2014/01/25/eedc-looks-to-deliver-monumental-value-with-new-energy-identity-and-purpose/ New logos:
62. EDMONTON.com Site then Reflects the Skies
63. EDMONTON.com Revamped Again in 2020 Depicting northern lights and a dynamic city image
64. EDMONTON.com then redirects to ExploreEdmonton.com
65. City of Champions signs erected in 1987 The Edmonton Journal Wednesday, December 2, 1987 We’re city of champs, Esks told Edmonton will be officially the City of Champions to honor the returning 1987 Grey Cup champions the city is now home for two major trophies, Duerr eats humble pie — again FLORENCE LOYIE Edmonton Oilers are the reigning Stanley Cup hockey champions Calgary Mayor Al Duerr always honors his debts, even when they come with a hearty slice of humble pie. Braving the cold in an Eskimos jersey and clutching a white rag, Duerr buffed and polished Edmonton's City of Champions sign as Edmonton's grinning mayor looked on.
66. Citizens insert City of Speed Traps, etc.
67. City of Champions Signs Removed in 2015
68. Edmontonians Campaign for City of Champions
69. Edmonton’s City of Champions Debate is Back
70. Gritty City, Work City, etc… City of Champions never worked, not even when the Oilers and the Eskimos were the envy of Canada… We tried and failed to replace the slogan with Smart City in the mid-1990s. We’ve been trying and failing ever since. Young people now react against the old Champions slogan by coming up with more honest, blunt nicknames for Edmonton, such as Dirt City or End of the Earth, the title of a new online comic about Edmonton by Chad Huculak. My suggestions? Edmonton, The Gritty City. Edmonton, Work City. Edmonton, City of Industry. Edmonton, Boom Town. All those nicknames are what we are, should embrace and can sell to outsiders. One sensible plan is to go with a chief defining feature, either Edmonton, River City or Edmonton, Winter City. Many cities have rivers, but few are as spectacular as our deep and winding river, so River City would work. David Staples, in the Edmonton Journal, September 11, 2013
71. Allowing all residents a voice in creating the collective image of the city fosters a more democratic process within urbanism, granting the “right to change and reinvent the city more after [their] hearts’ desire” - Harvey, D. 2012. Rebel Cities. London, UK: Verso Posters made by Mike Kendrick in 2011 & 2012 Nathan Bunio and Elvin Wyly Championing the City Motto: An Analysis of Edmonton's Un/Official Slogan The Geographical Bulletin 55:81-96
72. Edmonton is Encircled by Anthony Henday Drive 78 km ring road: • constructed over 26 years • cost $4.3 billion • carries 121,000 vehicles per day Opening was celebrated with humour
73. Edmonton Mayor’s Transformative Vision Created with input from thousands of residents, our Plan captures a diversity of ideas, aspirations and dreams for the future of our city, culminating in the City's Vision of Edmonton in 2040. This Strategic Plan turns the vision into reality. It sets out our goals to strengthen environmental preservation and sustainability; to transform the city's urban form...
74. Leaders propose Winter City Strategy in 2012 City staff will ask councillors to request: • 10-year implementation plan • $362,000 in the 2013 budget • appoint a winter city co-ordinator • an ongoing advisory council • set up community projects The heads of all city departments have signed off on the strategy. "For too long, this city has accepted good enough as the standard by which to measure things" - Mayor Stephen Mandel
75. Implementation of Winter City Strategy in 2013 The Return on Our Investment Leveraging our winter assets and applying a winter lens on other City of Edmonton investments will: From Grass to Ice: Creating the Epic Victoria Skating Oval help us to realize their full economic benefits improve our quality of life and place attract more people and businesses helping to increase our competitiveness on the global stage
76. Freezeway Proposed to the City by Matt Gibbs
77. Renamed Iceway Grows
78. E-Town 2013 Launch EEDC CEO Brad Ferguson: “E-Town is built on an existing regional strength —a tenacious entrepreneurial spirit.” “We wanted to go bold,” “It speaks to brand development and confidence in Edmonton.” “opportunity to take economic development in a new direction.” https://blog.mastermaq.ca/2013/09/03/e-town-celebrates-entrepreneurship-in-edmonton/ https://x.com/ExploreEdmCo/status/510504548952051712/photo/1 https://x.com/KarenUnland/status/510160672378728448/photo/1 https://x.com/Chris_Vilcsak/status/510535612626382848/photo/1https://x.com/ddbedmonton/status/510561678304739330/photo/1
79. E-Town Mural, Paintball Group https://www.facebook.com/ETownBeatDownPBYEG/ Made by graffiti writer Slick in 2019, shown at Rust Magic Street Mural Festival, located at 10331 106 St, EDMONTON and https://muralroutes.ca/mural/the-e-town-get-down/
80. Big E Launch "rebirth of our City's heart” “Downtown Edmonton is currently experiencing its single largest boom in history” “a window into the future of our Downtown” “created to connect, educate and engage by way of intrigue and becoming a single identifiable symbol for the Energy & Excitement” - Ian O'Donnell VP, Downtown Edmonton Community League (2015) http://www.iheartedmonton.ca/2015/08/ the-big-e-represents-downtown-edmontons.html
81. Big E: Bad Idea say 50% of People Big E draws mixed reviews
82. City asks Citizens: Improve Reputation of Edmonton Allison Salz The group, which would become known as Make Something Edmonton, put forward eight recommendations to the committee that they hope will improve the city's reputation around the globe. The report recommends firstly creating a Make Something agency and a permanent office, to be operated at an arm's length of city administration. It also stresses the importance of adopting a "make something" attitude at city hall, to keep the grassroots, citizen driven, culture of the project while working alongside the administration.
83. City asks Citizens to Make Edmonton projects "The executive committee was great in accepting the core recommendations, which was to keep this citizen-led initiative underway," said Make Something co-chair Chris LaBossiere. "It will allow it to stay independent so it can remain authentic and not become a bureaucratic department of the city."
84. Edmonton River @ Make Something Edmonton
85. Edmonton River and Corporate Logos Converge Hunter Tura, CEO, Bruce Mau Design, said in about the old City Logo: “There’s really not much to admire here: the vaguely ‘Mary Tyler Moore Show’ typography doesn’t exactly express the vibrancy of a city that’s on the vanguard...” City asked citizens for new imagery in 2013, Edmonton River then shared its 2014 trademark and designs with the City. City modernized its corporate logo in 2016, yielding a shared visual baseline for corporate and citizen brand synergy.
86. The Edmonton Made campaign was started through Councillor Michael Oshry's council initiative on emerging economies, and developed by Make Something Edmonton … and the City of Edmonton. "Edmonton's a great place to do business and to start a business but historically, we haven't done a really good job celebrating the locally owned businesses. There's thousands and thousands of locally owned businesses and this is a way to help identify who they are and help to support them," Oshry said.
88. Edmonton River is featured in the Edmonton Made Directory We have provided place brand imagery and custom products for Edmontonians and visitors for over a decade. https://edmontonmade.com
89. acquires https://edmontonmade.com
90. "We do have a storytelling problem, and we do have a leadership problem when it comes to elevating Edmonton,” - Puneeta McBryan Executive Director Downtown Edmonton Business Association “The now-defunct Make Something Edmonton group fell apart due to disagreements between organizers, the City of Edmonton, and the nowsplintered (but not fully replaced) Edmonton Economic Development Corporation. I think it should be resurrected… I also think that it should be the grassroots movement that it was meant to be from the get-go” - Tegan Martin-Drysdale Entrepreneur and real estate developer
91. Metro Mayors Ask for 1 Brand for Global Marketing FROM COPING TO COMPETING In the fall of 2015, the Metro Mayors Alliance (9 Mayors) gave the panel frank advice on how to make the Metro Region globally competitive. They recommended that Edmonton Metro Region should develop: 1. collaborative, focused economic development strategy 2. a single brand to market the region internationally Photo courtesy of the Metro Mayors Alliance and https://blog.mastermaq.ca
92. City’s Impact Rebrand is Queried
93. Don Iveson Emoji Offers a Personal Angle
94. Launches in 2018 to Attract Investment “Last night we launched Edmonton Global: • Economic development organization for the region. • Markets seek certainty and stability-Edmonton is that place • One of the most inclusionary cities • Safe, resilient and surest bet. • The place you want to invest. To move to and raise a family. • Where the business climate is fertile for growth.” - Simon O'Byrne Senior VP Stantec https://blog.mastermaq.ca
95. Designs Brand Based on YEG Airport Code Edmonton Global launches the “Young, Educated, Growing” slogan & argues against the use of the words “Capital Region” in 2019. We succeeded in convincing our neighbours to align to Edmonton Metropolitan Region, or Edmonton Metro. Edmonton Global also uses the airport code YEG in its regional branding to describe the region as Young, Educated and Growing, which are key differentiators for our region in Canada. We do not use Capital Region anymore, as there are dozens of other 'capital regions' in the world; though unfortunately some regional institutions and provincial voices continue to use the outdated label.
96. Changes to Model are Recommended An ad hoc committee of mayors from around the region have recommended changes to Edmonton Global’s: • Funding model • Governance • Communication practices
97. Edmonton Project Aims to Unleash Creativity to Better the City The Edmonton Project is looking for residents to pitch ideas to better our city. Founder Jeffrey Hansen-Carlson calls the project a platform to allow Edmontonians to “uncover one single idea that captives our imagination.” The initiative is community-driven but has support from the city. Mayor Don Iveson said fresh thinking about a signature project could change the face of the city. “It’s exciting. It’s timely,” he said, It will uncork the creativity of Edmontonians to come up with a place-making initiative.
98. Edmonton Project On Hold due to Engagement Concerns Amarjeet Sohi Mayor, City of Edmonton: “The biggest thing is the lack of authentic engagement with Indigenous communities… it did not happen. I wish it had, but it had not. Especially when we as a city have such a strong commitment to reconciliation…” Jeffrey Hansen-Carlson CEO, Prairie Sky Gondola: “This city needs more big ideas for people to believe in and more empowered city builders daring to do them."
99. City Launches Downtown Vibrancy Strategy
100. Downtown Vibrancy #1 Campaign Meet Me Downtown Campaign (2023) Creative Manager: Ray Au City of Edmonton Designer & Copywriter: Mark Steiner Team Lead, Design City of Edmonton https://rgd.ca/hiring-designers/award-winners/2026-in-house-award-winners/meet-me-downtown
101. #MeetMeDowntown Mayoral Launch May 10, 2003 Mayor Amarjeet Sohi state of the city address: "This will allow more festivals to come downtown," "It will allow more animation of back alleys, public spaces, to attract more investment into downtown."
102. #MeetMeDowntown is at Transforming Edmonton https://transforming.edmonton.ca
103. Mayor Offers New Edmonton Merch in 2023 The Mayor's Office created a collection of Canadian-made and locally-produced gifts with the goal to promote and give back to the Edmonton arts community. Highlights Edmonton's local makers and businesses while proudly communicating iconic City imagery. A thoughtfully designed collection of Edmonton-centric goods from the Office of Mayor Amarjeet Sohi includes: Edmonton mugs LRT socks Edmonton tote bags ETS themed t- shirts Edmonton mittens park sign dog bandanas
104. North Star City by Chamber CEO Doug Griffiths I see Edmonton growing into its role as Canada’s North Star City. One of this city’s greatest attributes is that it is humble, but one of our worst attributes is that we are humble. We need to tell our story, share our identity, and celebrate our progress. Doug Griffiths, '16 MBA, CEO, Chamber of Commerce Roveena Mecwan, BAA - 27 October 2025 https://www.ualberta.ca/en/business/alumni-giving/alumni/profiles/doug-griffiths-16-mba.html https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=374075858257845
105. Glass of the Sask Campaign by EPCOR in 2023 https://www.epcor.com
106. We are YEG Metro Brand Launch in Calgary, 2024 YEG Metro is a regional partnership that unites leaders across the visitor economy, education, business, and community to champion Edmonton with one connected voice; showcasing the region's strengths and momentum to attract investment and talent, and positioning it as one of Canada's most dynamic places to live, work, study, visit, build, and invest in.
107. at KDays in 2026
108. Edmonton Region Logo at Calgary Stampede 2026
109. Many Edmonton Taglines: Fragmented Messaging ECONOMICS Canada's Richest Mixed Farming District Heart of Canada's Great North West Oil Capital of Canada Boom Town The City With a Great Future Leader of the Greatest Empire of the North NORTHERN Gateway to the North Top of the World Crossroads of the World North Star City CULTURAL Festival City River City Radiant City Winter City Edmonchuk Volunteer Capital of Canada City of Champions Smart City Open City MARKETING Official Host City for the Turn of the Century Take a Fun City Alberta Break Your Friendly City It's Cooler Here Make Something Edmonton Edmonton Made MeetMeDowntown: Marvin We Are YEG Post-Tagline City POPULAR E-Town Big E YEG Gritty City REGION Alberta Capital Region Edmonton Capital Region Edmonton Metro Edmonton Region Edmonton Metropolitan Region Greater Edmonton COUNTER-BRAND City of Potholes City of Speed Traps Canada’s Boiler Room Dirt City End of the Earth Redmonton Deadmonton image by Kelly Mellings
110. Many Edmonton Logos: Fragmented Identity EDMONTON
111. Many Recent Top-down Edmonton Marks Offloaded Replaced in 2013 1 campaign in 2013 Transferred to Edify in 2021 Archived since 2021 1 campaign in 2015 No activity from 2022 Removed in 2015 Not used after 2020 Merch not available after 2023 Inactive since 2020 Logos not used since 2025 Not used since 2020 Dissolved in 2025
112. Many Edmonton Typefaces: Fragmented Name
113. Many Versions of Initial E: Fragmented Icon
114. Many Opinions expressed by Edmonton’s Mayors
115. Brand Identity Not Clear, Consistent or Compelling Collaborators Call for Unified Brand via the Community
116. Edmonton to Refresh City Branding from 2026-9
117. Edmonton is Co-Creating a New Place Brand During extensive engagement, we heard that while Edmonton has the "advantage," the City must move from just being a regulator to also a growth partner. In response, we have organized our efforts around three interconnected pillars to meet this challenge: Enabling a Strong Business Environment: We will continue to cut red tape and focus on creating a business-friendly city. Marketing the Edmonton Advantage: We will co-create a new place brand that will help us market Edmonton's opportunities locally and globally. Driving Investment: We will proactively use our available resources to catalyze growth in industrial and commercial areas.
118. “Administration has been populating and refining the site, ensuring search optimization and incorporation of the highest standards based on Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. As a result, Why.Edmonton.ca earned the international Digital Gold Award from AVA Digital Awards in early 2025. WhyEdmonton.ca This has positioned the next iteration of place brand for success, ensuring resources are in place for longer-term brand sustainability. ” Edmonton Place Brand Framework (2026-2029)
119. Edmonton’s Place Brand Site: Why.Edmonton.ca
120. Edmonton’s Place Brand Site: Why.Edmonton.ca
121. Evolution of the Edmonton Brand 1. Geological, Indigenous & Treaty Foundations: Glacial origins, amiskwacîwâskahikan, the pehonan gathering place, and the sacred sacred covenants of Treaty 6. 2. Settlement & Industrial Identity: Fort Edmonton, fur trade, farming, trade routes, coal mining, gold rush, railways, and early civic crests. 3. Slogan Era (Late 20th – Early 21st Century): Civic brand fragmentation: City of Champions, Gateway to the North, It's Cooler Here, E-Town, etc. 4. Modern Co-Creation Era: Transition toward citizen-driven storytelling, Indigenous-centered branding that grounds the city's future in its roots.
122. Chart of Cree Syllabics Cree Elder and language keeper Leo Yahyahkeekoot teaches that each syllabic embodies relationships with land and cultural knowledge. https://news.library.ualberta.ca/blog/2020/06/25/cree-syllabics-project/
123. Naming Committee Integrates Indigenous Perspectives
124. Edmonton Display Features Métis Artist Crystal Lee Clark
125. Lance Cardinal’s Art Displays at Airport and Downtown
126. The unbroken strip of green would become a world-class metropolitan park. A downtown river promenade is but one of many ambitious possibilities contained in A Plan of Action for the Capital Region River Valley Park, a $605-million vision for the future drafted by the River Valley Alliance, a not-for-profit corporation involving seven municipalities.
127. Beaver Hill Road is Announced The River Valley Alliance announced a new name for a 100 km pedestrian trail system as “Amisko Wacîw Mêskanaw,” which translates to “Beaver Hill Road.” Elder Jerry Saddleback: This is kind of like a reawakening of the established relationships we have from nation to nation. One time the beaver made a mountainous hill, this beaver dam. He made it into a hill, so we started calling the area Beaver Hill. https://cfweradio.ca/2023/05/15/river-valley-alliance-announces-new-name-longest-river-valley-trail-in-north-america/ https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=294328
128. Beaver Hills Bridge opens in 2025
129. Stewart Steinhauer, Saddle Lake Cree Nation on the art on the Amisk Wâciw Âsokan, or Beaver Hills Bridge: “They want to honour Indigenous peoples and recognize a long occupation of the area. I think that's great. The Bear is perched on a granite pedestal looking out over the North Saskatchewan River.” Treaty 6 Signing Marked by Art
130. Kristine Archibald, executive director of the River Valley Alliance: "We need additional funding” Its current grant money will run out in 2025 and Archibald says the alliance is now looking ahead to its next project — filling the 26-kilometre gap in the trail system from southwest Edmonton to Parkland County. The result would be a 100-km continuous trail system to be enjoyed by local residents and as a tourist destination.
131. National Urban Parks Policy Having the support of and working Three core objectives: closely with Indigenous governments 1. conserving nature and communities is key to: 2. connecting people with nature • Conserving and protecting nature 3. advancing reconciliation with Indigenous peoples • Providing space for Indigenous Created, planned and managed here through collaboration and cooperation between: • City of Edmonton • Province of Alberta • Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations • Otipemisiwak Métis Government • Key stakeholders • Community organizations • Interested organizations and individuals • Promoting Indigenous voices and leadership and stewardship, stories • Recognizing and respecting Indigenous systems of law Project Status: • currently on pause • remains in the prefeasibility phase • Facilitating connections to lands and waters based on Indigenous knowledge and values https://parks.canada.ca/pun-nup/politique-policy#section-7 https://www.edmonton.ca/city_government/initiatives_innovation/national-urban-park
132. The River is core to our identity and way of life.
133. Our visual language allows everyone to tell their own story. This is not a brand, it is a way to express your identity.
134. Edmonton’s place brand should be: AUTHENTIC rooted in the region’s ancestry unifying Edmonton’s diversity ACCESSIBLE useful for citizens, nonprofits, business, and government ADAPTABLE for many purposes, responsive to emerging needs and feelings This is what Edmonton River has built and proven for 12 years
135. Edmonton’s place brand should be: AUTHENTIC: Protected IP ACCESSIBLE: Open Source ADAPTABLE: Global Scale This is what Edmonton River has built and proven for 12 years
136. Help shape Edmonton's shared identity Participate Identify what Edmonton should stand for. Use it Experiment with the identity in your own organization. Champion it Help make Edmonton's identity visible beyond the city. This isn't a campaign owned by Edmonton River. It's an identity that Edmonton can own together.
137. Contact: Michael Overduin Co-Founder & Director Edmonton River 780 222 6281 michael@edmontonriver.com Alberta Limited company incorporated in 2017, developing this project for 12 years, and advised by 1000 local leaders and companies. Mario Minichiello Professor, City Branding
138. Thank you More details: https://www.edmontonriver.com/1-pager.pdf https://www.edmontonriver.com/Summary.pdf https://speakerdeck.com/edmontonriver/edmonton-river-slidedeck