Group pushing to restore signs and even offering to pay for it
Little stops productivity in Edmonton faster than 'City of Champions' debates.
The tagline was coined back in 1980s after a
massive tornado saw the town work together to help those who'd been
affected. But over time Edmonton fell out of love with the slogan, and
last spring, council voted to remove it from six rather dated welcome
signs.
Mayor Don Iveson said at the time Edmonton had entered a "post-tagline" world.
But Don Clarke, 84, doesn't agree. Clarke and
13 others — including Tommy Banks and John Stanton — are part of a
committee pushing council to reconsider returning the slogan to the
signs, and is even proposing to pay for it if council agrees.
Media asked Clarke some questions about his idea.
Why do we need a slogan?
That's like asking, 'Why do we have to have
pride in our city or care about those who are less fortunate'? Why do we
need a slogan? Because it's good for us.
What do you want to happen?
We made it clear to council that to put them
back the way they were, we as a committee, would raise the money for it.
We're not talking about doing electronic or neon signs or anything.
Would you be open to a different slogan?
If I asked 10 people, you'd get all kinds of
suggestions. We had a slogan that worked. Some people said it got old
[but] I'd suggest they got old. I've got grandsons who thought it was
fine. Another slogan? Who's going to start figuring out which is the
right one?
What's a city slogan you remember or like?
The City of Brotherly Love [Philadelphia]. The Big Apple [New York City]. The City of Lights [Paris].
