Rudy Mangold:  David Hamilton, the last surviving partner of GMH Architects, said a few words about Rudy and presented a donation cheque to honour Rudy's devotion to service through Rotary for community service.  Rudy joined Rotary Club of Edmonton West on July 1, 1956, and had 60 years as a member until his health deteriorated.  Rudy succumbed to a stroke after surviving several.  David first met Rudy in 1969 and joined his firm in 1976.  

 

Finemaster:  Al Sanderson raised funds through questions based on the Rotary International Foundation.

 

50/50:  Bob Gollan and Tren Cole did not match cards; $192 carried over.

 

Guest Speaker:  Brad Ferguson has been CEO of EEDC for 5 years and took the position to provide Edmonton with a new scenario for development.  EEDC has 600 employees in Edmonton, mostly because of the conglomerate model that EEDC works under.  They run Edmonton Tourism as well as Shaw Conference Centre and Edmonton Research Park.   With 1.3 million residents in the capital area, it is important that the operating structure means all groups and employees are on the same page.  In 2012, EEDC established a mission which is more a statement of interest:  be better than any other jurisdiction in North America regardless of the price of oil.  This format has helped EEDC promote Edmonton and area so that the area's GDP (gross domestic product) is 3 times the Canadian average; income growth is 3 times the Canadian average; population growth is 3 times the Canadian average; unemployment is one half the Canadian average and one quarter of new Canadian jobs  created every year are in Edmonton. 

 

A key premise is to get all Edmontonians to talk positively about Edmonton whether in or out of town.  Talk positively about winter in Edmonton.  Promotional pictures now show people having fun, not the old pictures of shovelling snow or walking in drab white surroundings.  Colour is added and smiles are shown.   The promotional target has been 18 to 34 year olds with the chance to improve income and be a significant impact on the local community.  The result has been , over 30 months, a $5.5 billion construction boom to the central core of Edmonton.  Rogers Place as had massive economic impact and all points of EEDC's downtown plan have been fulfilled, most above plan. 

 

Winter has been addressed, staring with the Winter City Shake Up Festival and all pictures show people.  However, Garth Brooks with 9 performances over 2 weeks has had the largest economic impact ever.  80,000 people came from outside of Edmonton.  Another result is Edmonton as a winter city on the front cover of Canadian Geographic.  It shows Edmonton's win as the world's number 1 winter city.  This impacts on foreign investment as this brings the tourists from Europe during a normally depressed tourism season.  The ads show ice castles, wild winter festivals, snow sculptures, and 1500 person snow ball fights.  People get involved and tourists want to join the fun.  The media image is year round fun and civic pride.  Edmonton recently won another international award "Best Expression of Place Brand".

 

Brad was thanked by Darrel Ripley.