[thommyjo]

I've been thinking about this a good deal, and I think a lot of it comes down to the talent of the people we attract, particularly in cultural and white-collar jobs. Edmonton has talented people, to be sure, but it isn't a magnet for them, and since arriving I've already heard a number of smart young people talk about wanting to move to Montreal (especially those interested in culture) or Vancouver. I'd imagine that part of why (for example) the caliber of graphic design is so much higher in Toronto or Montreal is that in those cities, good graphic designers are practically hanging from the trees.

Young, ambitious people move elsewhere often. And those who “make it” in those cities can often afford to stay there long term and develop deep ties for their work.

We get a lot of government workers, those that value family over career, and a less ambitious attitude.

Pros and cons. I love the more connected, generous, friendly feel of Edmonton because of some of the above reasons. In Toronto I felt the ego/ambition/drive a lot more when I met people. But there were a lot of people doing great stuff because of that too.

 

[David A]

Young, ambitious people move elsewhere often. And those who “make it” in those cities can often afford to stay there long term and develop deep ties for their work.

We get a lot of government workers, those that value family over career, and a less ambitious attitude.

Pros and cons. I love the more connected, generous, friendly feel of Edmonton because of some of the above reasons. In Toronto I felt the ego/ambition/drive a lot more when I met people. But there were a lot of people doing great stuff because of that too.

Yes, some young people do move away often after they finish post secondary education. However, I suspect 90% of people do will not get such well paying jobs that will allow them to live comfortably in expensive big cities in the long term. So they may stay there for a while in a financial tenuous situation while trying to paint a rosy picture for friends and family back home, but maybe then will move elsewhere.

If anything these days people on the whole are leaving the big expensive cities in Canada and moving more to places like here. Maybe not those who just finished school, but particularly people a bit older who want to buy homes soon or in the future. So we lose some initially and get some back later.

 

[policyenthusiast]

RBC to mandate 4-day RTO

Not sure if RBC has a significant admin presence downtown.

 

[IanO]

Every bit helps.

Looking at you COE.

 

[ChazYEG]

RBC to mandate 4-day RTO

Not sure if RBC has a significant admin presence downtown.

Between the 3 branches, the little office they had and the former HSBC employees in the downtown office, they have around 300 employees downtown

 

[roe_]

Nothing says vibrancy like forcing employees to return to the office.

 

[IanO]

It's time folks returned to the office for more days of the week, while still offering flexibility and you still retain a WFH day (or two).

What's wrong with asking folks to physically be in the office?

 

[policyenthusiast]

Nothing says vibrancy like forcing employees to return to the office.

Down with the oppression of having to work at work!

 

[cmd uw]

Down with the oppression of having to work at work!

In my opinion I believe the vast majority of those who are resisting/lamenting the RTO mandates are likely the weakest performers within the organization. #likelyfact

 

[Glenco]

I find it quite incredible that a design engineering office can function with everyone working from home. How do you coordinate all the different disciplines?

 

[IanO]

 

[thommyjo]

What’s With the Vacant Storefronts? 8 Reasons for Empty Commercial Spaces

Here are eight reasons a storefront might sit vacant, applying to both professionally new built and legacy storefronts.

www.strongtowns.org

 

[Offworld]

Yes, some young people do move away often after they finish post secondary education. However, I suspect 90% of people do will not get such well paying jobs that will allow them to live comfortably in expensive big cities in the long term. So they may stay there for a while in a financial tenuous situation while trying to paint a rosy picture for friends and family back home, but maybe then will move elsewhere.

If anything these days people on the whole are leaving the big expensive cities in Canada and moving more to places like here. Maybe not those who just finished school, but particularly people a bit older who want to buy homes soon or in the future. So we lose some initially and get some back later.

A couple of years ago, I spoke with an impressive business undergrad from Edmonton who moved to Vancouver and without asking him, he said that not one person in his graduating class intended to stay in Edmonton. In the end, everyone in his circle went elsewhere. It wasn't just the lack of jobs, it was because of Edmonton compared to everywhere else they could go. In terms of both work and personal lives, there was nothing in Edmonton attractive enough to keep them there.

I'm stunned by the number of senior business people I've met in Vancouver that hailed from Edmonton. No regrets was a common theme.

 

[kcantor]

A couple of years ago, I spoke with an impressive business undergrad from Edmonton who moved to Vancouver and without asking him, he said that not one person in his graduating class intended to stay in Edmonton. In the end, everyone in his circle went elsewhere. It wasn't just the lack of jobs, it was because of Edmonton compared to everywhere else they could go. In terms of both work and personal lives, there was nothing in Edmonton attractive enough to keep them there.

I'm stunned by the number of senior business people I've met in Vancouver that hailed from Edmonton. No regrets was a common theme.

I think to some degree you might be seeing what you want to see/not seeing what you don’t want to see.

Edmontons population is now just over a million. Twenty years ago it was barely 700,000. I’m not sure what the actual number is but if you assume that 200,000 of those 700,000 that lived here in 2005 no longer live here, that means that almost 1 out of every 2 people that live here now moved here by choice in the last twenty years.

For most of us Edmonton, although far from perfect, continues to be an attractive place to live and work and maintain a life style that would be unaffordable in Vancouver.

 

[David A]

I think to some degree you might be seeing what you want to see/not seeing what you don’t want to see.

Edmontons population is now just over a million. Twenty years ago it was barely 700,000. I’m not sure what the actual number is but if you assume that 200,000 of those 700,000 that lived here in 2005 no longer live here, that means that almost 1 out of every 2 people that live here now moved here by choice in the last twenty years.

For most of us Edmonton, although far from perfect, continues to be an attractive place to live and work and maintain a life style that would be unaffordable in Vancouver.

Yes, there probably is someone in the GTA or elsewhere in Ontario commenting about about how so many of the people they went to university with are out west now.