Today begins my listening tour. Yesterday (Sunday) we drove our RV from our farm near Bashaw (halfway between Stettler and Camrose) to Edson. I loved driving the RV – squishier than a minivan but less so than a grain truck. A few things flew out of cupboards, but we are learning.
To understand a place, I like to walk it – equally informative in Paris and Edson. It provides a sense of place. As an aside, I spent an afternoon in Fairview and several evenings in Grande Prairie just walking around and getting to know both communities.
My wife and I spent much of yesterday afternoon and evening meandering around Edson. To be perfectly honest, I had never really thought of Edson before, other than as a place for a quick pitstop on my way to Jasper. Like many prairie towns, the highway (in this case highway 16) is divided by a few streets – it runs westerly down one street and easterly a few streets over. My guess is that over 90% of Edson’s retail is on highway 16 or the retail island that exists in its middle. If your knowledge of Edson is limited to your drive through, you are missing much.
What an amazing place! Edson is set on the edge of a forest. We walked through a park that felt like we were in Banff or Kananaskis – that same forest smell. I quipped to Tammi that we may encounter a bear. She responded that she was not concerned as she was confident, in fact certain, that while she may be slower than a bear she is faster than me. Isn’t love grand. We saw some unique “flower art” – many yards were amazing. And there were many incredible buildings. Edson is very prosperous and well-maintained. What a wonderful community. Love it.
I am just studying up for my meetings. So, let me provide a brief “get to know” segment. Becoming a town in 1912, Edson has a little over 8,500 people. Its two primary industries are forestry (Weyerhaeuser Canada and Sundance Forest Industries), and natural resources.
Today, I will be meeting with several political and economic leaders including the Member of Parliament for Yellowhead, the Mayor of Edson, the Mayor for Yellowhead County, and representatives from the Edson Chamber of Commerce. I look forward to learning how we can work in partnership.
So, the most excellent journey begins.
Your friend,
Glenn
