Winnipeg: A Great Place for Families

We live in a small city that likes to think big.

Apparently our mayor wants to add an LRT. He says that its a way to make the city more attractive to investors. It sort of feels like he wants us to be some sort of miniature Calgary. It’s like being in high school again where we’re supposed to try and be like the popular people. The problem with wanting to be someone we’re not, is that we lose sight of who we really are.

Winnipeg is a great place to live. Seriously. I have homeschool friends who moved here from out west after researching the best place on the country to raise their children. They looked at all sorts of statistics and chose Winnipeg because it was a great place to raise a family.

Why can’t that be our tag line? Why do we have to focus on gambling and power stations in the over-priced Spirited Energy campaign. I heard a radio show about how the government is trying to lure more young people here by increasing our night life, how we need to compete with Montreal. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Why can’t we admit that we’re a small town with all the quaint charm that goes with that. Why can’t we focus on creating a safe urban oasis that offers all that a growing family could want.

My hubby thinks I’m naive and optimistic. He says that marketing for families doesn’t bring in money or jobs. Maybe he’s right. I took educational theory not economics at university. But somehow I can’t help thinking that spending time, effort and money to create a safe place with strong community outreach, excellent educational opportunities, and a vibrant artistic and recreational life that includes children would be a good thing – a thing that families would want to be a part of.

If we build it, wouldn’t they come?

Related posts:

1. We Day Winnipeg 2011 – Be the Change
2. My Own Little Place on the Net