No question — Edmonton is a city of champions

Slogan is about more than sports, Bruce W. Hogle says

Like most Edmontonians, we enjoyed the “Thank You, Oilers” editorial which dealt with the great year they had and a wonderful, though all too short, showing in the playoffs.

But I resent your May 11 editorial “Rehash of Champions,” where you ridicule those citizens – including the writer – about retaining the City of Champions slogan. You insinuate that we are on a par with such towns as Duncanville, Texas; Brockton, Mass and Inglewood, Calif. which also have the same titles.

That’s like me asking why the Edmonton Journal still uses the Journal name when there’s a Montreal Journal and Quebec City Journal plus scores of Journal weekly newspapers across Alberta and Canada.

I remember vividly in 1981 when I was associated with CFRN TV (now Edmonton CTV) and launched a first-in-Canada weekly program called Wednesday’s Child. This feature was aimed at finding permanent homes for “difficult-to-adopt” children with physical, mental and emotional handicaps. The Edmonton Journal front-paged criticism of the writer and the show, charging it with exploiting children.

But the Edmonton Journal, under publisher Patrick O’Callaghan, commended the feature with a Feb. 12, 1982 editorial stating: “The critics were wrong. The segments are always touching and tasteful, breaking down walls of ignorance and misunderstanding. CFRN TV chartered new and chancy territory to help these children and it’s working. Good for them.”

The former CFRN TV and current Edmonton CTV station is now in its 36th year of Wednesday’s Child finding homes for children throughout Alberta and can still be seen at the conclusion of their 6-7 p.m. newscast.

I deliberately bring this up now, appreciating that the initial animosity toward Wednesday’s Child is now focusing on the City of Edmonton’s six “City of Champions” signs, which were wrongfully removed from different entrances to this city two years ago.

Unfortunately, short-minded council members and others feel “City of Champions” refers only to sports and specifically the Edmonton Oilers and Edmonton Eskimos during their glory years. That is so silly and narrow-minded.

Look at the thousands of Edmontonians who have done so much for this city over the years outside of the world of sports.

The visionaries who built the Stollery Children’s Hospital; University of Alberta and MacEwan University plus other educational facilities; Hawrelak Park established on a dump site; the Heritage Festival; city golf courses; Canterbury Foundation for Seniors and dozens more like it; Operation Friendship Seniors Society and many more like it; the Edmonton Community Foundation; hospitals and medical staff the envy of the world; superb police; fire departments and the military. Plus grateful immigrants choosing Edmonton as their new permanent home.

And how can we forget Jubilee Auditorium and Shoctor Theatre plus those city men and women who gave their lives during wartime and peacekeeping missions. Also, politicians at all levels; entrepreneurs, unions and community-minded service clubs.

And with 100,000 Edmontonians living in poverty, thank goodness for organizations and people like Anglican Bishop Jane Alexander and Mayor Don Iveson who are deeply concerned about them.

I could go on but I think you see my point. Further, the Journal and those city councillors who oppose the City of Champions signs and connotation do not even have a new name for us to consider. In other words, they are just throwing the rocks rather than thinking outside the box.

I think the new slogan for the City of Edmonton should refer to those individuals who have donated their lives to making this the incredible city that it is today. I’ve worked and lived in seven cities and five provinces including Edmonton since 1965. I’ve enjoyed all of them and always endeavoured to give back where I could.

All those reading this — including Edmonton City Hall and the Edmonton Journal — know of the hundreds of thousands of citizens who over the years have made this city the envy of the nation. Thus, let’s remember them and future leaders of tomorrow and refer to them specifically with the simple name A City of Champions.