A cheerleader for your city/area?

[shootingstar]

And the size of the place is not key. I was raised in a southern Ontario city that started off under 30,000. Now it and another twin city right beside it (always was there) it's probably around 400,000 people. I could and did enthusiastically talk about the area with many suggestions what to see and do.

I think it's the local culture /ambience of our area (Calgary) that makes it tougher. Today I found out why the local tourism organization didn't seem as active: most of the money had been poured into primarily 1 annual event ...a 10-day event that celebrates cowboy culture, rodeo sports, etc. Supposedly that will change soon.

The City was founded as a railway stop (which now Canadian's passenger rail line no longer goes through our city, just the freight train), also as major western outpost for now as we know for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to tame the wild West...and known as a stopping point for whiskey traders, drunks and prostitutes. The cowboys used to drop by to join in the fun, do business (well, the cattle had to be shipped somewhere..)

Canada is like the U.S., there are some major regional differences ---in terms of history, politics and culture. And one doesn't really know it until one lives these different regions for a few years.

After living in also Toronto and Vancouver, there are times I think I need to chill out..and just shake my head. I have a friend who just bought a place here and is now having cold feet ...she has been living in Toronto for almost 25 years and loves it. But raised/grew up in Calgary with her family still here. Personally I think it's really the Rocky Mountain area that is the natural draw for her.