Re: Editorial on March 9
Dear editor,
I believe a newspaper should unite, work together with their community and come up with solutions to mutual problems. This is what the municipality does, and I don鈥檛 imagine this is an easy job in a town full of strong willed, and very opinionated people. I am grateful for the work they do on our behalf and know that every one of those people are doing the very best they can with the tools they鈥檙e given. In my opinion, last week鈥檚 editorial had much unfounded critique of their decisions.
Over 40 million international viewers will see the Tour of Alberta on television. The 2012 World Cup had similar viewership where a 30-second ad cost $450,000-$500,000. Jasper will be on air between two and three hours.聽 So let鈥檚 say two hours at $450K per 30 seconds, is a value of over $100 million, excluding athletes鈥� love of Jasper on social media with hundreds of thousands of followers, or the approximately $16 million in earned media value (articles on the event.) Even to my untrained brain that is seriously savvy use of $50,000.
鈥淪tudies have been proving for years that bicyclists are good for business. Cycling customers are more likely to linger, make spur-of-the-moment decisions and purchases, and overall spend more money at bars, restaurants, caf茅s, and convenience stores in comparison with their car-driving counterparts 鈥� A term that is coming into play a lot more these days is 鈥榃allets on Wheels,鈥欌�� wrote Geffen Semach in Momentum Magazine.
So is it 鈥榥ecessary?鈥� In the true definition of the word it is not. But it is no less necessary than a small town newspaper, a good bike ride, a family dog, or a million other things that make our lives more fulfilled.
I know some local businesses took a hit last time because of the way the Tour was set up (I saw the hurt up close and personal in my own family) but that is a lesson learned, and I understand the organizers are doing their best so that doesn鈥檛 happen again.
The question of the week regarding the Tour of Alberta was odd. It鈥檚 happening. So why go backwards creating opposition within the community? I just don鈥檛 get it. The number of respondents represented 5.6 per cent of our population, so the poll was not at all reflective of the true numbers and feelings of Jasperites.
United we are invincible.
Marta Rode
