Celebrating everything local

“Everyone here just loves talking to each other. I mean you can go walk to Gateway Mall and random people will just sit with random people and have awesome conversations. I mean, P.A. is just an awesome, friendly welcoming place.”

Tyson was born and raised in Prince Albert and recently moved back after departing briefly for school and work. For him, though nerve-racking, working with the city to show off his home was a satisfying experience.

“The video made Prince Albert look awesome,” Tyson added. “There are so many places you can just drive by and walk past and never really notice and I think the video does an amazing job of highlighting those unique locations.”

Honing in on the “awesomeness” of people in the city was why Evan Jenkins, who recently moved to Prince Albert and worked as the videographer for the project, quickly jumped on board.

Speaking to the crowd at the Rock Trout Cafe before the showing, Jenkins told the story of how he moved to P.A. He said the first people he met from the city were “very, very nice people, like exceptionally nice people” and he and his wife were excited to relocate.

However, he had spoken to another person who had a negative and discouraging view of the city. This notion slightly shook Jenkins’ confidence, yet upon arrival, he soon found out “the guy with the negative perception was dead wrong and my view of the people of Prince Albert was bang on.”

“With this video…I am so excited I can show the awesomeness of the people of Prince Albert,” he said. “We are always trying to make an emotional connection. I hope we get that emotional connection and it moves their mind in the right direction.”

The video was assembled entirely by locals. It includes some of Prince Alberts foremost locations like the Mann Art Gallery and Historical Museum. The city hopes the video will engage local residents to get out and take in the many local institutions and urge those passing through town to stop by.

“It is a call to action to, I want to say, in a way rebuild and continue to build pride in our community and to have people come downtown and experience downtown,” Judy MacLeod Campbell, Arts and Cultural Coordinator with the city said.

Though there are some negative ideas shared about the area, she said, Campbell hoped to change that perception, bring people downtown and explore the many cultural assets the city has to offer with the video.

The city hopes the visuals will also gain heavy online engagement, be used in presentations to stakeholders and community groups and to promote the arts, culture, tourism and economic development of the city.

A number of the downtown business people who helped make the video come to life were on hand for the unveiling, including Prince Albert Downtown Business Improvement District Executive Director Rick Orr. He was elated to the see the project come together.

“All we need to do is show people what we have and I think people, their hearts will open and they will say, you know we live in a magnificent city,” Orr said after taking in the video for the first time Friday. “There is lots to do, there is so much to see. Just get out there and see it.”

The song is not only a single for the video but the first of many for Tyson’s upcoming album.

“Locals” can be found on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play and YouTube. The video is also on the city’s new YouTube channel.

tyler.marr@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @JournoMarr

by Tyler Marr

Celebrating everything local

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