Edmonton: A Good Setting for a book?
“There’s no place like home.” – Dorothy quote from The Wizard of Oz
Photo from Pinterest
My first book takes place in Edmonton, AB. So does my second.
And I keep wondering if it’s a good idea. I ask myself, “Who cares about Edmonton?”
And even though I know it’s a beautiful city and according to the Huffington Post, it’s “climbing the ranks of Canada’s best places to live,” I’m often unsure of whether it will be interesting or exotic enough to my readers.
That is, until I came across this video. Alex Scuccato, a talented Edmonton based photographer, has captured the beauty of the city.
Alex Scuccato Capture the Best of Edmonton in Stunning Video
To quote the Huffington Post article:
Scuccato shows off Edmonton’s stunning River Valley, street festivals, eateries and more, highlighting the best bits of of the city in what could easily be a tourism reel.
As one Redditor put it: “We live in a nice f***ing city.”
We couldn’t agree more.
So, I’ll lay my worries about story setting to rest. As best I can, anyway. Because in all honesty, I think that Edmonton is a cool city. I’m happy to live near it. I love wandering around West Edmonton Mall, with it’s sea caverns, indoor waterpark and rollercoaster, luxury stores and Target. I love sampling food at Taste of Edmonton and the Heritage Festival.
I love the Citadel Theratre, the Jubilee Auditorium, and the Muttart Conservatory. I love the eclectic shops on Whyte Ave and Audrey’s Books on Jasper.
I love to visit Fort Edmonton Park, and feeling like I’ve stepped back in time. I love Vi’s for Pies, and the Goodwill on the west end. I love the Indian restaurants and fabric stores in Millwoods.
Next on my to do list is the Fringe Festival. I’ve lived in this area since the late 90s and have yet to see the Fringe. A travesty, I know. The Folk Fest would be awesome too. Ooh, and touring the Legislature grounds. I’d love to take my kids there next summer to splash in the fountains. (Don’t worry, we’re allowed. It’s totally a “thing” people do here.)
Ah! Too much to see and do. I love it
And, to answer my original question, is Edmonton a good setting for a book?
I say yes.
Anywhere can be a good setting for the book. Personally, I think readers are more interested in your characters and what they’re doing than where the story takes place.
Furthermore, even if Edmonton is familiar to me, it will still be exotic and interesting to people from far away, like Perth (Australia), Reno (Nevada), or Dehli (India), etc. That’s the hope, anyway 
What do you love best about your home town?
– Chelsey
PS – if you want to learn more about Edmonton, check out this great article at Discover Edmonton.
