Carrie Doll, one of the Idea Den panellists, shares her thoughts on The Edmonton Project and helping to choose which idea would move forward.

The Edmonton Project was a beautiful grassroots reflection of what our city is truly all about – forward big thinking entrepreneurs that are limited by nothing other than their imagination. The Edmonton Project put imagination to paper. It allowed those who love our city and want to take it to the next level, to dream out loud. While every one of the top 10 finalists deserved to be a winner, the gondola project soared above the rest for me because it is the next level for our city. It challenges Edmontonians to think about “what could be” if supported by all levels of government and different types of funding. While the gondola represents high-level thinking, the reality is, it’s a wonderful and creative form of public transit. Yes, it will allow users to see our city in a beautiful way, but it will solve a number of traffic issues without a huge disruption in our current infrastructure. Will it draw criticism? Without a doubt! That criticism and the discussion around the project is what will make it great. When the gondola was crowned the winner, I heard from countless people who applauded the big thinking and said it is yet another element that will turn Edmonton into a world-class city. Now it’s up to us to take that big thinking and build it.        

~ Carrie Doll, Owner, Carrie Doll Consulting and former Television Journalist
@CarrieADoll