ATHABASCA - A marketing campaign to highlight some of the jewels of northeast Alberta, including those in the Athabasca region, is well under way in the hopes of encouraging those from outside the region to #TakeItToTheLake.
The opportunities for recreation and relaxation at one of the region’s many lakes is front and centre in the campaign, which was developed by Seekers Media, a multi-platform media company that produces interesting and engaging photo, video, editorial and social media content. This particular campaign is being overseen by the company’s ZenSeekers offshoot.
The company has partnered with Travel Alberta along with Lac La Biche, Cold Lake, Bonnyville, Vermilion, Métis Crossing, and now Athabasca County, to invite those from outside the region to explore and discover what this part of the province has to offer.
Athabasca County’s tourism and economic development (TED) officer Luke Pantin says there was a need for new promotional materials for the county and with the Travel Alberta funding along with the group of municipalities that were already involved with the campaign, it was a good fit.
“The concept of ZenSeekers really fits our region, particularly Athabasca because Zen is the Japanese concept of Buddhism that stresses the value of meditation, a state of calmness, tranquility and undisturbed placidness,” said Pantin. “When people come to Athabasca, what we’re trying to project is … the calmness, the connection to nature, the greatness of the land, the variety, and not just in the summer, but year-round.”
He went on to say the success of the campaign will be measured by the return on investment (Travel Alberta provided $69,000 to be shared by all the municipalities involved) and he hopes to collect information from hotel and tour operators regarding increases in bookings and revenue; increased hits on the Visit Athabasca website; and spontaneous surveys of travelers coming through the community.
“Initially, our market reach is northern Alberta and the greater Edmonton area. We’re looking at the two million people in that area to come this way. That is the immediate market span, but we are actually marketing to the whole world,” said Pantin.
If you have seen groups of people with high tech cameras touring around Athabasca in the last few weeks, that was ZenSeekers. And on Aug. 9 the crew was in town to shoot video for a promotional package on Athabasca’s arts and culture scene, visiting the Nancy Appleby Theatre, the Athabasca Pottery Club and the Bear in Mind Vintage antique shop.
Seekers Media CEO Jim Barr says it was a great experience coming to Athabasca and working with some very passionate locals to help promote the region.
“It’s a really creative place and there are lots of wide open spaces in the county, and it’s really encouraging in terms of the opportunity that folks from Edmonton or within the region have to pay a visit to Athabasca and just get outside and get involved with a community that is welcoming and has a really warm heart that people can attach themselves to and it was really encouraging, in terms of the locals, as they all extended an invitation to friends and family to come and visit them this season,” said Barr.
Ida Edwards was one of the locals the crew met up with that day and she was able to show off the Nancy Appleby Theatre for the first time in several months, after all activities were put on hold due to the pandemic.
“I played the piano, I didn’t sing, but we had a great atmosphere and it was really good,” said Edwards. “I also took them into the foyer and introduced them to Nancy Appleby’s portrait … She was an amazing woman who lived in the Athabasca area and she brought piano and singing lessons to the area in the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s.”
Edwards, who is also a town councillor, is now one of the residents carrying on Appleby’s work in teaching and creating music in the area, giving visitors just one more reason to visit Athabasca on their way out to the lake.
“As a music teacher, I get to meet a lot of families and I’m always fascinated by what brings people to town for careers and other choices they just embrace,” she said.
“We are a unique blend of urban conveniences and amenities, with a great love for getting outdoors,” she said. “We have a level of enjoyment in a cultural lifestyle and really a unique blend of people in the forestry industry and oil patch; in agriculture; and at Athabasca University; our service industry; our health and education. It’s such a melting pot of different educational backgrounds and viewpoints of the world.”
After a quick lunch at the Burger Bar and a stroll down by the river, the crew was on their way to meet with members of the Athabasca Pottery Club for a look at their space and some of the work they’ve created.
To wrap up their tour of the town, the crew stopped in at Bear in Mind Vintage, where owner Lori Lockyer was happy to open up the doors on the weekend for a special viewing of her antique shop.
“I’m very honoured to be a part of that campaign because Athabasca is quite small but big on business, so it was pretty sweet,” said Lockyer. “I was nervous because I’m better on the sidelines than in focus in front of the camera.”
In just over three years, Lockyer has turned her little antique store into a cultural hotspot in the region, displaying not only antiques from decades gone by, but the work of local artists and artisans as well.
Much of her clientele are tourists, who are surprised to find such a treasure of a store in such a small town. They’re often making their way through town on their way to, or back from, vacationing in the area and just happened to see the old house on the hill, or were told about it via word of mouth, or just by chance.
Now, with all the footage collected, the crew will head to the editing room.
“The fun and games continue right through until October,” said Barr. “The efforts to acquire the content is just the first phase, then we go into a content-editing mode for the next few weeks or months, so we’ll reach just over 250,000 people over the next two months to celebrate Alberta’s northeast so there’s lots of work still ahead of us.”
