I like the fact that Edmonton has many different festivals all going at once sometimes, it gives you more diversity. Heritage fest, African fest, Cariwest, Folk Fest, k-days, Flying Canoe Volant and others all attract out of towners to the city
In winter there are also The Deep Freeze festival that is very popular and there's also the Silver Skate festival, All is Bright fest and Winter Whyte Light Up.
Your point is valid. But for me in my opinion Edmonton should aim higher and use Montreal as a model because it's the superior transportation system in the country
I also have a friend from Ottawa who used to live in Edmonton and left the city back in 2007. When he came back to Edmonton in 2018 he couldn't believe how much the city changed. He always loved the city, but he was very impressed on how many things changed and improved.
He's now planning a move...
I know a couple from Jamaica who knew Edmonton because of the West Edmonton mall, the River Valley but mostly the Walterdale Bridge. They told themselves that as soon as they get here, they will go take pictures of themselves by the bridge. For them, that bridge represents Edmonton.
Another...
... and yet there's this guy. A realtor originally from Toronto who recently moved to Edmonton and prefer it to Calgary and Toronto. So, in the end it's all basically a matter of personal preference
As a francophone I can tell you that a lot of people from Quebec are moving here to Alberta and especially Edmonton. There's a huge campaign right now by Québécois who moved here recently to influence others to move here.
Also, lots of people still come to Edmonton at least because of the West...