Since they started strolling the streets in June, the City of Red Deer ambassadors have assisted tourists from as far away as Australia, England and the Netherlands.
Keith Dawson and Jerry Germain are two of the four men in red vests and red cowboy hats helping tourists and locals alike find what they need in the city’s downtown.
The City of Red Deer ambassadors program is a $50,000 pilot project approved by city council on May 17 in partnership with the Red Deer Downtown Business Association.
Germain said there are a lot more tourists in the community than one might imagine. He has become good at spotting them.
“They’re usually walking with cameras. We’ll approach them and tell them about the parks and downtown. Most of them really love City Hall Park,” Germain said.
The ambassadors often strike up a conversation with someone and give them one of the Red Deer pins they have to hand out.
“I like meeting the people from out of town and hearing about their adventures,” Germain said.
Germain was once a tourist in Red Deer. He worked with Telus as a technician and then in corporate sales in British Columbia. He visited Red Deer for a holiday in 2000 and decided to retire here, moving to Central Alberta six years ago. “It’s the right size. Not too big, not too small,” Germain said.
Dawson lived all over the province during his 35 years with Northwestern Utilities — now ATCO. He decided to retire in Red Deer to be within close proximity to family.
The men now share their love and knowledge of the community with others. They’ve gone on history tours with Michael Dawe, curator of history for the Red Deer Museum and Art Gallery, to improve their historical knowledge. They have also made a point of going into each business and community organization downtown to get to know everything the downtown has to offer.
So far they’ve done everything from helping a woman find a wedding dress store to calling Emergency Services for someone who needed help.
“We’re an extra set of eyes on the street,” Dawson said. “People are very receptive to us.”
Germain said people have a sense of security having the ambassadors downtown.
They average six to seven km of walking each shift. “But my feet tell me 20,” Dawson jokes.
The ambassadors work in the downtown every day, rain or shine. They expect they’ll be in the downtown until Thanksgiving weekend, weather permitting.
sobrien@www.reddeeradvocate.com