Burlington Council retreats defeated by Walmart Store on Fairview
The news hit the street yesterday. Burlington Council voted in favour of withdrawing protest to the Walmart development application for Fairview Ave beside the GO Station.
People are getting the news out, and they are getting madder. City caves and the rest is history?
NO WAY! Stay tuned for public protest. Come to the council meeting Monday Jan 22.
Call all the councillors and the Mayor, and anyone on staff. The word needs to get out.
Resist. Spend that cool $1Million saved on snow removal to fight Walmart.
Ian
Sustainable Burlington
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April 3rd, 2007
Walmart a Cancer, when will it be stopped?
This is who we are obliged by the power politics of the day, including Rob McIsaac in 2002, to accept into our downtown core. Rise up! Complain, boycott, protest. Sprawl + big box retail is not sustainable. (IG)
Selling Wal-Mart: Can the Company Co-Opt Liberals?
By Jeffrey Goldberg
The New Yorker
Monday 02 April 2007
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/040207H.shtml
Twenty years ago, Wal-Mart was widely viewed as a scrappy regional retailer,
and its founder, Sam Walton, an Ozarks eccentric with a vision of super-discounting,
was praised for intuiting the needs of his customers, and for maintaining high
morale among his workers. When Walton retired, in 1988 (he died in 1992), the
company had revenues of sixteen billion dollars. Today, Wal-Mart is the second-largest
company in the world in terms of revenue - only ExxonMobil is bigger. Its
revenues last year came to more than three hundred and fifteen billion dollars,
with profits of more than eleven billion, and it has developed a reputation
as a worldwide colossus that provides poor pay and miserly benefits to its 1.8
million employees. The image of the company is not helped by the immoderation
of Sam Walton's widow and children, who together control forty per cent of Wal-Mart's
outstanding shares, and who are worth roughly eighty billion dollars; they are,
by a striking margin, the richest family in America. (They are worth more than
Warren Buffett and Bill Gates combined.)
Wal-Mart is traditionally a Republican-leaning company (during the past fifteen
years, more than seventy-five per cent of its political donations have gone
to Republicans) and has become a favorite target of Democratic politicians.
Hillary Clinton, who once served on Wal-Mart's board, recently returned a five-thousand-dollar
donation because of what a campaign spokeswoman said were "serious differences
with current company practices." Barack Obama and John Edwards have joined
union-led campaigns to denounce the company for its wage-and-benefit policies.
Wal-Mart is notably unfriendly to unions; in 2000, when meat-cutters at a single
Wal-Mart in Texas organized into a collective-bargaining unit, Wal-Mart responded
by shutting down its meat counters across Texas and in five neighboring states.
It closed an entire store in Quebec, rather than see workers unionize.
The company has also been criticized for driving American jobs overseas, by
demanding immense discounts from its suppliers. Senator Byron Dorgan, a North
Dakota Democrat who is one of Wal-Mart's main foes in Congress, says that the
company, by forcing its suppliers to manufacture goods in China, shows that
it "doesn't stand for American values." Wal-Mart has been the
subject of numerous unflattering documentaries and books. Even Ron Galloway,
the maker of a recent pro-Wal-Mart documentary, "Why Wal-Mart Works and
Why That Makes Some People Crazy," has turned against the company. Galloway
told me that he now considers Wal-Mart to be a "heartless" employer.
"They just instituted a wage cap for long-term employees - people making
between thirteen and eighteen dollars an hour. It's a form of accelerated
attrition. They can't expect me to defend that," Galloway said.
"Respect all Life. Reject violence. Share with others. Listen to understand. Preserve the planet. Rediscover solidarity."
www.unesco.org/manifesto2000
January 24th, 2007
If Walmart is Green, Then Who Isn't asks George Monbiot, author
From Energybulletin.net: Paradigm shift on climate - Jan 23
by Staff
RELATED NEWS:
Climate - Jan 22...
Climate policy - Jan 11...
Climate - Jan 15...
Climate - Jan 14...
About the Oil Depletion Protocol...
Click on the headline (link) for the full text.
Many more articles are available through the Energy Bulletin homepage
If Tesco and Wal-Mart are friends of the earth, are there any enemies left?
George Monbiot, The Guardian
The superstores compete to convince us they are greener than their rivals, but they are locked into unsustainable growth
-----
You batter your head against the door until you begin to wonder whether it is a door at all. Suddenly it opens, and you find yourself flying through space. The superstores' green conversion is astonishing, wonderful, disorientating. If Tesco and Wal-Mart have become friends of the earth, are there any enemies left?
These were the most arrogant of the behemoths. They have trampled their suppliers, their competitors and even their regulators. They have smashed local economies, broken the backs of the farmers, forced their contractors to drive down wages, shrugged off complaints with a superciliousness born of the knowledge that they were unchallengeable. For them, it seemed, there was no law beyond the market, no place too precious to be destroyed, no cost they could not pass on to someone else.
...But hardly anyone believed that change could happen so fast. Through the 80s and 90s, they brushed us off like dust. Then, as a result of powerful campaigns against sweatshops in the US and Europe, some of the big clothing and sports retailers broke ranks. Soon after that, the energy companies started announcing big investments in renewable technologies (though not, unfortunately, any corresponding disinvestments in fossil fuel). But the supermarkets have shifted faster than anyone else. Environmental campaigners are partly responsible (listen to how the superstore bosses keep name-checking the green pressure groups); even so, their sudden conversion leaves us reeling.
Embarrassingly, for those of us who have scorned the idea of corporate social responsibility, some of these companies now claim to be setting higher standards than any government would dare to impose on them.
(23 Jan 2007)
"Respect all Life. Reject violence. Share with others. Listen to understand. Preserve the planet. Rediscover solidarity." www.unesco.org/manifesto2000
January 19th, 2007
Citizens plan Lament and Vigil for Local Community over Walmart
Citizens will hold a Lament and Vigil for Local Community Monday Jan 22nd, at the Upper Canada Cinema, at 6:30pm, with a screening of Walmart: The High Cost of Low Price. Citizens, dressed in black or yellow will walk in procession to city hall to attend the Community Development Committee meeting 7pm for a silent vigil. This community response is sponsored by Sustainable Burlington Citizens Group and supported by the Downtown Burlington Business Association and other citizen groups.
Write me at burlingtoncan@relocalize.net or go to the Sustainable Burlington website www.relocalize.net/groups/burlingtoncan for news and add your own comments.
Hope to see you there.
"Respect all Life. Reject violence. Share with others. Listen to understand. Preserve the planet. Rediscover solidarity."
www.unesco.org/manifesto2000
January 18th, 2007
Burlington CDC Meeting Jan 22 will be interesting
In Burlington, the 6 councillors and mayor meet as 'committee of the whole' called Community Development Committee. They look at recommendations from staff for approval/rejection/approval with conditions for building applications, variances from Official Plan, etc.
This Monday we are going to visit and observe how this committee works. We will be wearing black or yellow to signify citizen mourning over the decision of this council to no longer oppose the Walmart application for a bigbox store on Fairview. (history of this is posted in this thread).
Here is the agenda for this week's meeting, from the city website.
CDC Agenda - January 22, 2007
AGENDA
CONSENT AGENDA:
*CD-3-07 Report recommending the assumption of Orchard East Phase 2 Subdivision, Registered Plan 20M-760 (E-3/07, January 2, 2007).
*CD-4-07 Report recommending the approval of the construction of road drainage improvements on Olga Drive, Brentwood Drive, Ross Street and Alfred Crescent and that they be constructed as local improvements (E-4/07, December 11, 2006).
* CD-5-07 Report recommending the removal of 7 trees on Zelco Drive to facilitate water main replacements by the Region of Halton (E-5/07, December 12, 2006).
*CD-6-07 Report recommending the assumption of Walkers Green Phase 3 Subdivision, Registered Plan 20M-712 (E-6/07, January 2, 2007).
*CD-7-07 Report recommending the assumption of Champlains Way Subdivision, Registered Plan 20M-879 (E-7/07, January 2, 2007).
*CD-8-07 Report recommending the assumption of Valley High Subdivision, Registered Plan 20M-898 (E-9/07, January 2, 2007).
PUBLIC MEETING:
* CD-9-07 Report recommending approval of minor amendments to the City’s Zoning By-law 2020, as amended, in order to implement a Council-approved recommendation to expand the current Defined Parking Area boundary that will exempt non-residential uses within the boundary from the City’s parking requirements (PL-8/07, January 2, 2007).
DELEGATION ITEMS:
*CD-10-07 Report recommending the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing be advised that the City of Burlington has no objection to an application by the RBG to revoke the Provincial Parkway Belt Regulations from 680 Plains Road West and part of 1131 Plains Road West – Royal Botanical Gardens (PL-9/07, December 19, 2007).
*CD-11-07 Memorandum dated January 12, 2007 from Jennifer Shaw, Committee Clerk, concerning the presentation on the Hamilton Harbour Remedial Action Plan.
REGULAR AGENDA:
CD-12-07 Report providing an update on the Hanson Brick Ltd. Official Plan Amendment No. 51 and recommending an Access Agreement with Hanson Brick Ltd. to grant permission to locate a private communal water system within the municipal right-of-way of No. 1 Side Road from Bronte Creek to Tremaine Road (PL-2/07, January 22, 2007).
"Respect all Life. Reject violence. Share with others. Listen to understand. Preserve the planet. Rediscover solidarity."
www.unesco.org/manifesto2000
January 18th, 2007
Protest sentiment is out there, everybody wonders why
Everyone should show up for the Community Development Committee meeting on Monday 22nd. It appears too late to stop a big box store on Fairview with all the traffic congestion etc, and Council is taking comfort in promises from Walmart to put up a 'green' building. I believe we citizens should protest and show solidarity for common sense to draw a line against car-centric sprawl, box store urban landscapes. There are lessons to be learned, maybe even a vigilance will be prompted among citizens to protect their community from 'technically correct' decisions like this.
There will be a funeral and wake for Local Community Monday Jan 22nd, at the Upper Canada Cinema, at 6:30pm, followed by a silent vigil and walk to city hall for 7pm. Please consider attending. Sponsored by Sustainable Burlington Citizens Group and supported by the Downtown Burlington Business Association and other citizen groups.
Putting up a state of the art Green LEED Platinum building is the very least the developer should be obliged to do for the privilege of being allowed inside the downtown core, a high profile and high profit location, and to end up looking really squeeky-clean corporate-green. They come off as ideal corporate citizens, just watch the marketing spin they will generate. Then watch as the traffic congestion first, then the demise of car-centric lifestyles lead to a collapse of support for big box development, after the local business community has been hoovered out of its livelihood.
"Respect all Life. Reject violence. Share with others. Listen to understand. Preserve the planet. Rediscover solidarity."
www.unesco.org/manifesto2000
January 18th, 2007
Walmart saga not over
Quoting a member of Sustainable Development Committee:
I concur with much of what David has said. The OMB does not consider logic, common sense or the ethics of big box stores. It is a legal process dominated by lawyers, official plans and zoning by-laws.
We need to remember that Wal-Mart's proposal was almost in conformity with the zoning by law under which the Barn Food store was built. Had Wal-Mart been willing to put its operations in two buildings it would not have needed an amendment at all. Secondly after negotiations with Wal-Mart in which, as Dave points out, the SDC played some part (including regarding some green building features), staff recommended approval which council turned down and instituted the special GO station study (which gave little or no support to the council position).
To oppose before the OMB a relatively limited zoning change for which staff recommended approval is a bit of a long shot. Like many of you, I dislike and do not use Wal-Mart - but I have read the letters from Citizens at the time of hearings on the First Wal-Mart and a goodly number demanded a Wal-Mart of which they had been hitherto deprived. Wal-Mart inspires passion, and passion often clouds reason. Can we negotiate further with Wal-Mart? I'm not sure.
**The two members opposing the motion to withdraw from the hearing were Cam Jackson and John Taylor.
The hearing continues, as other groups, notably the Rambo Creek Ratepayers, are still involved. On Monday, Jan 22nd, Robert Hicks, a former SDC member, is making a major presentation regarding the impact of Wal-Mart on local traffic. It is at 10:00 am in Room 241 (or the Council Chambers) and is open to the public. Here is a part of Bob's email:
The bottom line is that we are confident that our presentation will:
(a) show clearly that the assumption of a 1% annual traffic growth rate over 10 years used by the study as the basis for calculations to justify the study area infrastructure can handle the additional traffic to the year 2012 was inappropriate and considerably underestimates the growth that can be expected.
(b) show clearly that the traffic study provides invalid data values and therefore non-quality data on which to base decisions.
(c) show clearly that the two new signalized intersections needed for the proposed development would contribute to the substantial worsening of traffic congestion in the study area and therefore unacceptable levels of system service would be experienced often.
(d) show clearly that the proposed signalized intersection at Gray's Lane / DePaul's Lane on Brant Street would go against well established traffic industry design guidelines for minimum distance between intersections and the timing of the signal phases of the two intersections cannot be effectively coordinated. Therefore a signal at this location should not be permitted according to sound traffic engineering practices and principles.
(e) show clearly that installing the new signal on Brant Street would cause traffic gridlock during peak period traffic, and also during non-peak hour traffic, plus merging problems and safety concerns that could not be effectively mitigated due the short space
between the two intersections.
(f) show clearly that the additional traffic signals and congestion they would cause would add substantially to the communities production of greenhouse gases and harmful pollutants.
It is SMART's hope to convince the OMB that the proposed traffic signal at Gray's Lane and DePaul's Lane on Brant Street should not be permitted for traffic safety, traffic congestion and environmental reasons.
Since it has been indicated that the development would require this additional signalized intersection and since we believe it can be clearly shown that a signal at this location should not be permitted for very good reasons we believe the Wal-Mart development at this location should not be permitted even if the zoning debate presently taking place at the hearing concludes that it should be allowed.
It has been SMART's pleasure, at the request of, and as a service to, the Rambo Creek Ratepayers Association, to subject both the theory and the conclusions of this traffic study to further critical examination. We look forward to the opportunity to present our findings and views at the OMB hearing. At this time we understand our presentation will be scheduled for sometime in January and we will be allowed approximately 3 hours to present if needed.
Bob Hicks
SMART (OPIRG) McMaster - "making mathematics matter more for the environment and the community"
Student Math Action Research Team is a working group of the Ontario Public Interest Research Group at McMaster
"Respect all Life. Reject violence. Share with others. Listen to understand. Preserve the planet. Rediscover solidarity."
www.unesco.org/manifesto2000