Tofino aims to ban the likes of Starbucks, Tim Hortons, McDonalds

Tofino aims to ban the likes of Starbucks, Tim Hortons, McDonalds

www.theprovince.com

Council made a motion Tuesday directing staff to draft a bylaw that would ban franchises in Tofino utilizing a section of the official community plan which discourages future development and location of large-format retail chains and fast-food chains that do not reflect the character of Tofino

(visit the link for the full news article)


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Surfer heaven and Hippie outpost join forces to deprive the big box stores of high profits and the low paying jobs that accompany them. It seems to be a race to the bottom (lowest prices/lowest wages) and kills the chances for entrepreneurs to prosper. We NEED to take our town centers back.

I like this idea.



Everywhere I go, I see dead town centers, boarded up shops and the generic supershops located on the fringes of towns. The entire system floats on the automobile and walking has become a dangerous activity with the lack of sidewalks.

The only places where these jumbo sized stores belong is in the big cities. In medium sized cities and small towns, FORCE them to occupy spaces within the center of town.

They are killing jobs in small business because they cannot compete.

I wish Tofino could become a template for small towns and cities everywhere.

www.theprovince.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 22/3/10 by masqua]

A Community should have the right to decide who they invite in and who they dont. I applaud everything that helps Small & Medium-Size Businesses. Thanks for the interesting news.

[edit on 22-3-2010 by Skyfloating]

People in Tofino need to bathe a bit more often.

I don't hate the idea. And I WANT to like Tofino. I do.

But I don't. Its dirty. Its unorganized. People don't seem to have any clue what they are doing most of the time.

I want to like you Tofino. I really do.

And you make it SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO hard.

[edit on 2010/3/22 by Aeons]

America.

Want to create jobs and boost small business? There's an easy way. Make farmland expensive. Add extra cost to the sale of land on the outskirts of town if it's to go to big box stores. If an acre of farmland is to be turned into a Walmart (and) goes for $250,000 instead of $5,000, it will force them to purchase facilities of land in the center of town.

If Walmart was forced downtown, it would draw PEOPLE downtown and also bring customers into those specialty shops which are dying now.

If we went the way of Tofino, it wouldn't work in most places, I agree, but it still makes sense to stop the erosion of the town centers with their beautiful town squares and historical buildings.



[edit on 22/3/10 by masqua]

mega superstores are like the coc aine monkey experiment...we all want to get better, we want to stop doing the thing we know is harming us...we hate shopping at wally world...but we cant stop. It needs to simply be taken away from us, or have us vote during a sober moment when we are away from the influence.

I know my little town has all but boarded up except for the mega chains now...and half the time we don't even know why we go to them verses mom and pop shops considering the price actually isn't *that* much different...its like a addiction.

If I am at home and a call came, I would be all about the whole down with the megacorp town killers..but when I need to pick up some random items...I immediately find myself parking in one of the lots and grabbing a basket with the rest of the zombies...

brrraaaainnnnzzzz (now on sale in the sporting goods section)

Originally posted by Aeons
People in Tofino need to bathe a bit more often.

I don't hate the idea. And I WANT to like Tofino. I do.

But I don't. Its dirty. Its unorganized. People don't seem to have any clue what they are doing most of the time.

You sound like you've been there. Is that assumption correct? It's the best spot for surfing on the west coast of N. America, I've heard, So I imagine most summer visitors bathe quite often via boogy board.

Sure wish you could provide some proof of what you say about it being disorganized and dirty.

Tofino is a beautiful place with a lot to offer. Theres no need for the giant marketing companies like Starbucks or Tims. Its fine the way it is.

I agree, it should be up to the people who live there, after all its a small community. And lets not forget that I believe that most of it is owned by the First Nations so if that is the case, they ultimately have the say on what will or wont happen there.

I agree with the idea of forcing them to use existing buildings. We do this alot on Long Island. For example, we have a local McDonald's that is inside an old farmhouse.

www.roadsideamerica.com...
^ picture from a distance. The inside looks just like a normal McDonalds, same menu, albeit more sitting space! I remember seeing much better pictures but I can't find them. It's located on Jericho Turnpike in New Hyde Park, NY.

reply to post by SaturnFX


This post is right on the money.

I was a vocal anti- Wal Mart guy. But, now I do most of my grocery shopping there. It comes out about $56 cheaper every two weeks. I know I shouldn't and the produce is sub par. I just can't help myself though.

Even worse I buy all of my meat, baby diapers, and breads at Sam's Club. So, basically I live off of Wal Mart now. I get this strange feeling of guilt every time I think about the situation.

I've been there several times.

My parents are building a house on Vancouver Island right now. They have an acreage that over looks from an escarpment onto the ocean. My aunt has a house on Mayne Island.

I doubt Walmart would ever consider putting a store there. It doesn't fit with a good economic geography. Not enough people. Not central enough.

The Island isn't connected between places like you would expect. If you look at a map, you wouldn't put a Walmart there. You'd put it there if you connected the southern towns with the mid-island towns up the west side of the Island. But they aren't.

Tofino doesn't have many people, and the places around it don't bolster the population much. There are less than 2000 residents there. It is also highly seasonal in population figures.

If you look at a map, you would put a Walmart in Port Alberni. And I'm pretty sure Port Alberni HAS a Walmart.

What I'm telling you is - this measure is .... pointless. I doubt any of those companies would ever put a store there. Maybe Starbucks - if they closed it in the winter.


Tofino is awesome for whale watching and surfing. And, it is bloody EXPENSIVE. Only the really high end stuff is kept up. Everything else is left in a state of disrepair. You'll be lucky to find a motivated employee to help you with anything unless they do own the business. It is much more likely you'll find them sitting on the unswept steps smoking up.

And that is the businesses. The houses that aren't up-scale or seasonal condos are a not well kept.

I also wouldn't suggest using any hot tubs that aren't part of an upscale operation. I'm not against people partying in hot tubs - but I don't want to SIT in what you and a couple of hundred other people did while you are partying. Yucko.

Originally posted by masqua

Originally posted by Aeons
People in Tofino need to bathe a bit more often.

I don't hate the idea. And I WANT to like Tofino. I do.

But I don't. Its dirty. Its unorganized. People don't seem to have any clue what they are doing most of the time.

You sound like you've been there. Is that assumption correct? It's the best spot for surfing on the west coast of N. America, I've heard, So I imagine most summer visitors bathe quite often via boogy board.

Sure wish you could provide some proof of what you say about it being disorganized and dirty.

[edit on 2010/3/22 by Aeons]

Originally posted by ChrisF231
I agree with the idea of forcing them to use existing buildings. We do this alot on Long Island. For example, we have a local McDonald's that is inside an old farmhouse.

We can't fight big business on the global field, can't fight the federal government in cahoots with the big corporations, but we still have the power on the local level. If municipal government were forced to enact local laws to benefit the growth of small business. it would help a lot of capable people who are now unemployed to get established.

It's through extreme examples like Tofino that town councils can wake up on how to improve small city/town life. Small business will increase employment and put cash into local hands again.

We need to stop the decay.

Originally posted by Skyfloating
A Community should have the right to decide who they invite in and who they dont. I applaud everything that helps Small & Medium-Size Businesses. Thanks for the interesting news.

Hmmmn.

I wonder if you would post along that line of thinking on this thread as well?

Gay couple turned away from B&B in Cookham

I applaud this town for doing this.
I hope it works for them but wait
I see a Wal-Mart attorney coming
into town now with a thick briefcase full
of documents with an injunction of
law suits which prove they were
discriminated against by a local
business monopoly. The suit drains
the towns finances til Wally World
wins by default.

However, the girl showing her black panties
at the counter about 1:50 in this video got
my attention also woooooot !!!!!
yep, nice scenery there in Tofino
lmao

reply to post by Aeons


Thanks for that, Aeons, now it makes sense. There's other places, like Tofino, scattered around S Ontario... like Stratford, St Jacobs and Bayfield which have fought the push for franchises, but they are high-tourist towns which have pricey shops they are protecting.

What I see in places like Kitchener and London Ontario, which are medium size cities, is downtowns that have become decrepid with shaky businesses and shady customers. Those places have gone bad because EVERYONE hops in their cars and goes to the shopping malls at the outskirts. That sucks, imho, and I'd like to see that turn around. Stop the urban sprawls, rejuvinate the center and draw people to live in the downtowns again.

It's even worse in small towns all across N America.

You can't blame these businesses for Urban Sprawl.

They go where it makes sense.

That means that local councils are doing things that DISCOURAGE rejuvenation in the city core.

A company will go where it has business, and where it has incentives, and where it can get custom with the lowest overhead.

Downtowns are hard to build in. They have city codes that make things difficult. They have high taxes. Bad old buildings. Poor parking.

I don't blame businesses. I blame stupid short sighted political decisions.

Originally posted by masqua
reply to post by Aeons

 

Thanks for that, Aeons, now it makes sense. There's other places, like Tofino, scattered around S Ontario... like Stratford, St Jacobs and Bayfield which have fought the push for franchises, but they are high-tourist towns which have pricey shops they are protecting.

What I see in places like Kitchener and London Ontario, which are medium size cities, is downtowns that have become decrepid with shaky businesses and shady customers. Those places have gone bad because EVERYONE hops in their cars and goes to the shopping malls at the outskirts. That sucks, imho, and I'd like to see that turn around. Stop the urban sprawls, rejuvinate the center and draw people to live in the downtowns again.

It's even worse in small towns all across N America.

[edit on 2010/3/22 by Aeons]

i applaud his efforts, i know nothing about him or tofino but I love the idea. Here in northern California we are trying to keep these guys out too.

If you want to cut down on the cost of your food simply grow your own!!! Start simple with herbs. then move on to salad stuff...it really is easy! just make sure it is organic!!!!

Originally posted by Aeons
You can't blame these businesses for Urban Sprawl.

You're partly right on that because of the automobile. If it wasn't for the family car, people wouldn't live an hours drive from where they live and work. If businesses were tempted by making it profitable to do business uptown instead of the outskirts, they'd do it.

They go where it makes sense.

Exacty

That means that local councils are doing things that DISCOURAGE rejuvenation in the city core.

Threy have been, that's true and what needs to change. I'm all for providing opportunity for small business to start up. That's where the next wave of employment needs to come from, because manufacturing jobs in factories are gone overseas to countries where low wages are the norm. If we can't draw them back to N America, what else is there? It's certainly not tar sands and diamond mines everywhere.

A company will go where it has business, and where it has incentives, and where it can get custom with the lowest overhead.

I understand, but is there no way to turn the drive to lowest priced goods from China sold in big box stores that provide the lowest incomes? It seems we're destroying the middle class and being left with a population in poverty while the richest go live in isolated gated communities here and abroad.

Downtowns are hard to build in. They have city codes that make things difficult. They have high taxes. Bad old buildings. Poor parking.

Tear down the bad, revamp the solid and historic, build on parking lots and put money into public transit. Change the city codes to improve the centers until they become the places where people want to live, not just shop.

I don't blame businesses. I blame stupid short sighted political decisions.

How true. Business isn't to blame at all, except for their desire to shut down ALL competition. We need small business to flourish because 100 small shops, which reflect everything that's in ONE Walmart, employs many more people and bring wealth back to the middle class.

I have a question for all of the anti-Wal-Mart/McDonalds/etc activists out there. Why is it that whenever a Wal-Mart opens somewhere, thousands of people line up for jobs, thousands more go to shop, and yet it seems it is such an evil company. Does Wal-Mart put mom and pop stores out of business? Sure. However, more often than not those businesses were already on shaky ground before Wal-Mart came in to deliver the killing blow.

Like it or not, by providing thousands of jobs to people who would otherwise be unemployed and keeping prices so insanely low, Wal-Mart is one of the great anti-poverty programs in this country.

Originally posted by Aeons
People in Tofino need to bathe a bit more often.

I don't hate the idea. And I WANT to like Tofino. I do.

But I don't. Its dirty. Its unorganized. People don't seem to have any clue what they are doing most of the time.

I want to like you Tofino. I really do.

And you make it SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO hard.

[edit on 2010/3/22 by Aeons]

Tofino is a beautiful natural town, rugged coastline nearby. If I wasnt paranoid of the pacific ocean just now, I would think its the ideal. I prefer the non-homogenized look myself.

Really good to be supporting local businesses over franchises! We all should do this locally. We can, we can chose to support the little business even if it costs 10% more.