Wednesday, April 23, 2008

NIMBY Alert

No big box on Eastern Ave!

The East Toronto Community Coalition (a non-profit community group committed to keeping an eye on how new development affects the health and well-being of neighbourhoods east of the Don) has started a letter-writing ...

One of the arguments against "big box stores" is usually something like "I tend to give my business to the older mom and pop stores here, as I get better value for my dollar I feel by getting good advice from an older person who owns the shop, and supporting the community." I have a message for these NIMBYers.....go to the box store websites and see how they support the community.

Community Play Spaces - Playgrounds/Ice Rinks
The Home Depot partners with KaBOOM! to build and rebuild community play areas. See Playspaces for more information.

The Home Depot Housing Impact Grants
The Home Depot Housing Impact Grants supports affordable housing projects built or preserved with environmentally friendly, efficient and durable materials that increase energy and water efficiency, improve indoor air quality, and reduce maintenance costs.

To apply for these grants applicants can go to www.homedepot.com/impactgrants

The Home Depot Foundation
The Home Depot Foundation invests in nonprofit organizations and programs throughout the United States and Canada. The Home Depot Foundation is dedicated to creating healthy, livable communities through the integration of affordable housing built responsibly and the preservation and restoration of community trees.

They also imply that there are not knowledgeable people working for the box stores...this is insulting.


5 comments:

The Skinny said...

yes. keep walmart out of our neighborhood. I haven't set foot in one in well over a decade and wont in the future. Since buying a house in this neighborhood I tend to give my business to the older mom and pop stores here, as I get better value for my dollar I feel by getting good advice from an older person who owns the shop, and supporting the community. Lot's of people in my neighborhood feel that way, and we don't need assholes who don't live around here badgering us about what we want.

Don't you have a mall to go to?

Unhypentated Canadian said...

Quote:I tend to give my business to the older mom and pop stores here, as I get better value for my dollar I feel by getting good advice from an older person who owns the shop, and supporting the community.Unquote>

This is very noble of you but you seem to be implying that "box stores" don't have knowledgeable people working for them and that they don't give back to the community which is so ludicrous it normally doesn't require a response BUT if you want the facts go to the websites for those box stores especially the Home Depot site or go into any of the stores and ask an associate about their involvement in Team Depot, Habitat For Humanity, Emergency Disaster Relief and their financial contributions to virtually hundreds of community based groups dealing with everything from drug/alcohol abuse to debt management, etc. etc.

The Skinny said...

you're talking to someone who just finished renovating their semi detached from top to bottom over the last 9 years. I know ALL about home depot, and the horrible advice their 'associates' give, any contractor would laugh in your face if you tried to tell them that. I can tell you the funniest stories about what we were told by home depot 'associates' if you like. Perhaps I can start first with the idiot who said he was a tiling expert who told us never to use leveling cement over a quarter of an inch... what the hell do you need leveling cement for moron??? I've got enough to fill pages, from my experience, and my neighbors. I will note however, there was a slim exception to the rule, I did find one out of about ten who knew what he was talking about.

After some terrible experiences with home depot (NEVER use their contractor services!!!!!), I have tended to use supply yards locally here that have been here longer. They also give back to the community, don't discount the older shops who have been serving the community a whole, lot longer than home depot has.

Unhypentated Canadian said...

Isn't there something about like minds being attracted to each other.....or what is the other one about the blind leading the blind.

Maybe you could list the Home Depot outlets you dealt with as a warning to others.

Leaving that aside because I think you are exaggerating I notice you haven't gone into the community service aspect in any gread deal or backup.

The Skinny said...

I mainly dealt with the location at Curity ave. if you're interested.

And as for exaggeration, I have a suggestion for you. Stop typing, and shut down your computer. Go out your front door. Go and have a look for yourself. Here there are amny, many, many small businesses (and medium of course) here that support so many charities like the ones you mentioned and so much more, and community efforts such as baseball teams and other kid related events, helping the elderly, it's actually quite amazing what you will find. Now just because companies like home depot have a high profile in giving to organizations like habitat for humanity (which is one I have supported over the years...) does not negate the huge efforts by so many.

I am surprised that someone in your generation, would need to be reminded of this.

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I lean to the right but I still have a heart and if I have a mission it is to respond to attacks on people not available to protect themselves and to point out the hypocrisy of the left at every opportunity.MY MAJOR GOAL IS HIGHLIGHT THE HYPOCRISY AND STUPIDITY OF THE LEFTISTS ON TORONTO CITY COUNCIL. Last word: In the final analysis this blog is a relief valve for my rants/raves.

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